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LECTURES 


ON     THE 


REVELATION. 


BY 

WILLIAM  J.   REID, 

Pastor  op  the  First  United  Presbyterian  Churoh, 

Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


PITTSBURGH: 

PBtNTED   BY   SXEVENSOlf,   F06TBR  &   Co.,    No.   48  FiFTH  A  VENUE. 

1878. 


( 


BODL  LIBR. 

6-MARi918 

LOXFORD 


PREFACE. 


Thb  following  lectures  were  delivered  on  Sabbath  mornings  in  the  First 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  Pittsburgh,  Pa.  They  were  begun  October  5th, 
1873,  and  finished  March  19th,  1876.  Hany  who  listened  to  them  have  re- 
peatedly requested  their  publication,  and  in  compliance  with  this  request,  they 
now  appear  in  print. 

They  do  not  profess  to  contain  anything  new  or  startling.  The  author  made 
use  of  all  the  authorities  within  his  reach,  and  endeavored  to  express  in  as  few 
and  plain  words  as  possible,  the  result  of  his  studies.  Among  the  commen- 
taries, to  which  he  feels  especially  indebted,  are  the  following :  Horaa  Apoca- 
lypticse,  by  Rev.  £.  B.  Blliott,  A.  M. ;  Notes,  Explanatory  and  Practical,  on 
the  Book  of  Revelation,  by  Rev.  Albert  Barnes ;  Lectures  on  the  Book  of 
Revelation,  by  William  Kelly ;  the  Apocalypse,  Translated  and  Expounded, 
by  James  Glasgow,  D.  D. ;  Lectures  on  the  Revelation  of  St.  John,  by  O.  J. 
Yaughan,  D.  D. ;  Apocalyptical  Sketches,  by  John  Gumming,  D.  D. ;  Lectures 
on  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  by  J.  A.  Seiss,  D.  D. ;  the  Revelation  of 
John,  with  Notes,  by  Rev.  Henry  Cowles,  D.  J), ;  .Lectures  on  the  Book  of 
Revelation,  by  Rev.  C.  M.  Butler,  D.  D. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  expositors  of  the  Revelation  ^differ  widely  in  their 
views,  but  they  may  be  arranged  in  three  divisions.  1.  Historical  or  Continu- 
ous Expositors,  in  whose  opinion  the  Revelation  is  ;a^^|sa?egressive  history  of  the 
fortunes  of  the  church  firom  the  first  century  to  the  end  of  time.  2.  Prater ist 
Expositors,  who  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Revelation  has  been  almost  or  alto*- 
gether  fulfilled  in  the  time  which  has  passed  since  it  was  written,  and  that  it  re- 
fers principally  to  the  triumph  of  Christianity  over  Judaism  and  Paganism.  8. 
Futurist  Expositors,  who  believe  that  the  whole  book,  excepting  perhaps  the  first 
three  chapters,  refers  principally,  if  not  exclusively,  to  events  which  are  yet  to 
come.  In  these  lectures,  the  historical  interpretation  has  been  adopted,  not 
because  no  objections  can  be  urged  against  it,  but  because  these  objections  are 
lees  numerous  and  weighty  than  those  which  are  urged  against  the  other 
theories.  ^ 

The  author's  experience  in  the  preparation  of  these  lectures  is  described  in 
the  following  language  of  Rev.  Albert  Barnes,  quoted  from  the  preface  to  his 
Notes  on  the  Revelation :  ''  Up  to  the  time  of  commencing  the  exposition  of 
this  book,  I  had  no  theory  in  my  own  mind  as  to  its  meaning.  I  may  add, 
that  I  had  a  prevailing  belief  that  it  could  not  be  explained,  and  4hat  a]l  at- 
tempts to  explain  it  must  be  visionary  and  futile.  *  *  *  1  read  it,  as  I  sup- 
pose most  others  do,  from  a  sense  of  duty,  yet  admiring  the  beauty  of  its  imagery, 


IV  PBEFAOE. 

the  sublimity  of  its  descriptions  and  its  high  poetic  character  ;  and  though  to  me 
wholly  unintelligible  in  the  main,  finding  so  many  detached  passages  that  were 
intelligible  and  practical  in  their  nature  as  to  make  it  on  the  whole  attractive 
and  profitable,  but  with  no  definitely  formed  idea  as  to  its  meaning  as  a  whole, 
and  with  a  vague  general  feeling  that  all  the  interpretations  which  had  been 
proposed  were  wild,  fancifiil  and  visionary.  *  *  *  l  found  myself  soon 
insenBibly  inquiring  whether,  in  the  events  which  succeeded  the  time  when  the 
book  was  written,  there  were  not  historical  facts  of  which  the  emblems  employed 
would  be  natural  and  proper  symbols  on  the  supposition  that  it  was  the  Divine 
intention  in  disclosing  these  visions  to  refer  to  them,  and  whether,  therefore, 
there  might  not  be  a  natural  and  proper  application  of  the  symbols  to  these 
events.  *  *  *  In  this  way  I  examined  *  *  *  the  whole  book;  pro- 
ceeding step  by  step  in  ascertaining  the  meaning  of  each  word  and  symbol  as 
it  occurred,  but  with  no  theoretic  anticipation  as  to  what  was  to  follow.  To 
my  own  surprise  I  found,  chiefly^  in  Gibbon's  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Boman 
Empire,  a  series  of  events  recorded  such  as  seemed  to  me  to  correspond  to  a 
great  extent  with  the  series  of  symbols  found  in  the  Apocalypse.  *  *  *  So 
remarkable  have  these  coincidences  appeared  to  me  in  the  course  of  this  exposi- 
tion, that  it  has  almost  seemed  as  if  he  had  designed  to  write  a  commentary 
on  some  portion  of  this  book,  and  I  have  found  it  difiicult  to  doubt  that  that 
distinguished  historian  was  raised  up  by  an  overruling  Providence  to  make  a 
record  of  those  events  which  would  ever  afterwards  be  regarded  as  an  impartial 
and  unprejudiced  statement  of  the  evidences  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy.'* 

The  author  now  sends  this  volume  forth,  in  the  hope  that  it  may  be  to  many 
members  of  his  congregation  a  memorial  of  the  pleasant  years  of  his  pastor- 
ate, and  with  the  prayer  that  it  may  do  something  towards  the  better  under- 
standing of  this  portion  of  the  inspired  word. 

Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  October  1st,  1878. 


CONTENTS 


Page. 
AKAI.YSIS. 10 

LECTURE  I.        I.     1-3. 

PREFATORY, IB 

LECTURE  II.        I.     4-11. 

INTRODUCTORY, 1» 

LECTURE  III.       .1.     12-20. 

THE  SEVEN  GOLDEN  CANDLESTICKS, 26 

LECTURE  IV.        II.     1-7. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  EPHESUS, 82 

LECTURE  V.        II.    a-11. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  SMYRNA, 89 

LECTURE  VI.        II.     12-17. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  PERGAM06, 46 

LECTURE  VII.        II.     18-29. 
THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN   THYATIRA, 53 

LECTURE  VIII.        III.     1-6. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  SARDI8, 61 

LECTURE  IX.        III.     7-18. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  PHILADELPHIA,       -  ...  us 

LECTURE  X.        III.    14-22. 

THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  LAODICEA, 75 

LECTURE  XI.        III.    22. 

GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  THE  EPISTLES  TO  THE  CHURCHES,  -  .  83 

LECTURE  XIL        IV.     1-4. 

THE  VISION  OF  HEAVEN, 91 

LECTURE  XIIL        IV.     6-11. 
THE  VISION  OF  HEAVEN,  CONTINUED, 98 

LECTURE  XIV.        V.    1-7. 

THE  SEALED  BOOK, 105 


6  CONTENTS. 

Page. 
LECTURE  XV.        V.    8-14. 

THE  HEAVENLY  WORSHIP, 112 

LECTURE  XVI.        VI.     1,  2. 
THE  FIRST  SEAL, 11» 

LECTURE  XVIL        VI.     8-6. 

THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  SEALS, 125 

LECTURE  XVIII.        VI.     7-11. 

THE  FOURTH  AND  FIFTH  »FjaS,  -  - IW 

LECTURE  XIX.        VI.    12-17. 
THE  SIXTH  SEAL, 14& 

LECTURE  XX.        VII.    1-8. 

GOD'S  SEALED  ONES, IW 

LECTURE  XXI.        VII.    9-17. 

THE  PALM  BEARING  MULTITUDE, 160 

LECTURE  XXII.        VIII.     1-7. 

THE  SEVENTH  SEAL  AND  THE  FIRST  TRUMPET, 16* 

LECTURE  XXIIL        VIII.    8-18. 
THE  SECOND,  THIRD  AND  FOURTH  TRUMPETS, 177 

LECTURE  XXIV.        IX.     l-ll. 

THE  FIFTH  TRUMPET, 187 

LECTURE  XXV.        IX.     12-19. 

THE  SIXTH  TRUMPET, 1»6 

X 

LECTURE  XXVI.        IX.     20,21. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS, 204 

LECTURE  XXVII.        X.     1-4. 

THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  AND  THE  LITTLE  BOOK, 21» 

LECTURE  XXVIII.        X.    6-11. 

THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  AND  THE  LITTLE  BOOK,  CONTINUED,  •  -  221 

LECTURE  XXIX.        XI.     1, 2. 

THE  MEASURING  OF  THE  TEMPLE, 22fr 

LECTURE  XXX.        XI.     3-8. 

THE  TWO  WITNESSES, 285 

LECTURE  XXXI.        XI.    9-18. 
THE  TWO  WITNESSES,  CONTINUED, 24^ 


CONTENTS.  7 

Page. 
LECTURE  XXXII.        XI.     14-18. 

THE  SEVENTH  TBUKl^ET, 260 

LECTURE  XXXIIL        XI.  19.-XII.  2. 
THE  WOMAN  CLOTHED  WITH  THE  SUN, 258 

LECTURE  XXXIV.        XII.     8-6. 

THE  WOMAN  AND  THE  GREAT  RED  DRAGON, 266 

LECTURE  XXXV.        XII.     7-17. 

THE  WOMAN  AND  THE  GREAT  RED  DRAGON,  CONTINUED,  -  -      278 

LECTURE  XXXVI.        XIII.    1-10. 

THE  BEAST  WITH  TEN  HORNS, 281 

LECTURE  XXXVII.     XIII.     11-18. 

THE  BEAST  WITH  TWO  HORNS, '-  -  -     292 

LECTURE  XXXVIII.        XIII.    6. 

THE   DURATION  OF  THE  POWER  OF  THE  BEAST,  -  -  -  -  aoo 

LECTURE  XXXIX.    XIV.     1-6. 
THE  LAMB  AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS, 307 

LECTURE  XL.        XIV.     6-12. 

THE  PREACHING  OF  THE  GOSPEL  AND  THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON,  -  814 

LECTURE  XLI.        XIV.     18-20. 

THE  BELIEVING  DEAD,  THE  FINAL  HARVEST  AND  THE  LAST  VINTAGE,  -     323 

LECTURE  XLII.        XV.     1-8. 
PREPARATION  FOR  POURING  OUT  THE  VIALS, 831 

LECTURE  XLIIL         XVL     1, 2 

THE  FIRST  VIAL, 338 

LECTURE  XLIV.        XVI.    8-7. 

THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  VIALS, '        -  -  348 


LECTURE  XLV.        XVI.    S-11. 

THE  FOURTH  AND  FIFTH  VIAlfl,  - 866 

LECTURE  XL VI.        XVI.     12-14. 

THE  SIXTH  VLAL, 363 

LECTURE  XLVII.        XVL     16, 16. 
THE  SIXTH  VIAL,  CONTINUED, 371 

LECTURE  XLVIU.        XVI.     17-21. 
THE  SEVENTH  VIAL, 377 

LECTURE  XLIX.        XVII.     1-6. 

THE   MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS, 384 


8  CONTENTS. 

LECTURE  L.        XVII.     7, 8. 

THE  ANGEL'S  EXPLANATION, ;{92 

LECTURE  LL        XVII.    9-lL 

THE  ANCiEL'S  EXPLANATION,  CONTINUED,       - 400 

LECTURE  LII.        XVII.     12-18. 

THE  ANGEL'S  EXPLANATION,  CONTINUED, 406 

LECTURE  LIII.        XVIII.    1-8. 

THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON, 4U 

LECTURE    LIV.        XVIII.    9-24. 

THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON,  CONTINUED, 422 

LECTURE  LV.        XIX.    1-6. 

HEAVENLY  HALLELUJAHS, 490 

LECTURE  LVI.        XIX.    7-9. 

THE  MARRIAOE  SUPPER  OF  THE  LAMB, 486 

LECTURE  LVII.        XIX.     10-16. 

ANGEL  WORSHIP  AND  THE  MIGHTY  CONQUEROR,  ....      443 

LECTURE  LVIII.        XIX.    17-21. 

THE  FINAL  CONQUEST, 450 

LECTURE  LIX.        XX.    1-8. 

THE  BINDIN(J  OF  SATAN, 457 

LECTURE  LX.        XX.    4,  6. 

THE  MILLENNIUM, 464 

LECTURE  LXI.        XX.     6-10. 
THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  AND  THE  HOSTS  OF  GOG  AND  MAGOG,       -  -      471 

LECTURE  LXII.        XX.     11-16. 
THE  FINAL  JUDgSiENT, 476 

LECTURE  LXIIL        XXI.     1. 

THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH, 483 

LECTURE  LXIV.        XXI.    2-4. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,       -----.--.  491 

LECTURE  LXV.        XXI.    6-8. 

THE   NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, 4<H» 

LECTURE  LXVI.        XXI.     9-14. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,   CONTINUED, 506 

LECTURE  LXVIL     XXI.     16-21. 

THE  NEW   JERUSALEM,  Cy)NTINUED, ol4 


CONTENTS.  9 

Page. 
LECTURE  LXVIII.        XXI.    22,28. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, 522 

LECTURE  LXIX.        XXI.    24,26. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, 628 

LECTURE  LXX.        XXI.     26, 27. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, S35 

LECTURE  LXXL        XXII.     1,2. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, 542 

LECTURE  LXXII,        XXII.    8,4. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED,  ......  549 

LECTURE  LXXIII.        XXII.     6. 

THE  NEW  JERUSALEM,  CONTINUED, 666 

LECTURE  LXXIV.        XXII.     6-9. 
FAITHFUL  AND  TRUE  SAYINGS, 5«2 

LECTURE  LXXT.        XXII.     10,  11. 
THE  UNCHANGING  CONDITION  OF  THE  DEAD,  -  -  .  .     570 

LECTURE  LXXVI.        XXII.     12,  18. 

THE  SAVIOUR'S  COMING  AND  REWARD, 576 


LECTURE  LXXVII.        XXII.     14-16. 
THROUGH  THE  GATES  INTO  THE  CITY,  ....  -      683 

LECTURE  LXXVIII.        XXII.     17. 
THE  mVITATION,       .  -  .  .  _ 590 

LECTURE  LXXIX.        XXII.     18,10. 

THE  PERFECT  BOOK, 596 

LECTURE  LXXX.         XXIL     20,21. 
THE  CONCLUSION, «M 


ANALYSIS. 


'*  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the 
things  which  shall  be  hereafter.''  These  words  fiirnish  the  clue  to  the  analysis 
of  the  Apocalypse.  The  apostle  is  commanded  to  write  the  things  he  had  seen, 
the  things  which  were,  and  the  things  which  were  to  be  thereafter.  In  addition 
to  these  three  divisioQs,  there  are  in  this  book,  as  in  almost  every  other,  a  pre- 
face and  a  conclusion.  The  Apocalypse  is  then  to  be  divided  into  five  parts, 
viz.:  a  preface ;  an  introductory  vision ;  a  description  of  the  church  as  it 
existed  in  the  days  of  John ;  a  history  of  the  church  from  the  time  of  John 
till  the  end  of  the  world ;  and  a  conclusion. 

I.     THE  PREFACE.        I.     1-8. 

This  division  contains  the  title  and  design  of  the  book,  the  name  of  the  author, 
and  the  blessedness  of  those  who  read  it. 

II.    THE  INTRODUCTORY  VISION.        I.    4-20. 

This  division  contains  the  vision  of  the  glorious  Redeemer,  who  stood  in  the 
midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks  and  commanded  the  apostle  to  write  the  things 
he  had  seen,  the  things  which  were,  and  the  things  which  were  to  be  thereafter. 

III.  THE  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  CHURCH  AS  IT  EXISTED  IN 

THE  DATS  OP  JOHN.        II,  III. 

In  this  division,  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  are  regarded  as  the  representa- 
tives of  the  entire  church.  The  epistles  to  these  churches  are  all  fashioned  on 
the  same  model ;  1st.  The  name  of  the  church  is  mentioned.  2d.  Some  of  the 
attributes  of  the  Saviour  are  referred  to.  8d.  Some  of  the  peculiar  characteristics 
of  each  church  are  described,  and  praised  or  rebuked  as  they  are  worthy  of 
praise  or  rebuke.  4th.  There  follows  advice  or  counsel  or  promise  or  warning, 
as  the  circumstances  of  the  case  demand.  6th.  There  is  the  solemn  admonition, 
<'He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 
6th.  There  is  a  beautiful  promise  to  him  that  overcometh. 

IV.  THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  CHURCH  FROM  THE  DAYS  OF  JOHN 

TILL  THE  END  OF  TIME.        IV.  l.-XXII.  5. 

An  introductory  vision,  in  which  the  apostle  is  carried  into  heaven  and  shown 
the  great  throne  and  its  surroundings,  iv.  1-11.  A  description  of  the  sealed 
book,  which  contained,  in  symbol,  the  future  history  of  the  church,    v.  1->14« 

The  first  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  prosperity  of  the  Roman  empire  for 
about  one  hundred  years  after  the  time  of  the  apostle,    vi.  1,  2. 


ANALYSIS.  11 

The  second  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  civil  wars  of  the  latter  part  of  the 
second  century,     vi.  8,  4. 

The  third  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  famines  of  the  early  part  of  the 
third  century,    vi.  6,  6. 

The  fourth  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  great  mortality  of  the  latter  part 
of  the  third  century,    yi.  7, 8. 

The  fifth  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  persecutions  of  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  century,     vi.  ^11. 

The  sixth  seal,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  alarm  that  filled  the  Roman  empire 
on  account  of  threatened  barbarian  invasions,  about  the  middle  of  the  fourth 
century,  vi.  12-17.  A  parenthetical  vision  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  designed 
to  comfort  the  persecuted  church,     vii.  1-17. 

The  seventh  seal,  when  seven  angels  with  seven  trumpets  appear,    viii.  1,  2. 

The  first  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  invasion  of  the  Roman  empire 
by  the  Goths  under  Alaric,  about  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  century,     viii.  7  • 

The  second  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  invasion  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire by  the  Vandals  under  Qenseric,  about  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century 
TUi.  8,  9. 

The  third  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  invasion  of  the  Roman  empire 
by  the  Huns  under  Attila,  a  little  after  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century,  viii. 
10, 11. 

The  fourth  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  destruction  of  the  Western 
^empire  by  the  fieruli  under  Odoacer,  about  the  close  of   the  fifth  century. 
vni.  12. 

The  fifth  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Moham- 
medan power,  ftom  about  622  to  772.     ix.  1-11. 

The  sixth  trumpet,  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Turkish 
power,  from  about  1062  to  1468.  ix.  18-19.  Under  this  trumpet  are  also  the 
vision  of  the  angel  with  the  open  book,  fulfilled  in  the  Reformation  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  the  open  Bible,  x.  1-11 ;  the  vision  of  measuring  the 
temple,  fulfilled  in  the  re-arrangement  of  the  lines  of  separation  between  the 
true  church  and  the  false,  xi.  1,  2;  and  the  vision  of  the  two  witnesses,  ful- 
filled in  the  weakness  of  the  true  church,  its  sore  persecution,  and  its  revival  as 
if  lh>m  death,    xi.  8-18. 

The  seventh  trumpet  was  then  sounded,  and  proclamation  was  made  that  the 
world  was  coming  to  an  end.  xi.  18-18.  The  events  which  were  to  take  place 
under  the  seventh  trumpet  are  minutely  described  in  a  new  series  of  visions, 
which  is  introduced  by  xi.  19.  A  representation  of  the  trae  church  under  the 
symbol  of  a  beautiful  woman,  its  trials  and  its  escape,  xii.  1-17.  A  repre- 
sentation of  the  Papal  power,  under  the  symbol  of  two  beasts ;  the  first,  a  symbol 
of  the  Papal  church,  and  the  second,  a  symbol  of  the  General  Councils  of  that 
church.  XIII.  1-18.  A  parenthetical  vision,  introduced  to  comfort  the  saints. 
xiT.  1-20. 

Preparation  for  the  final  judgments,     xv.  1-8. 

The  first  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  French  revolution  of  1798.    xvi.  1,  2. 

The  second  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  naval  disasters  of  France,    xvi.  3. 

The  third  vial,  fulfilled  in  those  scenes  of  carnage  which  prevailed  where 
the  saints  had  been  persecuted,    xvi.  4-7. 

The  fourth  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  overthrow  of  those  governments  which  sus- 
tained the  Papal  power,    xvi.  8,  9. 


12  ANALYSIS. 

The  fifth  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  temporary  conquest  of  Borne  by  the  French 
arms.    xvi.  10,  11. 

The  Bizth  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  decline  of  the  Turkish  power,  the  spread  of 
Christianity  in  the  East,  and  the  rallying  of  Infidelity,  Popery  and  Mohammed- 
anism for  the  Battle  of  Armageddon.     XTi.  12-16. 

The  seventh  vial,  fulfilled  in  the  overthrow  of  the  Papal  power.  XTi.  17-21. 
This  overthrow  is  so  important  that  it  is  described  in  additional  visions.  A 
representation  of  the  Papal  power,  and  its  destruction,  under  the  symbol  of  a 
drunken  harlot,  xvii.  1-18.  A  representation  of  the  same  power,  and  its 
destruction,  under  the  symbol  of  a  great  city  in  ruins.  XYiii.  1-20.  A  repre* 
sentation  of  the  same  power,  and  its  destruction,  under  the  symbol  of  a  mill- 
stone cast  into  the  sea.  xviii.  21-24.  A  song  of  victory  by  the  heavenly  host. 
XIX.  1-9.  A  description  of  the  mighty  conqueror,  xix.  11-16.  A  description 
of  the  final  war,  and  the  destruction  of  the  Papal  church,    xix.  17-21. 

The  millennium,    xx.  1-6. 

The  loosing  of  Satan,  and  his  final  imprisonment,     xx.  7-10. 

The  last  judgment,     xx.  11-18. 

The  wicked  are  cast  into  hell.     xx.  14,  15. 

The  righteous  are  admitted  into  heaven,  which  is  described  under  the  symbol 
of  a  beautiful  city.    xxi.    1-xxi.  6. 

V.    THE  CONCLUSION.        XXII.    6-21. 

In  this  division  there  is  a  solemn  declaration  that  these  things  are  true ;  a 
description  of  the  effects  of  these  visions  on  the  apostle ;  a  command  to  publish 
what  he  had  seen ;  a  description  of  the  unchangeable  condition  of  the  righteous 
and  the  wicked  in  the  world  to  come ;  a  description  of  the  blessedness  of  those 
who  have  washed  their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  the  name  of  the  author 
of  this  book ;  a  fVee  gospel  invitation  ;  a  solemn  injunction  not  to  change  any- 
thing written  in  this  book ;  a  threefold  announcement  of  the  speedy  coming  of 
the  Son  of  man  ;  the  church's  response ;  and  the  apostle's  benediction. 


LECTURE    I. 


PREFATORY. 

The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to  shew  unto 
his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass  ;  and  he  sent  and  signified 
it  by  his  angel  unto  his  servant  John:  who  hare  record  of  the  word  or  God, 
and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  andof  all  things  that  he  saw.  Blessed 
is  he  that  readeth,  ahd  they  that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep 
those  things  which  are  written  therein :  for  the  time  is  at  hand. — Rsv.  1  :  1-B. 

I  HAYi  selected  the  book  of  the  Revelation  as  the  subject  of  a  series 
of  expository  lectures,  because  I  have  not  given  it  in  the  past  as  much 
study  as  I  have  bestowed  on  other  portions  of  the  Bible.  I  have  not  had 
a  dear  and  distinct  idea  of  its  wonderful  visions.  Nor  do  I  think  I  am 
alone  in  this  regard.  Ghriistians  generally  regard  the  things  written  in 
thiB  book,  at  least  some  of  them,  as  things  with  which  they  have  nothing 
to  do  at  present  A  little  reflection  must  convince  us  that  we  are  in  error 
here.  This  book  is  a  portion  of  the  inspired  word  of  Ood,  which  is  profit- 
able for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction  and  for  instruction.  It  is  said 
of  it,  as  well  as  of  the  rest  of  the  Bible,  *^  Search  the  Scriptures,  for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life,  and  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me." 
Of  its  contents  it  is  said,  '^  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book.'*  A  peculiar  blessing  is  pronounced,  both  at  the  beginning  and  at 
the  close  of  the  book,  upon  those  who  read  and  ojbey  the  revelations  con- 
tained in  it.  Such  considerations  and  promises  as  these  should  lead  to  its 
reverent  and  careful  study. 

I  am  not  vain  enough  to  flatter  myself  that  I  will  remove  the  difiicul- 
tiea  which  are  to  be  found  in  this  portion  of  God's  word.  I  do  not  start 
oat  with  an  ambition  to  utter  what  will  be  original  or  brilliant.  I  wUl 
oarefully  study  this  book,  aided  by  all  the  helps  which  I  can  reach, 
and  will  bring  to  you  the  results  of  such  investigations.  When  I  meet 
with  what  I  do  not  understand,  I  will  freely  acknowledge  the  fact.  If  I 
should  become  completely  baffled  in  my  attempts  to  fathom  the  meaning 
of  the  Spirit,  I  will  at  once  suspend  this  series  of  lectures  and  try  another 
more  in  accordance  with  my  ability.  Many  have  entered  upon  the  study 
of  this  book  with  some  preconceived  theory  to  support.  I  have  no  such 
theory.  While  I  have  a  general  idea  of  the  plan  which  should  be  adopted, 
an  idea  which  I  will  explain  at  the  proper  time,  I  am  ready  to  follow  the 
leading  of  the  Spirit  of  truth,  as  I  may  be  able  to  understand  it.  My 
great  object  will  be  to  discover  the  truth,  to  apply  it  to  our  hearts  and 


14  LEOTURE   I. 

lives,  to  comfort  our  troubled  souls,  to  inspire  them  with  greater  faith,  and 
to  prepare  them  for  that  unspeakable  glory  which  is  revealed  in  the  con- 
cluding chapters  of  the  book.  That  this  object  may  be  accomplished,  I 
ask  you  to  give  such  time  and  thought  to  the  words  to  be  considered  as 
you  may  be  able  to  give,  to  follow  in  your  Bibles  the  verses  as  they  will 
be  taken  up  in  their  order  one  after  another,  and  to  pray  that  the  word  of 
Grod  may  have  free  course  and  be  glorified.  I  do  not  ask  you  to  accept 
any  explanation  because  I  may  make  it,  but  to  search  the  Scriptures  dili- 
gently and  see  whether  these  things  are  so. 

The  words  which  are  to  be  considered  in  the  present  lecture  constitute  the 
inspired  preface  to  this  wonderful  book.  This  preface  contains  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  contents  of  the  book,  the  name  of  its  author,  and  a  decla- 
ration of  its  value.  To  these  three  points  I  invite  your  attention.  After 
having  discussed  these  points,  I  will  briefly  refer  to  any  others  which  I  may 
think  necessary  to  prepare  the  way  for  future  exposition. 

I.  Let  us  consider  the  oontents  of  this  book  as  they  are  described 
by  the  Spirit  himself.  The  book  is  called  the  Revelation.  The  word  which 
is  thus  translated  has  become  familiar  in  its  English  dress.  It  is  the 
Apocalypse.  This  book  is  almost  ajs  frequently  called  '*  the  Apocalypse" 
as  "  the  Revelation."  But  this  name  is  sometimes  confounded,  especially 
by  the  young,  with  the  Apocrypha,  a  name  which  is  applied  to  those  un- 
inspir^  books  which  are  found  in  some  Bibles  between  the  Old  Testament 
and  the  New.  There  is  a  similarity  in^the  names,  but  they  have  an  oppo- 
site meaning.  Apocrypha  means  that  which  is  covered  or  hidden  ;  Apoca- 
lypse means  that  which  is  uncovered  or  revealed. 

This  book  is  not  only  the  Revelation,  it  is  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ. 
This  does  not  mean,  as  many  seem  to  think,  that  it  is  a  revelation  given 
by  Jesus  Christ,  for  in  this  respect  it  does  not  diflfer  ^om  any  other  book 
in  the  Bible.  They  are  all  given  by  Christ,  and  inspired  by  his  Spirit.  It 
means  that  it  is  a  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ ;  that  is,  it  reveals  Christ ;  it 
makes  him  known.  It  is  true  that  in  this  sense  the  gospels  are  a  revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ.  They  reveal  him  as  the  suffering,  dying,  buried  Sa- 
viour of  his  people.  They  reveal  him  as  he  was  when  he  came  to  earth 
to  do  his  Father's  will.  This  book  reveals  him  in  a  new  light.  It  reveals 
him  as  conqueror  over  his  enemies  and  Lord  over  his  earthly  church, 
leading  it  to  final  victory,  and  making  all  things  work  together  for  its  good. 
It  also  reveals  him  as  the  Supreme  Judge  of  all  the  gathered  multitudes 
of  the  universe.  This  book,  then,  is  a  revelation  or  apocalypse  of  Jesus 
Christ,  different  from  any  other  which  the  Spirit  has  given  us  in  the  holy 
word.  As  the  gospels  contain  a  revelation  of  his  first  coming  and  of  his 
earthly  life,  so  this  book  oontains  a  revelation  of  his  heavenly  life  and  of 
his  second  coming,  when  he  shall  come  the  second  time  without  sin  unto 


PREFATORY.  15 

salvation.  Therefore,  in  the  study  of  this  book,  we  may  expect  to  find 
soch  a  revelation  of  Jesns  Christ  as  is  not  vouchsafed  to  us  elsewhere ;  we 
may  expect  to  find  descriptions  of  glory  which  will  fill  our  souls  with  com- 
fort and  with  unutterable  longings  for  the  things  which  are  to  be  hereafter. 

And  this  book  is  not  only  the  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  it  va  also  the 
Bevelation  which  "  God  gave  unto  him."  We  are  clearly  told  in  the  New 
Testament,  that  the  mediatorial  kingdom,  with  all  its  glory,  is  the  reward 
which  the  Saviour  received  from  the  Father  when  the  great  work  of  re* 
demption  was  finished.  We  may  therefore  consider  all  the  glory  of  the 
Messiah,  revealed  in  this  book,  as  the  gift  of  God.  We  may  also  consider 
the  revelation  of  this  glory  as  the  gift  of  God.  It  is  made  known  to  man 
by  the  will  of  God.  And  besides  this,  the  revelation  is  a  part  of  the 
glory,  for  even  such  glory  would  have  been  no  glory,  if  it  had  continued 
for  ever  unknown. 

The  object  of  this  God-given  Revelation  is  "  to  show  unto  his  servants 
things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass."  By  the  servants  of  God  are 
meant  of  course  the  true  members  of  the  church  on  earth.  We  must  re> 
member  the  circumstances  in  which  these  servants  were  placed,  or  we  will 
not  be  able  to  understand  the  design  of  this  book.  They  were  to  pass 
through  great  persecutions;  men  and  devils  were  to  be  arrayed  against 
them;  error  and  Antichrist  were  to  oppose  them;  their  blood  was  to  be 
poured  out  like  water  in  the  streets  of  every  city.  Against  the  coming  of 
such  dark  days  of  persecution,  the  servants  of  God  needed  encouragement. 
If  they  were  not  encouraged  and  strengthened,  they  would  think  their 
God  had  forgotten  them,  and  make  shipwreck  of  their  faith.  What  would 
strengthen  them  more  than  to  forewarn  them  of  the  persecutions  through 
which  they  had  to  pass,  to  assure  them  of  the  protection  of  their 
divine  Lord  and  of  their  final  triumph,  and  to  reveal  to  them  the  ever- 
lasting glory  of  Christ  in  which  they  were  to  have  a  share  ?  What  would 
encourage  them^  more  than  to  reveal  to  them  the  history  of  the  church 
and  its  divine  Lord  from  that  day  untU  the  time  when  all  the  great  multi- 
tude of  the  redeemed  should  be  gathered  home  ?  Therefore  God,  by  this 
revelation,  would  show  unto  his  servants  ^'things  which  must  shortly  come 
to  pass."  This  does  not  mean  that  he  would  reveal  all  things  that  were  to 
come  to  pass,  but  only  the  main  events  in  the  histoiy  of  the  church, 
which  it  was  important  for  the  members  of  his  church  to  be  acquainted 
with.  Nor  does  this  declaration,  of  necessity,  mean  that  all  the  things 
revealed  would  soon  come  to  pass.  It  means  that  their  fulfillment  would 
shortly  b^in,  though  the  complete  fulfillment  of  all  the  things  predicted 
might  not  be  for  ages  in  the  future.  It  indicates  a  train  of  consecutive 
events  whose  beginning  was  at  hand,  but  whose  end  might  be  very  remote. 

This  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ  was  given  by  the  ministry  of  an  angel. 
'^  He  sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel."     What  particular  angel  was  em- 


16  LECTURE   I. 

ployed  on  this  occasion,  we  have  not  been  informed.  All  we  know  of  him 
is  summed  up  in  his  own  words,  '^I  am  thy  fellow  servant,  aod  of  thy 
brethren  the  prophets,  and  of  them  who  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book.' 
From  this,  it  has  been  thought  that  this  angel  was  one  of  the  old  prophets,  or 
some  one  who  on  earth  had  been  a  faithful  member  of  the  church,  and  that 
he  was  now  honored  by  being  permitted  to  reveal  to  his  fellow  servants  on 
the  earth  the  things  of  the  future.  And  it  is  to  be  noticed,  that  this  angelic 
messenger  did  not  reveal  these  things  so  much  by  words  bb  by  signs.  The 
word  translated  ''signified  "  indicates  that  this  revelation  was  to  be  made  by 
symbols.  The  office  of  the  angel  was  to  make  one  magnificent  picture  after 
another  pass  before  the  eyes  of  the  apostle.  We  must  bear  this  in  mind  or 
we  will  not  be  able  to  understand  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book. 
The  whole  book  is  a  series  of  visions  which  were  made  to  pass  before  the 
apostle  like  a  great  panorama.  It  was  the  province  of  the  angel  to  unroll 
the  panorama.  How  this  was  done  I  am  not  able  to  say ;  but  that  it  was 
within  the  power  of  the  angel,  commissioned  of  God  for  this  purpose,  no 
one  wUl  deny.  Nor  am  I  able  to  say  how  far  John  understood  thewonder- 
ful  visions  which  he  saw.  Probably  he  understood  them  no  better  than  we 
understand  them,  when  we  read  the  descriptions  which  he  was  inspired  to 
write  and  which,  preserved  through  all  the  centuries,  are  as  full  of  comfort 
for  us  as  they  were  for  him. 

II.  Let  us  now  turn  to  the  authorship  of  this  book.  This  Revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  which  was  given  of  God  and  signified  by  the  angel, 
was  recorded  by  John  for  the  information  of  all  coming  time.  There  need 
be  no  doubt  as  to  the  John,  to  whom  was  accorded  this  high  honor.  It 
was  the  John  *'  who  bore  record  of  the  word  of  Gt>d,  and  of  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all  things  that  he  saw."  By  the  ''  word  of  God  " 
is  meant  of  course  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  incarnate  Word  of  God.  Who 
was  it  that  bore  witness  of  this  Word  ?  Who  was  it  that  said,  ^'  In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was 
God''?  Who  was  it*  that  bore  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Word 
which  was  made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us  ?  Who  was  it  that  bore  testi- 
mony of  all  the  things  he  saw,  when  that  incarnate  Word  tabernacled  among 
men  ?  To  these  questions,  but  one  answer  can  be  returned.  It  was  John 
the  apostle,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  the  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  the  be- 
loved disciple  who  leaned  upon  the  Master's  breast. 

If  necessary,  this  reasoning  might  be  strengthened  and  confirmed.  There 
is  a  similarity  in  style  and  language  between  this  book  and  the  acknowledged 
writings  of  the  apostle,  which  cannot  be  accidental,  and  which  proves  that 
the  same  author  wrote  them  all.  Of  course  there  is  a  certain  dissimilarity, 
but  this  dissimilarity  must  be  expected,  because  the  subjects  discussed  are 
very  different ;  but  the  points  of  similarity  are  so  many  and  so  marked. 


PREFATORY.  17 

that  thej  are  sufficient  to  determine  the  author,  even  if  his  name  had  not 
heen  mentioned.  Besides  this,  the  concurring  voice  of  the  Christian  fathers 
declares  the  author  to  be  John,  the  beloved  disciple.  I  need  not  repeat 
their  testimony.  It  can  be  found  in  almost  any  of  the  commentaries  on 
this  book.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  authorship  and  genuineness  were 
not  called  in  question  until  the  third  century,  when  some,  whose  theories 
it  endangered,  ascribed  it  to  a  heretic.  Notwithstanding  this,  no  book  of 
the  New  Testament  has  stronger  external  evidence  in  its  favor.  We  may, 
therefore,  be  sure,  as  we  pass  from  verse  to  verse,  and  from  chapter  to 
chapter,  that  we  are  studying  the  words  of  that  disciple  who  was  in  a 
peculiar  manner  honored  with  the  Saviour's  love  when  he  was  here  on  earth. 

III.  We  were  to  notice  the  value  of  this  book.  All  Scripture  is  of 
value,  but  many  have  thought  that  the  mysterious  visions  contained  in  this 
book  are  among  the  least  valuable  portions  of  Holy  Writ.  It  must  be 
admitted  that  there  are  in  it  many  things  which  are  hard  to  be  understood. 
When  we  read  over  the  many  expositions  of  the  Apocalypse,  no  two  of 
which  agree ;  when  we  study  the  different  theories  of  interpretation  which 
have  been  proposed,  and  find  that  they  are  as  opposite  as  light  and  dark- 
ness ;  we  may  think  that  we  might  expend  our  time  more  profitably  than 
in  the  study  of  a  book,  whose  meaning  seems  to  be  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  finite  mind.  It  would  seem  as  if  he,  who  gave  this  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ,  knew  how  men  would  be  discouraged  in  their  attempts  to 
understand  and  explain  it,  and  he  has  held  out  a  special  promise  for  their 
encouragement,  a  promise  which  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  this  book,  and 
which  shows  its  unspeakable  value.  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are 
written  therein  ;  for  the  time  is  at  hand."  Over  the  very  vestibule  of  this 
temple  the  hand  of  the  Lord  has  written  an  invitation  to  enter,  and  this 
invitation  contains  a  promise  of  blessedness,  which  is  repeated  in  the  inmost 
shrine  ;  for  in  the  last  chapter,  it  is  said,  "  blessed  is  he  that  kecpeth  the 
sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book." 

Surely,  then,  we  have  encouragement  to  enter  upon  the  study  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse. He  that  readeth  these  words  is  blessed.  They  that  hear  them  read 
are  blessed.  They  that  keep  them  are  blessed.  Let  us  observe,  and  let  us  be 
thankful  while  we  observe,  that  it  is  not  said,  he  that  fully  understands  the 
things  written  in  this  book  is  blessed.  If  this  was  the  condition,  none  of 
us  might  hope  for  blessedness,  for  there  are  mysteries  here  which  no  man 
has  yet  been  able  to  fathom.  We  may  not  be  able  to  understand  fully  this 
book,  but  we  can  read  it,  we  can  hear  it  read,  we  can  keep  the  things  writ- 
ten in  it  as  far  as  we  are  able  to  understand  them ;  and  as  we  can  do  all 
this,  we  are  sure  of  the  blessing.     If  we  enter  upon  the  study  of  this  portion 

of  the  Scriptures  in  humble  dependence  on  the  Spirit  and  with  earnest 

2 


18  LECTURE   I. 

prayers  for  divine  enlightenment,  we  will  be  better  able  to  understand  what 
is  meant  by  this  blessedness  in  the  future  than  we  are  at  present. 

There  is  a  reason  why  we  should  be  diligent  in  our  study  of  this  book : 
"  for  the  time  is  at  hand*' ;  and  if  this  reason  had  weight  when  the  exile 
in  Patmos  wrote  these  words,  nearly  two  thousand  years  ago,  how  much 
greater  weight  they  must  have  now.  As  I  have  already  intimated,  I  do 
not  understand  these  words  as  meaning  that  the  time  was  at  hand  for  all 
the  things  written  in  this  book  to  be  fulfilled,  but  that  the  time  was  at 
hand  for  the  fulfillment  to  begin,  a  fulfillment  which  has  been  going  on 
through  all  the  ages  since,  and  which  will  continue  till  the  end  of  the 
present  order  of  things  shall  be  reached. 

There  are  two  or  three  other  points  which  should  be  noticed  in  this 
prefatory  discourse,  but  I  will  notice  them  with  brevity.  One  is  the  place 
where  this  book  was  written.  It  was  written  on  the  isle  of  Patmos.  As 
we  will  have  occasion  to  speak  in  a  subsequent  lecture  of  this  island,  and 
of  the  reasons  why  it  was  chosen  as  the  place  of  the  apostle^s  banishment, 
this  point  may  be  passed  over  for  the  present. 

Another  point  is  the  time  when  this  book  was  written.  All  ihe  main 
opinions  on  this  point  may  be  reduced  to  two.  The  first  is,  that  it  was  writ- 
ten in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Nero ;  the  other  is,  that  it  was  written  in 
the  reign  of  the  emperor  Domitian.  After  reading  carefully  the  evidence 
which  has  been  brought  forward  in  proof  of  each  of  these  dates,  I  am  of 
the  opinion  that  the  latter  is  correct,  viz.,  that  this  book  was  written  in 
the  reign  of  Domitian,  or  about  the  year  96.  Therefore,  when  John  wrote 
this  book,  he  must  have  been  an  old  man ;  for  though  we  do  uot  know  his 
exact  age,  yet  he  must  have  been  bom  about  the  beginning  of  the  Chris- 
tian era.  But  it  must  not  be  thought  that  this  is  the  last  written  book  of 
the  Bible.  John  did  not  write  his  gospel  for  two  or  three  years  after  this 
time.  This  gospel  must  have  the  distinction  of  being  the  last  words  which 
have  been  preserved  for  us  from  an  inspired  pen.  When  the  Apocalypse 
was  written,  John  was  an  old  man,  almost  one  hundred  years  of  age,  tho 
last  survivor  of  the  apostles.  When  he  wrote  it,  all  the  other  writers  of  the 
New  Testament  were  mingling  with  the  dust,  and  he  survived  only  a  few 
years  longer,  till  he  could  put  the  finishing  touch  to  the  canon  of  inspira- 
tion in  the  gospel  which  bears  his  name. 


INTBODUCTOBY.  19 


LECTURE    II. 


INTRODUCTORY. 

John  to  the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia :  Grace  be  unto  you,  and 
peace,  from  him  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come ;  and  from  the 
seven  Spirits  which  are  before  his  throne ;  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the 
faithful  witness,  and  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father ;  to  him 
be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.  Behold,  he  cometh  with 
clouds  ;  and  every  eve  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which  pierced  him :  and  all 
kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him.  Even  so.  Amen.  I  am  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  which 
was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Almighty.  I  John,  who  also  am  your  brother, 
and  companion  in  tribulation,  and  in  the  kingdom  and  patience  of  Jesus  Christ, 
was  in  tne  isle  that  is  called  Patmos,  for  the  word  of  Gk>d,  and  for  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  Christ.  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard  be- 
hind me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the 
first  and  the  last :  and,  What  thou  seest,  write  in  a  book,  and  send  it  unto 
the  seven  churches  which  are  in  Asia ;  unto  Ephesus,  and  unto  Smvrna,  and 
unto  Pergamos,  and  unto  Thyatira,  and  unto  Sardis,  and  unto  Philadelphia, 
and  onto  Laodicea.— Rsv.  1 : 4-11. 

In  mj  last  lectare  I  considered  the  inspired  preface  to  this  book, 
which,  from  anything  which  appears  in  it,  may  have  been  written  by 
John  himself,  or  by  some  one  else  specially  directed  by  the  Spirit  to  do 
this  work.  In  the  subject  of  the  present  lectare,  we  have  John's  special 
introduction  to  the  series  of  visions  he  was  about  to  record.  In  this  in- 
troduction, which  prepares  the  way  for  the  things  to  be  revealed,  we  have 
the  following  points :  1.  The  usual  salutation,  verses  4,  5.  2.  An  as- 
cription of  praise,  verses  5,  6.  3.  The  statement  of  an  important  fact, 
verse  7.  4.  The  Deity  of  the  coming  one,  verse  8.  5.  The  circumstances 
in  which  th!e  vision  was  seen,  verses  9-11.  To  these  points,  in  their  order, 
I  invite  your  attention. 

I.  Let  us  attend  to  the  usual  salutation.  This  book  is  an  epistle  or 
letter.  In  this  respect,  it  does  not  differ  from  Ihose  books  of  the  New 
Testament  which  follow  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Paul's  first  recorded 
epistle  was  primarily  addressed  to  the  members  of  the  Christian  church  in 
Borne,  but  it  was  also  intended  for  all  Christians  the  world  over.  So  this 
book  was  primarily  addressed  to  the  churches  of  Asia,  but  it  was  also  in- 
tended for  all  Christians  everywhere.  And  as  this  book  is  an  epistle,  we 
would  expect  to  find  in  it  the  salutation  usual  to  the  epistles  of  the  apos- 
tolic age. 

1.  In  this  salutation  we  have  the  name  of  the  writer.  It  is  John.  Though 
there  were  many  of  this  name  in  the  early  church,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
as  to  the  particular  John  who  is  here  described.  The  points  of  similarity 
between  this  book  and  John's  gospel  and  epistles,  and  the  overwhelming 


20  LBOTUBB   II. 

testimony  of  the  Christian  fathers,  must  conrince  us  that  the  author  is  no 
other  than  John  the  apostle,  the  son  of  Zehedee,  the  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved.  But  mark  the  modesty  of  the  apostle's  saintly  heart.  He 
does  not  enumerate  his  titles  and  the  offices  he  had  filled  and  the  hooks 
he  had  written,  as  modem  authors  delight  to  do  ;  he  knew  that  the  simple 
name  was  sufficient  for  the  members  of  the  churches  to  whom  he  was 
writing  ;  for  to  those  among  whom  he  had  labored  so  long  and  so  faith- 
fully, there  could  be  but  one  John. 

2.  We  have  the  persons  to  whom  the  salutation  is  addressed,  viz.,  '^  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia."  By  "Asia"  we  are  not  to  understand  the  conti- 
nent of  Asia  ;  nor  are  we  to  understand  by  it  that  large  peninsula,  which 
thrusts  itself  out  from  western  Asia  between  the  Mediterranean  and  Euxine 
seas,  and  which  has  for  many  centuries  been  known  by  the  name  of  Asia 
Minor.  It  describes  only  a  small  portion  of  the  western  coast  of  that  penin- 
sula, that  province  of  Asia  Minor  of  which  Ephesus  was  the  capital  and  the 
principal  city,  and  which  is  generally  called  Proconsular  Asia.  It  is  in  this 
restricted  sense  that  the  word  is  used  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles :  as  for 
example  in  these  passages :  "All  them  that  dwelt  in  Asia  heard  the  word 
of  the  Lord  Jesus";  "  throughout  all  Asia,  this  Paul  has  persuaded  and 
turned  away  much  people."  In  this  Proconsular  Asia,  John  had  long 
preached  the  gospel.  According  to  tradition,  soon  afler  he  was  lefl  at  lib- 
erty to  depart  from  Jerusalem  by  the  death  of  Mary,  the  Lord's  mother, 
who  had  found  a  home  in  hb  house  ever  since  the  crucifixion,  he  came  to 
Ephesus,  and  was  chosen  bishop  or  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  city. 
When  he  was  banished  from  his  field  of  labor,  how  natural  it  would  be  for 

f  him  to  remember  those  with  whom  he  had  been  so  intimately  associated, 
and  to  send  to  them  this  epistle  from  the  isle  of  Patmos.  I  need  not  now 
mention  the  names,  or  speak  of  the  circumstances  and  history  of  the  seven 
churches.  It  will  be  a  more  proper  time  for  this,  when  we  come  to  speak 
of  the  messages  which  were  sent  to  them.  It  should,  however,  be  re- 
marked, that  these  were  not  all  the  Christian  churches  which  had  been 
established  in  that  part vof  Asia  Minor,  but  theee  seven  were  selected, 
either  because  they  were  the  principal  churches,  or  becausQ  the  number 
seven  is  in  Biblical  language  the  symbol  of  completeness. 

3.  The  substance  of  this  salutation  is  grace  and  peace.  It  is  worthy  of 
mention  that  this  is  the  substance  of  the  salutation  in  every  one  of  Paul's 
epistles,  though  in  the  epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus  he  prays  for  "  mercy" 
as  well  as  "  grace  and  peace,"  thereby  seeming  to  teach  us  that  ministers  of 
the  gospel  y  owing  to  the  responsibility  of  their  work,  need  mercy  more  than 
otber  men.  These  apostolic  salutations  were  not  meaningless  forms ;  they 
expressed  the  sincere  wish  of  the  writer  s  heart.  The  word  "  grace  "  in 
this  connection  includes  in  it  all  the  favors  of  God,  needful  for  time  and 
eternity.    The  word  "  peace  "  includes  in  it  peace  of  conscience,  peace  with 


INTRODUCTORY.  21 

men,  and  peace  with  God,  which  the  world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away. 
Therefore  the  salutation  is  equivalent  to  this :  my  heart's  desire  and  prayer 
for  you  is,  that  divine  favor  and  divine  peace  may  be  yours.  Blessed  are 
they  for  whom  this  prayer  is  offered,  and  in  whose  experience  it  is  answered ! 
And  this  is  the  unceasing  prayer  of  the  Christian  church  for  all  its  members. 

4.  We  have  the  source  from  which  the  apostle  implores  this  blessing  of 
grace  and  peace.  It  is  from  the  triune  God.  It  is  from  the  Father,  who 
is  here  described  by  a  three-fold  title ;  "  him  which  is,  and  which  was,  and 
which  is  to  come."  This  is  but  a  translation  of  "  Jehovah,"  the  incom- 
municable name  of  God,  which  describes  his  eternal  and  uncreated  exist- 
ence. The  Father  exists  now,  he  has  existed  in  the  past,  he  will  exist  in 
the  future.  He  is  the  unchanging  one,  without  beginning  of  days  or  end 
of  years,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever,  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting. All  this,  and  even  more,  is  expressed  to  the  reverent  heart  by  the 
words  '*  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come." 

This  blessing  is  implored  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  also  described 
by  a  three-fold  title.  He  is  a  Spirit,  he  is  the  Seven  Spirits,  he  is  before  the 
throne.  The  number  seven,  as  I  will  have  occasion  to  say  again  and  again 
during  the  exposition  of  this  book,  is  in  Biblical  language  the  symbol  of 
completeness  or  perfection.  Therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  is  called  *'  the  Seven 
Spirits,"  because  of  the  completeness  and  perfection,  as  well  as  the  diversity 
of  his  operations;  and  he  is  said  to  be  *^  before  the  throne,"  thereby  indicat- 
ing that  he  is  ready  and  waiting  to  go  forth  and  accomplish  his  work,  viz., 
the  sanctification  of  the  church. 

This  blessing  is  also  implored  from  Jesus,  who  is  also  described  by  a 
three-fold  title.  He  is  ^^  the  faithful  witness."  "To  this  end,"  as  he  him- 
self tells  us,  "  was  I  bom,  and  for  this  cause  came  I  into  the  world,  that  I 
should  bear  witness  unto  the  truth."  He  bare  such  witness  during  his  life 
in  the  face  of  his  enemies,  and  he  sealed  his  witness-bearing  with  his  blood 
on  the  cross.  And  he  is  also  *^  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead";  not  that 
he  was  the  first  that  came  forth  from  the  grave,  for  passing  by  the  few  in- 
stances recorded  in  the  (Hd  Testament,  and  the  sheeted  dead  who  after  the 
resurrection  were  seen  walking  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  Jesus  by  his 
own  power  raised  from  the  dead  the  daughter  of  Jairus,  the  widow's  son, 
and  Lazarus  of  Bethany.  Jesus  is  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead  in  that  he 
is  the  most  illustrious  of  the  dead,  and  in  that  he  was  the  first  of  them  all 
who  rose  from  death  to  immortality.  The  others  who  were  raised  died 
again ;  Jesus  rose  to  die  no  more.  He  is  also  "  the  prince  of  the  kings 
of  the  earth."  He  is  exalted  above  kings  of  the  earth  as  they  are  above 
their  meanest  subjects.     He  is  ''King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords." 

This  is  the  source  from  which  the  blessing  is  invoked.  Let  us  com- 
prehend it  as  well  as  we  can.  There  is  God  the  Father,  the  same  in  the 
past,  the  present  and  the  future ;  there  is  God  the  Spirit,  in  all  his  perfect 


22  LECTURE   11. 

and  manifold  operations ;  there  is  God  the  Son,  the  faithful  witness,  the 
first  hegotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  head  over  all  things  for  his  church.  A 
blessing  from  such  a  triune  God  has  in  it  a  blessedness,  wbose^height  and 
depth,  and  length  and  breadth,  cannot  be  measured. 

II.  The  apostle,  having  been  led  by  this  salutation  to  speak  of  the 
finished  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  breaks  out  in  a  loftt  ascription 

OF   PRAISE. 

1.  The  object  ta  whom  this  praise  is  ascribed  is  not  mentioned  by  name, 
but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he  is  none  other  than  the  Lord  Jesus.  The 
exalted  description  which  is  here  given  is  fulfilled  in  him  alone.  '*  Unto 
him  that  loved  us,''  or  as  it  is  now  agreed  that  the  text  should  read,  '^  unto 
him  that  loves  us."  There  are  others  who  love  us,  but  the  love  of  Jesus 
towers  above  theirs ;  there  are  others  who  have  done  much  for  us,  but  Jesus 
has  done  more  than  they  all.  We  sometimes  think  of  his  great  love  as 
past;  we  speak  of  it  as  if  it  culminated  in  his  sufferings  on  the  cross;  but 
not  so.  It  is  a  present  love.  It  neither  increases  nor  diminishes.  It  is  a 
free  and  undeserved  love.     It  is  a  love  which  passeth  knowledge. 

"  Unto  him  that  loves  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood." 
Though  the  love  of  Jesus  is  a  present  love,  this  washing  from  sin  is  past. 
The  atonement  is  a  finished  work.  His  sacrifice  will  never  have  to  be 
repeated,  for  it  is  perfect.  While  the  sanctification  of  the  saints  on  earth 
is  progressive,  they  are  completely  justified,  adopted  and  pardoned,  and 
they  can  say  with  as  much  truth  as  the  saints  in  heaven,  "  he  has  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood."  And  if  Jesus  washed  them  from 
their  sins  in  his  own  blood,  he  must  have  been  a  man,  for  he  had  blood  to 
shed ;  he  must  have  been  a  suffering  man,  for  he  shed  that  blood  ;  he 
must  have  been  more  than  a  man,  for  no  human  blood  has  such  efficacy ; 
and  he  must  have  died,  not  merely  as  an  example,  but  as  an  atonement, 
for  by  his  blood  sins  were  washed  away. 

'*  Unto  him  that  loves  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 
and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father."  That 
Jesus  should  love  us  is  a  wonder ;  that  he  should  wash  us  from  our  many 
and  aggravated  sins  in  his  own  blood  almost  surpasses  our  belief;  but  if 
we  are  Christians  at  all,  we  are  not  only  loved  and  washed,  but  also  made 
kings  and  priests.  To  love  and  pardon,  are  added  kingly  honor  and 
priestly  dignity.  There  is  not  a  saint,  however  lowly,  who  is  not  a  son  of 
the  Great  King  and  a  priest  of  the  Most  High  God ;  and  if  he  is  a  king, 
he  must  have  a  kingdom  ;  if  he  is  a  priest,  he  must  be  holy. 

2.  The  praise  ascribed  to  this  glorious  person  is,  that  to  him  may  be 
"glory  and  dominion  forever  and  ever."  Jesus  is  worthy  of  this  praise. 
He  has  accomplished  a  work  which  no  one  else  could  have  done  ;  he  has 
a  name  which  is  above  every  name ;  and  he  has  a  kingdom  which  will 


INTRODUCTORY.  23 

oever  end.  Therefore,  all  those  whom  he  loves,  whom  he  has  washed,  and 
whom  he  has  made  a  royal  priesthood  to  his  Father  and  God,  may  say 
both  on  earth  and  in  heaven,  '^  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  forever  and 
ever.     Amen.'' 

in.  This  ascription  of  praise,  which  led  the  apostle  to  speak  of  the 
king&hip  and  priesthood  of  the  saints  and  of  the  everlasting  dominion  of 
Christ,  reminds  him  that  these  things  were  not  to  be  in  all  their  fullness 
till  A  GREAT  EVENT  had  taken  place.  He,  therefore,  makes  a  brief 
statement  of  that  important  event. 

1.  This  event  is  stated  in  the  words,  *'  he  cometh.''  The  name  of  the 
coming  one  is  not  mentioned,  but  every  one  must  know  from  the  connection 
in  which  this  verse  is  found,  that  the  coming  one  is  he  who  loves  us  and 
who  has  washed  us  and  who  has  made  us  kings  and  priests.  Jesus  is  to 
come  again  "the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation."  When  he  was 
here  on  earth,  he  spake  of  that  coming  once  and  again  ;  the  apostles  spake 
of  it  after  his  departure  ;  the  church  has  believed  in  it  through  all  the 
ages  of  its  history.  Christians  may  differ  as  to  the  time  and  manner  of 
his  coming,  hut  as  to  the  fact  all  are  agreed.  And  all  agree  that  this  coming 
must  precede  the  fulfillment  of  the  most  of  the  glorious  things  which  have 
been  spoken  of  the  church. 

2.  Notice  the  importance  of  this  event,  an  importance  which  is  here 
indicated  by  the  word  "  behold,"  and  in  other  parts  of  Scripture  by  the 
frequency  with  which  it  is  referred  to. 

3.  Notice  the  ghry  of  his  coming.  "  He  cometh  with  clouds."  The 
Scriptures  represent  the  coming  one  as  riding  in  a  chariot  of  the  clouds  ; 
and  our  finite  minds  can  conceive  of  no  greater  manifestation  of  glory  than 
that  of  him  who  maketh  the  clouds  his  chariot,  and  who  rideth  on  the 
wings  of  the  wind. 

4.  Notice  t?ie  publicity  of  his  coming.  "  Every  eye  shall  see  him,  and 
they  also  which  pierced  him."  When  he  came  the  first  time,  his  coming 
was  almost  unknown  ;  only  a  very  few  knew  of  the  babe  who  was  born  in 
Bethlehem's  stable.  But  it  will  not  be  so  when  he  comes  the  second  time. 
^^  As  the  lightning  cometh  out  of  the  east,  and  shineth  even  unto  the  west ; 
so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be."  "  Every  eye  shall  see 
him."  The  Grentile  nations  will  behold  him,  and  so  will  the  Jews  who 
rejected  and  crucified  him.  His  true  children  will  behold  him,  and  so  will 
those  who  have  pierced  him  by  their  ingratitude  and  unbelief.  Those  who 
are  alive  on  the  earth  will  behold  him,  and  so  will  the  dead  who  shall  be 
called  from  their  graves  to  witness  the  glory  of  his  coming.  Those  will 
behold  him  who  say,  "  Lo,  this  is  our  God,  we  have  waited  for  him,"  and 
so  will  those  who  cry  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  '^  fall  on  us  and  hide 
us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne." 


24  LECTURE   II. 

• 

5.  Notice  the  sorroic/ulness  of  his  coming  to  his  enemies.  "  All  kindreds 
of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him."  The  coming  of  the  Son  of  man 
will  be  an  occasion  of  sorrow  to  all  who  have  rejected  him,  whether  they 
belong  to  the  tribes  of  Israel,  or  to  the  kindreds  of  the  Gentiles ;  because 
this  event  will  bring  their  sins  to  remembrance,  and  because  they  will  be 
overwhelmed  with  apprehensions  of  approaching  wrath,  which  they  can  no 
longer  hope  to  escape. 

6.  Notice  the  emphatic  expression  with  which  this  statement  concludes, 
'^  even  so,  amen";  an  expression  which  indicates  not  only  the  certainty 
of  the  Lord's  coming,  but  also  the  earnest  wish  of  the  apostle's  heart  that 
he  might  come  quickly,  a  wish,  in  which  every  waiter  for  the  heavenly 
consolation  and  for  the  glorious  things  which  are  to  be  will  join.  ''Amen. 
Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

IV.    The  Deity  op  the  coming  one  is  announced  by  himself.    "I 

am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending,  saith  the  Lord,  which 

is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come,  the  Almighty."    The  event,  which 

has  just  been  predicted,  has  such  an  important  bearing  on  our  lives  and 

hnppiness,  that  our  faith  in  it  needs  to  be  confirmed ;   and  what  could 

furnish  better  confirmation  than  this  sublime  statement  ?    The  coming  one 

is  "  Alpha  and  Omega."     These,  as  you  know,  are  the  names  of  the  first 

and  the  last  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet.     If  made  in  English,  this 

statement  would  be,  "  I  am  the  A  and  the  Z";  that  is,  I  am  the  first  and 

the  last ;  there  was  no  one  before  me,  and  there  will  be  no  one  after  me. 

\y<^j^V»->    [And  as  the  alphabet  is  the  means  of  communicating  truth,  this  expression 

j^^^*/*^^j^*  Jniay  mean  that  the  Saviour  is  the  sum  of  all  knowledge  and  the  embodiment 

,j^  .,^^«^^of  all  truth. 

\fuy*^^^^    Again :    the  coming  one   is  "  the  beginning  and  the  ending."     This 

•i  V^,^"^      clause  is  not  found  in  the  earliest  manuscripts  and  the  best  versions.     It 

^  has  probably  been  inserted  by  some  transcriber  to  explain  the  preceding 

clause,  of  which  it  is  an  equivalent.     Both  express  the  Saviour's  eternity. 

Again  :  the  coming  oneis  he  "  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to 

come."     This  sublime  description  was,  in  verse  4,  applied  to  the  Father ; 

and  as  it  was  there  explained,  it  need  not  detain  us  now.     But  as  the 

same  description  is  here  applied  to  the  Son,  it  follows  that  the  second 

person  of  the  Trinity  is  equal  with  the  first.     If  one  is  Jehovah,  so  is  the 

other  ;  if  one  is  eternal  and  immutable,  so  is  the  other. 

Again  :  the  coming  one  is  "  Almighty."  He  can  have  no  greater  name 
than  this,  for  it  includes  all  power.  And  as  he  has  all  power,  he  will  come 
at  the  very  time  and  in  the  very  manner  he  has  promised.  May  this 
statement  of  the  Deity  of  the  coming  one  not  only  confirm  our  faith  in  his 
coming,  but  also  inspire  us  to  be  diligent  in  preparing  for  his  great 
appearing ! 


INTRODUCTORY.  25 

V.  I  invite  your  attention  to  the  circumstances  in  which  this  vision 
was  seen.  Yon  will  remember  that  I  have  described  this  book  as  a  series 
of  visions,  which  the  ministering  angel  unrolled  before  the  eyes  of  the 
apostle  like  a  great  panorama.  Let  us  sketeh  the  surroundings  of  the 
apostle  when  this  panorama  was  unrolled,  and  as  they  are  revealed  to  us 
in  verses  9-1 1.  The  seer  of  this  vision  was  John,  the  apostle.  Though 
he  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  apostles,  and  the  most  distinguished  member 
of  the  Christian  church  on  earth,  he  claims  for  himself  no  higher  honor 
than  to  be  a  companion  and  brother  of  the  saints.  He  was  one  with  them 
in  tribulation,  for  the  same  persecutions  and  afflictions  had  befallen  them 
all.  He  was  one  with  them  in  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  they 
would  be  partakers  of  the  same  glory,  and  the  heirs  of  the  same  inheritance 
when  their  present  sufferings  were  ended.  He  was  one  with  them  in 
patience,  for  they  all  had  to  manifest  the  same  Christ-like  endurance. 

When  John  saw  his  wonderful  vision,  he  was  an  exile  in  the  island  of 
Patmos,  a  little,  barren,  rocky  island,  which  lies  out  in  the  open  sea  not  far 
irom  the  coast  of  western  Asia  Minor,  and  which  was  made  a  penal  colony 
for  the  adjacent  provinces.  If  tradition  can  be  believed,  John  and  his  fel- 
low exiles  were  sentenced  to  penal  labor  in  the  mines  of  Patmos.  But 
though  John  was  an  exile  and  a  companion  of  criminals,  he  had  been 
guilty  of  no  crime.  He  had  been  banished  "  for  the  word  of  Ood  and 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ"  ;  that  is,  he  had  been  banished  because 
he  had  been  faithful  in  preaching  the  word  of  God  and  in  bearing  testi- 
mony to  the  divine  mission  of  Jesus  in  the  city  of  Ephesus,  in  which  God 
had  called  him  to  labor.  While  he  was  an  exile  in  this  barren  island  of 
Patmos,  on  a  certain  Sabbath,  the  Holy  Spirit  came  and  took  possession  of 
his  faculties.  His  eyes  no  longer  saw  the  bleak  rocks  and  walls  of  his 
island  prison ;  they  looked  through  the  open  gate  of  heaven  and  saw  a 
vision,  the  like  of  which  was  never  vouchsafed  to  any  other  dweller  here 
on  earth.  His  ears  no  longer  heard  the  dashing  waves  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean sea  against  the  rocky  shores ;  they  l^eard  a  great  voice  from  heaven, 
a  voice  as  loud  and  clear  as  a  trumpet.  It  was  the  voice  of  one  who  an- 
nounced himself,  in  the  figurative  language  which  has  already  been  el- 
plained,  as  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  who  commanded  him  to  write 
in  a  book  the  things  he  was  about  to  see,  and  to  send  the  written  book  to 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  which  are  mentioned  by  name.  No  wonder 
John  was  astonished.  No  wonder  he  turned  quickly  to  see  him  who  could 
speak  such  language  in  such  a  voice ;  but  what  he  saw  when  he  turned, 
even  the  first  great  vision  in  the  glorious  panorama,  must  be  reserved  for 
consideration  in  another  lecture. 

In  the  meantime,  let  us  prepare  ourselves  by  prayer  and  meditation  for 
those  things  we  expect  to  see.  We  have  now  passed  through  the  intro- 
duction, and  {Cre  ready  to  enter  upon  the  Apocalypse  itself.     We  have  en- 


26  LECTURE   III. 

tered  the  building,  we  have  listened  to  the  explanatory  lecture,  the  lights 
have  been  extinguished,  and  we  are  patiently  waiting  for  the  great  scenes^ 
painted  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  be  unrolled.  God  help  us  to  understand 
t}iem  when  the  unrolling  begins,  and  to  his  name  be  all  the  praise  ! 


LECTURE    III. 


THE  SEVEN   GOLDEN   CANDLESTICKS. 

And  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake  with  me.  And  being  turned,  I  saw 
seven  golden  candlesticks ;  and  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  candlesticks  one  like 
unto  the  Son  of  man,  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot,  and  girt  about 
the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle.  His  head  and  his  hairs  were  white  like  wool, 
as  wnite  as  snow ;  and  his  eves  were  as  a  flame  of  fire :  and  his  feet  like  unto 
fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  as  the  sound  of  many 
waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars :  and  out  of  his  mouth  went 
a  sharp  two-edged  sword :  and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his 
strength.  And  when  I  saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.  And  he  laid  his 
right  hand  upon  me,  saying  unto  me,  Fear  not ;  I  am  the  first  and  the  last :  I 
am  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead ;  and,  behold,  1  am  alive  for  evermore,  Amen  ; 
and  have  the  keys  of  hell  and  of  death.  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast  seen, 
and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter ;  the  mys- 
tery of  the  seven  stars  which  thou  sawest  in  my  right  hand,  and  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks.  The  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches  : 
and  the  seven  candlesticks  which  thou  sawest  arc  the  seven  churches. — Rev.  1 : 
12-20. 

When  John  turned  to  see  the  speaker,  he  saw  sights  and  heard  words 
which  he  was  moved  to  record  for  our  instruction,  and  which  we  are  to 
consider  in  the  present  lecture.  In  the  wordd  which  have  been  announced 
as  the  subject  of  lecture,  there  are  three  points  to  which  I  invite  your  at- 
tention :  the  vision  itself;  its  effects  on  the  apostle;  and  its  explanation. 

I.  In  accordance  with  this  plan,  we  are,  in  the  first  place,  to  notice  the 
VISION.  While  we  consider  and  attempt  to  explain  what  John  saw, 
we  must  remember  that  he  was  a  Jew;  that  he  was  familiar  with 
the  writings  of  the  old  prophets ;  that  he  was  well  acquainted  with 
the  rites  and  ceremonies  of  Jewish  worship ;  that  he  had  often  stood  in 
the  courts  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  watched  the  priests  and 
levites  as  they  performed  the  duties  to  which  they  had  been  appointed, 
before  that  temple  was  made  a  ruin  by  the  armies  of  Rome ;  and  therefore 
we  may  expect  to  find  his  vision  tinged  with  light  reflected  from  the  Old 
Testament  and  from  the  temple  service.  This  expectation  is  fully  re- 
alized. The  entire  passage  leads  us  to  believe  that  John  saw  in  vision 
a  magnificent  temple  court,  similar  to  the  holy  place  in  the  tabernacle  of 
Moses  and  in  the  temple  of  Solomon,  but  it  had  a  brightness  and  a  glory 
which  the  tabernacle  and  the  temple  never  knew.     The  apostle  does  not 


THE   SEVEN   GOLDEN   CANDLESTICKS.  27 

Stop  to  describe  the  general  appearance  and  furniture  of  this  beautiful  and 
holy  room,  which  the  ministering  angel  caused  to  pass  before  his  eyes  with 
all  the  viTidness  of  reality.  There  were  two  objects  which  at  once  caught 
his  eye  and  enchained  his  attention,  which  are  so  glorious  in  themselves, 
and  which  have  such  an  important  bearing  on  all  the  subsequent  visions, 
that  they  only  are  thought  worthy  of  description. 

1.  When  John  turned  to  see  who  it  was  that  spake  to  him,  he  saw 
''  seven  golden  candlesticks."  The  word  "  candlestick  "  at  once  carries  us 
back  to  the  directions  which  were  given  to  Moses  for  the  building  of  the 
tabernacle.  He  was  commanded  to  make  a  candlestick  of  pure  gold,  with 
three  branches  coming  out  of  one  side,  and  three  branches  coming  out  of 
the  other  side.  These  six  branches,  together  with  the  main  stem,  formed 
seven  branches,  each  one  of  which  was  crowned  with  a  lamp  to  give  light 
to  the  holy  place.  This  candlestick  was  placed  on  the  lefl  side  of  the  holy 
place,  as  one  looked  towards  the  ark  of  the  covenant,  and  opposite  the 
table  of  shew  bread.  A  similar  candlestick  was  made  by  Solomon  and 
placed  in  the  same  relative  position  in  the  temple. 

It  should,  however,  be  noticed  that  the  translation  "  candlestick  "  does 
not  exactly  express  the  meaning  of  the  original,  either  in  the  description 
of  the  tabernacle  or  in  John^s  vision.  The  instrument  he  saw  was  not  an 
instrument  for  holding  candles,  but  for  holding  lamps ;  for  lamps,  and  not 
candles,  were  then  used  for  illuminating  purposes.  Therefore  it  would  be 
a  better  translation  to  say,  "  I  saw  seven  golden  lamp-stands." 

There  was  this  noticeable  difference  between  what  John  saw  and  the 
lamp-stand  of  the  Old  Testament.  That  was  one  massive  piece  of  furniture, 
but  John  saw  seven  candlesticks.  Though  the  proper  time  for  explaining 
the  meaning  of  this  vision  is  in  a  subsequent  part  of  my  lecture,  I  cannot 
refirain  from  saying  here  that  this  difference  seems  to  shadow  forth  one  great 
difference  between  the  Jewish  and  the  Christian  church.  The  Jewish 
church  was  one,  one  in  its  organization  as  well  as  in  its  faith  and  worship ; 
the  Christian  is  not  one  in  its  organization,  though  it  has  one  Lord,  one 
faith  and  one  baptism.  Then  there  was  but  one  candlestick,  now  there  are 
seven ;  but  the  Old  Testament  candlestick,  like  those  of  the  New,  held  up 
the  lamps  to  give  light  in  all  the  world. 

These  candlesticks  were  of  gold.  In  this  respect  they  resembled  the  furni- 
ture of  the  holy  place  in  the  old  dispensation.  There,  everything  was  made 
of  gold  except  the  heaviest  articles,  and  they  were  overlaid  with  gold.  No 
one  can  read  this  book  without  being  astonished  at  the  number  of  emblems 
which  are  said  to  be  fashioned  out  of  this  most  precious  metal.  There  are 
the  golden  girdle,  and  the  golden  crowns,  and  the  golden  vials,  and  the 
golden  censer,  and  the  golden  altar,  and  the  golden  rod,  and  the  golden 
streets  of  the  celestial  city.  No  doubt  the  preciousness  of  the  church,  and 
of  all  things  belonging  to  the  church,  is  thus  indicated.     And  throughout 


28  LECTURE  III. 

the  ancient  East,  gold  was  regarded  as  a  sacred  metal,  the  only  metal  which 
was  worthy  to  be  used  in  the  worship  of  the  Deity.  Therefore  the  gold 
emblems  in  the  apostle's  visions  indicate  the  sacredness  as  well  as  the  pre- 
ciousneas  of  the  church  of  God. 

2.  John  does  not  stop  to  tell  us  how  these  golden  candlesticks  were 
grouped  in  the  holy  place,  but  they  were  so  arranged  that  a  man  might 
walk  in  the  midst  of  them.  And  there  was  one  walking  in  the  midst  of 
them,  on  whom  the  apostle's  attention  became  riveted.  This  is  the  second 
recorded  object  in  his  two-fold  yision.  Of  this  glorious  person  John  gives 
us  a  minute  desoription,  which  we  will  follow  step  by  step. 

In  the  first  place,  he  was  like  'Hhe  Son  of  man."  And  who  is  the  Son 
of  man  ?  Who  was  it  that  Daniel  called  by  this  name  ?  Who  was  it  that 
called  himself  by  this  name  ?  It  was  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  this 
name  is  applied  to  him  when  he  appears  in  human  form.  Therefore  the 
one  whom  John  saw  walking  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks  was 
Jesus  Christ;  not,  however,  Jesus  Christ  clothed  in  all  the  glory  of  his 
divinity,  ^but  Jesus  Christ  as  man.  John  had  not  forgotten  the  personal 
appearance  of  his  Lord,  though  sixty  years  had  passed  away  since  he  had 
been  permitted  to  look  upon  his  face ;  and  though  he  had  then  seen  Christ 
only  in  his  estate  of  humiliation,  he  at  once  recognizes  him  in  the  midst 
of  all  this  glory  as  the  same  Son  of  man  on  whose  breast  he  had  leaned  at 
the  supper. 

Again :  this  Son  of  man  was  ''  clothed  with  a  garment  down  to  the  foot." 
The  prophet  Daniel,  who  saw  the  Saviour  in  a  similar  vision,  tells  us  that 
his  robe  wajs  linen.  A  linen  robe,  long  and  full,  was  the  usual  dress  of  the 
kings  and  priests  of  the  old  economy. 

Again:  this  Son  of  man  was  "  girt  about  the  paps  with  a  golden  girdle.*' 
In  the  olden  time,  those  who  were  engaged  in  active  labor  girded  their 
robes  tightly  about  their  loins,  so  that  these  robes  might  not  interfere  with 
the  work  they  had  to  do.  Josephus  tells  us  that  the  priests  were  girded 
about  the  breasts  ;  and  it  is  obvious  that  this  higher  cincture  could  be  used 
only  by  those  whose  stations  did  not  require  active  labor,  or  those  whose 
active  labor  was  ended.  And  as  the  Son  of  man  was  girded  in  this  way,  it 
implies  that  his  great  work  was  accomplished,  and  that  he  had  entered  upon 
the  enjoyment  of  his  reward.  And  the  girdle,  and  not  merely  the  clasp 
with  which  it  was  fastened,  was  of  precious  and  saored  gold ;  or,  as  Daniel 
describes  it  in  a  similar  passage,  "  of  the  fine  gold  of  IJphaz." 

Again :  the  head  and  the  hairs  of  the  Son  of  man  were  "  white  like  wool, 

^       as  white  as  snow."     This  Son  of  man  was  "  the  ancient  of  days"  whom  the 

prophet  saw  and  of  whom  the  prophet  said,  "  the  hair  of  his  head  was  like 

'      •  ^  pure  wool."     This  appearance  indicated  the  antiquity,  the  dignity  and  the 

*  ,^^    I   majesty  of  him  who  was  walking  in  the  midst  of  the  candlesticks  ;  for  it  is 

V    I    i\j  ;  true  the  world  over  as  the  Scriptures  tell  us,  "  the  hoary  head  is  a  crown 

of  dory.** 


V 


THE  SEVEN  GOLDEN  CANDLESTICKS.  29 

Again :  the  eyes  of  the  Son  of  man  were  "  as  a  flame  of  fire."  They  were 
bright,  sharp,  penetrating;  they  could  see  all  things  everywhere ;  they  are 
Ihe'eyes  of  him  of  whom  it  is  said,  "  his  eyes  see,  and  his  eyelids  try  the 
children  of  men" ;  "  all  things  are  naked  and  open  unto  the  eyes  of  him 
with  whom  we  have  to  do."  If  I  mistake  not,  these  flaming  eyes  of  the 
Son  of  man  indicate  the  power  of  his  wrath  against  all  those  in  whom  he 
sees  iniquity  and  rebellion. 

Again:  the  feet  of  the  Son  of  man  were  ^'  like  unto  fine  brass,  as  if  they 
burned  in  a  fornace."  Fine  brass,  glowing  in  the  furnace,  has  all  impurity 
burned  out  of  it,  and  is  of  a  dazzling  whiteness  and  beauty.  Such  are  the 
feet  with  which  the  Son  of  man  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  churches,  and 
up  and  down  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  They  are  beautiful  to  those 
who  fear  him,  and  terrible  to  those  on  whom  they  tread. 

Again  :  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  man  was  ''as  the  sound  of  many  waters." 
It  is  a  voice  which  will  sound  through  all  time,  which  will  arouse  even 
the  dead  who  are  in  their  graves,  which  believers  will  hear,  and  from 
which  unbelievers  cannot  escape;     The  figure  which  John  employs  is  one 
which  would  naturally  be  suggested  to  him  by  the  circumstances  in  which  4\>C*yf^*'' 
be  was  placed.     By  night  and  by  day  his  ears  would  be  filled  with  the  ^w^^jc^*'^^^ 
loar  of  the  billows  as  they  dashed  against  the  rocky  coast  of  Patmos.     All  ^^'"'^'^^^^T!- 
those  who  have  stood  beside  the  ocean  and  listened  to  its  mighty  thunder,  ^    ^  ^/iua^ 
wiU  appreciate  the  majesty  of  him  whose  voice  is  "  as  the  sound  of  many  W^*-^**^^  *  ^^ 
waters." 

Again :  the  Son  of  man  ''  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars."  According 
to  the  custom  of  the  kings  of  the  East,  there  were  ring^  on  his  hands.  These 
rings  sparkled  with  jewels,  but  these  jewels  were  not  diamonds  or  rubies, 
or  any  precious  gems  of  earth ;  every  jewel  was  a  shining  star.  These 
emblems  are  afterwards  explained  by  the  Son  of  man  himself. 

Again :  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Son  of  man  ''  went  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword."  I  do  not  understand  this  to  mean  that  John  saw  a  sword  issuing 
from  the  mouth  of  him  who  walked  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  candlesticks, 
for  there  is  an  incongruity  in  this  idea,  which  is  not  in  keeping  with  the 
rest  of  the  vision.  I  believe  the  meaning  to  be  this :  that  which  pro- 
oeeded  out  of  his  mouth,  that  is,  his  word,  was  like  a  sharp  two-edged 
swoid.  This  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  what  is  said  of  that  word  else- 
where. *'  The  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any 
two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit, 
and  of  the  joints  and  marrow."  And  this  is  a  truthful  description  of  the 
word.  Nothing  can  stand  before  it ;  it  has  two  edges ;  it  cuts  both  ways  ; 
it  kills  and  it  cures;  by  it,  some  are  saved,  and  others  are  destroyed. 
Let  us  then  in  forming  a  mental  picture  of  John's  vision,  regard  this  clause 
as  if  it  read, ''  the  word  of  his  mouth  was  like  a  sharp  two-edged  sword." 

Again  :  the  countenance  of  the  Son  of  man  was  "  as  the  sun  shineth  in 


30  LVCTURB  III. 

his  strength."  Ghurehes  are  lataops ;  ministers  are  stars;  but  Ohrist  is  the 
sun.  As  the  sun  is  the  most  glorious  object  in  the  natural  world,  it  is  an 
appropriate  emblem  of  him  who  is  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  and 
God  over  all,  blessed  forever  more. 

This  was  John's  glorious  vision.  Let  us  get  as  clear  an  idea  of  it  as  we 
'  can,  for  otherwise  we  will  not  be  able  to  undeistand  either  its  effects  on  the 
apostle  or  its  explanation.  There  is  unrolled  before  our  eyes  the  picture 
of  a  sanctuary  which  resembles  the  holy  place  of  the  Jewish  temple.  In 
that  sanctuary  we  see  seven  lamp-stands  of  pure  gold,  and  one  walking  in 
their  midst,  whose  dress  and  appearance  indicate  him  to  be  both  a  priest 
and  a  king.  Beauty  and  majesty,  love  and  tenderness,  power  and  wrath 
are  all  to  be  seen  in  the  countenance  of  the  kingly  pri^t  and  the  priestly 
king.  Oh,  that  I  had  power  to  make  this  picture  so  vivid  that  it  might 
have  on  us  something  of  the  same  effect  that  it  had  on  the  apostle ! 

II.  For  it  did  have  A  wonderful  effect  on  him.  *^  And  when  I 
saw  him,  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead.''  These  visions  of  spiritual  things 
must  inspire  the  human  heart  with  terror.  They  show  us  the  ex- 
istence of  another  world,  only  a  little  way  beyond  this,  and  separated  from 
it  by  a  thin  vail,  which  will  one  day  be  removed.  They  hint,  not  darkly,  at 
the  intimate  relations  which  we  sustain  to  that  world,  and  at  the  terrible 
consequences  which  will  result,  if  we  do  not  prove  faithful  to  those  relations. 
Therefore,  such  visions  have  overcome  all  to  whom  they  have  been  vouch- 
safed. Daniel,  who  stood  unmoved  in  the  presence  of  kings  and  in  the 
'  den  of  lions,  was  left  without  strength  in  him,  when  his  eyes  were  opened 
to  see  the  things  which  were  beyond  the  present.  So  it  was  with  Ezekiel, 
and  with  Isaiah,  and  with  John,  and  with  all  the  rest  who  have  passed 
through  a  similar  experience.  And  these  men  were  familiar  with  the 
things  of  God.  If  they  were  thus  affected  by  the  revelations  of  the  future, 
how  much  greater  should  be  the  effect  produced  on  us  ?  And  yet  we 
sometimes  long  for  such  revelations.  Let  us  rather  thank  God  that  such 
longings  are  not  gratified.  Those  who  claim  to  hold  communication  with 
the  spirit  world  must  be  mistaken,  for  their  pretended  revelations  do  not 
produce  the  inevitable  effect  of  such  revelations  which  is  always  seen 
in  the  lives  of  the  prophets  in  the  olden  time,  and  which  must  always 
accompany  the  unfolding  of  the  eternal  and  the  invisible.  But  these  things 
will  be  revealed  by  and  by.  When  we  die,  they  will  be  seen,  not  dimly 
as  John  saw  them,  but  in  all  their  ineffable  splendor.  If  John's  vision 
had  such  an  effect  on  him,  what  effect  will  the  revelations  of  death  have 
on  us,  especially  if  we  have  not,  by  faith  and  prayer,  made  ourselves  familiar 
with  the  hidden  things  of  God  ? 

It  seems  there  was  another  reason  for  John's  overwhelming  emotion. 
He  recognized  that  glorious  one  who  was  walking  in  the  midst  of  the 


THE  SBYBN  GOLDEN  CANDLESTICKS.  31 

golden  candlesUcks  as  bis  risen  Lord.  He  had  a  peoidiar  love  for  Jesus. 
When  Jesus  was  here  on  earth,  he  and  his  Saviour  were  almost  inseparable. 
But  be  bad  not  seen  the  Lord's  face  since  that  Lord  bad  gone  up  firom 
the  summit  of  Olivet  some  sixty  years  before,  aud  be  did  not  expect  to 
see  that  &ce  again  till  be  himself  bad  passed  over  the  river.  But  now, 
in  an  unexpected  hour,  be  saw  one  who  reminded  him  of  the  Son  of  man. 
Could  it  be  the  Son  of  man  ?  He  looked  again ;  be  saw  the  countenance 
be  remembered  so  well,  as  be  had  once  seen  it  transfigured  on  the  mountain, 
but  clothed  with  a  glory  and  a  radiance  far  brighter.  It  was  bis  risen 
Saviour,  and  be  feU  at  bis  feet  as  if  dead. 

m.  We  were  to  consider  the  explanation  of  this  vision.  Before 
die  priest -king  could  explain  to  John  the  things  he  had  seen,  it  was 
neoessaiy  to  administer  comfort.  Accordingly  be  laid  his  band  upon  the 
apostle  and  said  unto  him,  ^*fear  not."  By  this  assuring  touch  and  these 
assuring  words,  John  is  strengthened  and  prepared  to  understand  the 
vision. 

In  the  first  place,  be  who  walked  in  the  midst  of  the  candlesticks  revealed 
himself  to  the  apostle ;  not  that  John  had  any  doubts  as  to  who  be  was, 
but  to  strengthen  John's  faith  in  what  he  was.  He  is  "  the  first  and  the 
last";  words  which  here,  as  before,  describe  the  Son  of  man  as  eternal  and 
unchangeable.  He  is  the  living  one,  for  the  words  translated  ^'  I  am  he 
that  livetb,"  would  be  better  translated  '<  the  living  one."  The  Son  of  man 
has  life  in  himself;  he  depends  on  no  other  for  existence ;  therefore,  be  is 
Ghxl.  He  is  the  one  who  "  was  dead,"  and  whom  John's  loving  hands  bad 
helped  to  bury  in  the  sepulchre  of  Joseph.  Though  he  was  once  dead,  be 
was  now  alive  *^  forever  more,"  and  over  him  death  would  have  no  power. 
This  statement  is  confirmed  by  the  emphatic  ''  amen."  He  bad  '^  the  keys 
of  bell  and  of  death."  By  ''  bell,"  is  not  meant  the  place  of  the  lost,  for 
Mb  place  is  described  by  a  very  different  word  in  the  original.  It  means 
the  place  or  state  of  the  dead,  without  reference  to  their  happiness  or 
misery.  When  Jesus  claims  to  have  the  ''  keys  of  hades  and  of  death," 
it  means  that  be  has  all  power  over  the  invisible  world,  and  over  Satan 
who  has  the  power  of  death. 

This  revelation  must  have  strengthened  and  comforted  the  apostle ;  but 
it  was  given  not  only  to  strengthen  and  comfort  him,  but  also  to  lay  the 
foundation  for  an  important  command.  The  connection  between  this  rev- 
elation and  the  commandment  of  verse  19  is  not  marked  in  our  translation, 
for  our  translators  have  unaccountably  omitted  the  word  '^  therefore,"  which  / 
is  found  in  all  the  manuscripts  and  in  almost  all  the  ve^ions.  "  Therefore," 
because  I,  who  make  these  revelations,  am  the  first  and  the  last,  the  living 
one  who  have  the  keys  of  invisible  hades  and  of  death  itself,  ^'  there- 
fore write  the  ^ings  which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and 


32  LECTURE  IV. 

the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter."  These  words  contain  a  synopsis  of 
this  book,  and  Aimish  the  key  to  unlock  its  meaning.  John  was  to 
^^  write  the  things  which  he  had  seen" ;  that  is,  this  vision  of  the  tabernacle, 
and  of  the  candlesticks,  and  of  the  royal  priest.  But  he  was  also  to  write 
"  the  things  which  are";  that  is,  he  was  to  describe  the  church  as  it  then 
existed  in  the  world,  its  imperfections,  its  faith,  its  trials  and  its  triumphs. 
This  command  he  obeyed  in  the  epistles  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia, 
which  are  contained  in  chapters  II  and  III.  He  was  also  to  write  **  the 
things  which  shall  be  hereafter";  that  is,  the  things  which  were  to  be 
fh>m  that  day  till  the  end  of  time.  This  commandment  he  obeyed  in  that 
part  of  the  book  which  begins  with  chapter  IV.  Let  us  bear  this  synopsis 
in  mind,  and  we  will  have  no  little  assistance  in  understanding  this  book. 
The  royal  priest,  having  thus  explained  who  he  himself  was,  proceeds  to 
explain  the  other  part  of  the  vision.  The  stars  and  the  candlestick  are 
called  a  "  mystery,"  a  word  which  in  Biblical  language  means  something 
which  man  cannot  understand  if  left  to  himself,  but  which  he  can  under- 
stand if  explained  by  God ;  and  according  to  this  divine  expounder,  ''  the 
seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven  churches";  not  holy  angels,  but 
pastors.  Pastors  are  so  called  because  they  are  light-givers.  According  to 
the  same  divine  expounder,  ^'  the  seven  candlesticks  are  the  seven  churches." 
They  are  so  called  because  they  are  light-bearers.  And  as  the  stars  were 
seven,  and  the  candlesticks  seven,  the  number  of  completeness  and  perfec- 
tion, it'foUows,  that  though  these  epistles  were  primarily  addressed  to  the 
churches  of  Asia,  they  are  also  intended  for  all  ministers  and  all  churches 
everywhere.  Therefore,  when  we  enter  upon  the  explanation  of  the  epistles 
to  the  seven  churches,  let  us  expect  to  find  lessons  of  instruction  and  com- 
fort for  ourselves.  The  churches  to  which  these  epistles  were  written  have 
had  no  existence  for  centuries,  the  very  cities  in  which  they  flourished  have 
fiillen  into  ruins,  but  there  are  counterparts  of  Ephesus,  and  Smyrna,  and 
Philadelphia,  and  all  the  rest,  scattered  through  Christendom,  and  the  words 
of  the  inspired  seer  of  Patmos  are  as  full  of  meaning  now  as  ever.  May  Grod 
open  our  eyes  to  see  and  understand  the  things  he  has  written  for  our  edi- 
fication ! 


LECTURE     IV, 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  OHUECH  IN  EPHESUS. 

Unto  the  anpjcl  of  the  church  of  Ephesus  write ;  These  things  saith  he  that 
holdeth  the  seyen  stars  in  his  right  hand,  who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven 
golden  candlesticks.  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy  labour,  and  thy  patience,  and 
how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil :  and  thou  hast  tried  them  which 
say  they  are  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  hast  found  them  liars  :  and  hast  borne, 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH   IN   EPHESUS.  33 

and  hast  patience,  and  for  my  name's  sake  hast  laboured,  and  hast  not  fainted. 
Nevertheless  I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love. 
Bemember  therefore  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  repent,  and  do  the  first 
works  ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candlestick 
nut  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent.  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the 
deeds  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches ;  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to 
oat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God. — Rev.  2  :  1-7. 

The  great  high  priest  commanded  the  exiled  apoetle,  "  Write  the  things 
which  thou  hast  seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  be 
hereafter."  He  obeys  the  first  part  of  this  three-fold  command  in  chapter 
L  We  now  enter  upon  the  second  part  of  the  revelation,  a  part  which  has 
reference  to  the  things  which  then  existed  in  the  world,  and  which  is  com- 
prised in  the  epistles  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.  These  epistles  describe 
the  actual  condition  of  the  churches  to  which  they  are  addressed.  Of 
course,  I  do  not  exclude  their  representative  character.  Human  nature  is 
the  same  in  all  ages ;  the  duties,  temptations  and  trials  of  all  churches  are 
in  a  measure  the  same ;  and  therefore  the  words  addressed  to  one  are  to  a 
certain  extent  applicable  to  all.  Besides  this,  the  number  seven,  the  symbol 
of  completeness,  indicates  the  universality  of  these  epistles.  We  may,  then, 
in  our  study  of  these  epistles,  expect  to  find  much  that  is  suited  to  ourselves, 
and  to  the  circumstances  of  the  church  at  the  present  day. 

Why  the  churches  whose  names  are  mentioned  in  the  context  were 
chosen,  is  impossible  to  say.  They  were  not  the  largest  and  most  celebrated 
churches  of  that  time,  but  they  have  been  lifted  to  a  high  place  as  the 
representatives  of  the  church  of  God.  The  cities  in  which  these  churches 
were  planted  were  all  in  Proconsular  Asia,  the  most  westerly  province  of 
Asia  Minor.  They  may  be  described  as  placed  on  a  curved  line,  somewhat 
in  the  form  of  a  horse  shoe,  so  that  a  traveler  might  visit  them  in  the  order 
in  which  their  names  stand  in  this  book.  From  Ephesus,  which  is  the  nearest 
to  Patmos,  and  distant  from  it  about  forty  miles,  he  would  go  north  to 
Smyrna,  fifty  miles ;  thence  north  to  Pergamos,  sixty  miles ;  thence  east  to 
Thyatira,  thirty  miles;  thence  south  to  Sardis,  forty  miles;  thence  south- 
east to  Philadelphia,  thirty  miles;  thence  south-east  to  Laodicea,  fifty  miles. 
Of  these  seven  cities,  three  were  on  the  Egean  coast ;  the  others  were  inland. 

The  seven  epistles  are  all  fashioned  aft«r  the  same  model.  In  each  one, 
the^e  are  the  following  pointA :  1st.  The  command  to  write.  2d.  One  or 
more  titles  which  the  Saviour  claims  for  himself,  and  which  are  generally 
drawn  from  that  revelation  of  Christ  which  is  contained  in  chapter  I.  3d. 
The  actual  message  from  Christ  to  the  church,  in  which  the  Saviour,  after 
dedaripg  his  intimate  knowledge  of  its  condition,  rebukes^  or  praises,  or  ad- 
monisheS)  as  the  circumstances  of  the  church  may  require  4th.  A  solemn 
exhortation  to  every  one  to  hear  what  the  Spirit  had  to  say  to  the  churches. 
5th.  A  beaatiftd  promise' to  every  one  who  overcomes. 

8 


34  LECTURE   IV. 

Let  us  DOW  turn  to  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  and  let  us  notice 
the  five  parts  into  which  it  may  be  divided. 

I.  The  command  to  write  is  as  follows :  "  Unto  the  angel  of  the 
church  of  Ephesus  write."  Ephesus  was  the  chief  city  of  Ionia,  the  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  centre  of  that  Asia  with  which  we  have  to  do.  It  was 
wealthy  and  prosperous.  WhDe  it  was  famous  in  heathen  history  on  many 
accounts,  it  was  especially  famous  on  account  of  the  temple  of  Diana, 
which  was  reckoned  among  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world.  But  Ephe- 
sus had  a  still  better,  title  to  honor.  In  the  matter  of  Christianity  it  was 
a  favored  city.  Paul  labored  there  for  three  years  with  marked  success. 
Timothy  exercised  his  minbtry  there  for  a  time.  Apollos,  Aquilla  and 
Priscilbi,  and  others,  whose  names  are  famous,  were  connected  with  the 
Ephesian  church.  Judging  from  Paul's  words  when  he  took  leave  of  the 
elders  of  Ephesus  at  Miletus,  and  from  his  epistle  to  the  Ephesians,  the 
church  in  that  city  was  a  highly  prosperous  one.  John  had  labored  there 
for  a  considerable  portion  of  his  life,  and  for  this  church  he  must  have  had 
a  peculiar  affection.  Perhaps  this  is  the  reason  why  the  epistle  to  the 
church  of  Ephesus  stands  first  among  the  epistles. 

This  epistle  is  addressed,  not  to  the  churches  of  Ephesus,  but  to  the 
church  of  Ephesus.  It  would  seem,  from  the  length  of  time  since  the 
gospel  had  been  preached  there,  and  from  the  success  which  had  attended 
its  preaching,  as  indicated  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  and  in  the  epistle 
of  Paul  to  the  Ephesians,  that  there  must  have  been  many  believers  in  the 
city ;  so  many  that  they  could  not  all  meet  for  worship  in  one  place ;  still 
all  Christians  there  were  regarded  as  members  of  one  church.  And  this 
epistle  was  not  addressed  directly  to  the  church  itself;  but  to  the  angel,  or 
minister,  or  bishop  of  the  church.  A  pastor  is  the  angel  or  messenger  of 
God  to  those  to  whom  he  ministers ;  he  brings  to  them  mepsages  of  in- 
struction, peace  and  pardon,  and  thus  acts  the  part  of  an  angel. 

II.  The  titles,  which  the  Saviour  claims  for  himself,  are  revealed  in 
these  words :  ''  These  things  saith  he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his 
right  hand,  who  walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks." 
These  titles  are  quoted  from  the  preceding  chapter,  and  they  identify  the 
speaker  in  this  epistle  with  the  great  high  priest  whom  John  saw  in  his 
preliminary  vision.  As  these  titles  have  already  been  explained;  they  need 
not  detain  us  now.  Christ  holds  the  seven  stars,  the  ministers  of  the 
churches,  in  his  right  hand  ;  he  has  absolute  control  over  them ;  they  are 
to  go  where  he  sends  them,  and  to  do  what  he  bids  them,  and  to  speak 
what  he  commands  them.  Christ  also  walks  in  the  midst  of  the  golden 
candlesticks,  which  are  the  churches.  He  is  acquainted  with  them  all ;  he 
knows  how  they  are  performing  their  Christian  duties  and  living  the  Chris- 
tian life.    He  can  continue  the  ordinances  in  any  church  or  remove  them 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH    IN    EPHESUS.  35 

from  it.  It  was  important  for  the  ohurch  of  Epbesus  to  know  this,  and 
it  is  no  less  important  for  us  to  have  the  same  knowledge.  If  ministers 
do  not  remember  that  they  are  in  Christ's  right  hand,  thej  will  become 
unfaithfnl  in  duty;  if  churches  do  not  remember  that  Christ  is  walking  in 
their  midst,  they  will  grow  careless  in  light  giving,  and  their  candlestick 
will  be  removed  out  of  its  place. 

III.  The  actual  message  which  the  Saviour  sends  to  the  church, 
is  contained  in  verses  2-6. 

1.  We  have  an  explicit  statement  of  the  Saviour^ 8  intimcUe  hnovoledge 
of  the  condition  of  the  Ephesian  church.  '*  I  know  thy  works,  and  thy 
labor,  and  thy  patience,  and  how  thou  canst  not  bear  them  which  are  evil ; 
and  thou  hast  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles^  and  are  not,  and  hast 
found  them  liars:  and  hast  borne,  and  hast  patience,  and  for  my  name's 
sake  hast  labored  and  hast  not  fainted."  "  I  know  thy  works,"  is  the  com- 
mon formula  with  which  all  the  epistles  are  introduced.  It  was  designed  to 
impress  them  deeply  with  the  conviction  that  the  Saviour  was  acquainted 
with  all  they  did,  and  therefore  abundantly  qualified  to  bestow  rewards  or 
administer  punishments.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  word  ''  works," 
as  used  in  this  formula,  does  not  refer  simply  to  outward  actions ;  it  refers 
to  the  thoughts  of  the  heart  as  well  as  the  deeds  of  the  hands  ;  it  declares 
that  all  things  are  naked  and  open  before  the  eyes  of  him  with  whom  we 
have  to  do. 

The  particular  works  which  the  Saviour  knew,  he  proceeds  to  mention. 
He  knew  their  ^'  labor."  Their  labors  were  neither  few  nor  small.  There 
was  a  great  vineyard  to  cultivate  in  Ephesus ;  there  was  a  ripening  harvest 
to  reap,  and  the  members  of  the  church  there  were  not  backward  in  doing 
the  Lord's  will.  In  their  times  of  discouragement,  they  may  have  thought 
that  their  Lord  knew  nothing  of  what  they  had  to  do,  but  he  here  assures 
them  that  he  was  intimately  acquainted  with  their  labors.  This  thought 
must  have  encouraged  them,  and  it  should  encourage  us  who  are  engaged 
in  similar  labors. 

Christ  also  knew  their  ^^  patience."  Though  their  labors  had  not  been 
crowned  with  immediate  success,  still  they  labored  on.  When  there  was 
opposition  to  their  preaching,  they  bore  it  patiently ;  when  false  teachers 
tried  to  undermine  the  church  they  had  builded,  they  bore  it  patiently ; 
when  members  of  the  church  did  not  do  honor  to  their  profession^  they 
bore  it  patiently ;  when  the  heathen  hardened  their  hearts  against  their 
ministry  and  laughed  them  to  scorn,  they  bore  it  patiently.  And  while 
they  bore  all  these  tbings  patiently,  they  labored  on,  hoping  for  better 
things  to  come.  Patience  is  necessary  to  any  successful  labor,  but  it  is 
especially  necessary  in  labor  for  Christ,  because  of  the  formidable  obstacles 
in  the  way  of  immediate  success. 


36  LECTURE   IV. 

Christ  also  knew  that  they  could  "  not  bear  them  which  are  evil."  There 
were  evil  doers  aroundi  if  not  within,  the  Ephesian  church,  but  the  true 
members  of  that  church  had  no  sympathy  with  them ;  they  gave  them  no 
countenance  ;  they  extended  to  them  no  fellowship ;  they  exercised  towards 
them  necessary  discipline.  This  is  one  of  the  hardest  things  a  church  has 
to  do ;  and  when  it  is  faithful,  it  deserves  and  receives  commendation. 

Christ  also  knew  that  they  had  "  tried  them  which  say  they  are  apostles, 
and  are  not,  and  have  found  them  liars."  Fa^se  teachers  had  visited  this 
church  as  well  as  others  ;  they  claimed  to  have  gi-eat  authority ;  they  de- 
manded for  themselves  the  honor  and  obedience  which  belonged  to  the 
inspired  apostles ;  they  pretended  to  have  equal  rank  with  Peter,  James 
and  John ;  but  the  Ephesians  investigated  their  claims  and  found  them  to 
be  groundless.  These  men  were  not  apostles — they  were  not  even  true 
ministers — they  were  liars  ;  they  claimed  to  be  what  they  were  not.  A 
true  and  pure  ministry  is  important  for  every  church ;  and  every  churcK 
which  exercises  care  in  thb  regard  deserves  commendation. 

Christ  also  knew  that  they  had  ^^  borne** ;  that  is,  that  they  had  borne  the 
trials,  persecutions  and  afflictions  which  had  fallen  to  their  lot.  Though 
the  saints  know  that  trials  are  a  necessary  part  of  the  discipline  of  life, 
yet  even  they  sometimes  murmur  when  trials  come. 

Christ  also  knew  that  they  ^^  had  patience,  and  for  his  name's  sake  had 
labored  and  had  not  fainted."  There  is  this  difference  between  the  patience 
referred  to  here  and  the  patience  referred  to  in  verse  2:  that  refers  to 
patience  under  labor  ]  this  to  patience  under  trial.  There  are  many  things 
to  do  and  to  bear  for  Christ  and  for  the  advancement  of  his  cause,  and 
those  who  do  and  bear  these  things  with  patience  are  the  ones  whom  the 
Saviour  will  own  and  bless, 

2.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  in  all  these  things  the  members  of  the 
church  in  Ephesus  are  commended.  The  Lord,  by  implication  at  least, 
praises  them  for  their  labor  and  patience,  for  their  faithfulness  against  evil 
men  and  false  teachers,  and  for  the  manner  in  which  they  had  borne  their 
many  trials.  But  they  also  needed  rebuke,  which  is  faithfully  adminis- 
tered. This  rebuke  is  the  second  part  of  the  actual  message.  ''  Nevertheless 
I  have  somewhat  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love.*'  The 
word  "  somewhat "  is  a  supplement  of  the  translators,  which  weakens  the 
sense.  It  implies  that  it  was  a  little  thing  which  the  Lord  had  against  hi» 
Ephesian  church,  whereas  it  was  a  great  thing.  The  idea  would  have  beea 
more  accurately  expressed  in  this  way :  "  Nevertheless  I  have  this  against 
thee,  because  thou  hast  left  thy  first  love."  The  church  is  here,  as  in  many 
other  places  in  the  Scriptures,  compared  to  a  bride.  In  the  days  of  their 
espousals  their  love  for  their  divine  husband  was  ardent,  but  there  had  been 
a  sad  faUing  away.  Though  the  church  was  yet  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  her  outward  duties,  though  she  patiently  labored  and  patiently  bore  her 


EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH    IX   EPHESUS.  37 

trials,  yet  there  was  not  the  same  affection  which  once  existed.  She  did 
not  take  the  delight  in  communing  with  her  Lord,  in  doing  his  will,  and 
in  meditating  upon  his  perfections  she  once  did.  She  was  therefore  in 
danger.  If  this  falling  away  was  not  stopped,  the  most  disastrous  results 
would  follow. 

3.  The  Lord  saw  the  danger,  and  he  addresses  words  of  earnest  exhorta- 
tion to  the  declining  church.  This  exhortation  is  the  third  part  of  the 
message.  **  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen,  and  repent 
and  do  the  first  works."  He  exhorts  the  members  of  the  Ephesian  church 
to  call  to  remembrance  their  former  state,  its  joy,  its  zeal,  and  its  love. 
Nothing  is  better  adapted  to  reclaim  a  backsliding  Christian  or  a  backsliding 
church,  than  to  remember  the  happy  days  of  early  love.  The  joy  then 
experienced,  the  honor  then  reflected  on  religion,  the  good  then  done,  the 
peace  of  mind  then  enjoyed,  contrasting  strongly  with  present  unhappiness, 
must  lead  towards  repentance.  The  Saviour  also  exhorts  the  members  of 
the  Ephesian  church  to  repent.  They  were  to  sorrow  over  all  their  trans- 
gressions, to  turn  from  them  unto  Ood,  and  to  do  as  they  had  done  in  the 
ardor  of  their  early  Christian  life.  They  were  to  show  the  same  love,  and 
the  same  zeal,  and  the  same  untiring  energy  which  they  showed  when  th^ 
were  first  brought  Into  the  church.  They  were  to  do  for  their  own  sancti- 
fication,  for  the  salvation  of  others  and  for  the  glory  of  God,  as  they  did 
when  their  hearts  first  throbbed  with  the  love  of  Christ. 

4.  This  exhortation,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  is  enforced  by  a  threaten- 
ing. *'  Or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  remove  thy  candle- 
stick out  of  his  place,  except  thou  repent."  A  candlestick  is  a  symbol  of 
the  church ;  and  to  remove  the  candlestick  from  any  place  signifies  the 
removal  of  the  church  with  all  its  blessings.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  the 
threatening  is  not  that  the  church  will  be  destroyed,  but  that  it  will  be 
removed.  And  so  it  has  been.  Ephesus  did  not  repent  and  do  its  first 
works,  and  the  church  has  been  removed  from  that  place ;  but  the  ofauroh 
still  exists  elsewhere,  and  it  still  performs  its  mission  by  holding  up  the 
light  of  the  world.  How  literally  this  threatening  has  been  fulfilled,  every 
recent  visitor  testifies.  One  modern  traveler  tells  that  he  found  but  three 
Christians  there,  and  they  were  so  ignorant  that  they  had  hardly  heard  of 
Paul  or  of  John. 

5.  As  if  for  fear  that  this  rebuke  might  overwhelm  the  members  of  the 
church  in  Ephesus,  the  Saviour  once  more  turns  to  something  good  he  had 
seen  in  them :  "  But  this  thou  hast,  that  thou  hatest  the  deeds  of  the 
Nlcolaitanes,  which  I  also  hate."  Who  were  these  hated  Nicolaitanes  ? 
Some  have  supposed  that  they  were  a  sect  of  heretics,  who  took  their  name 
from  Nicolas  the  deacon,  or  from  some  other  man  of  the  same  name.  But 
there  is  no  evidence  that  such  a  sect  existed  in  the  early  church,  at  least 
not  before  the  beginning  of  the  third  century.     Probably  there  was  no 


J 


38  LECTURE   IV. 

such  sect  in  Ephesus.  As  the  other  names  vsed  in  this  book,  as  for 
example,  Sodom,  Egypt  and  Babylon,  are  symbols^  we  may  safely  conclude 
that  this  name  is  symbolical.  In  order  to  determine  who  are  described  by 
this  name,  we  must  discover  its  meaning.  Nicolas  is  derived  from  two 
Greek  words,  and  means  '^  a  destroyer  of  the  people."  Balaam  is  derived 
from  two  Hebrew  words,  and  means  "  a  destroyer  of  the  people."  We 
may  therefore  conclude  that  the  Nicolaitanes  are  the  same  persons  who  are 
described  elsewhere  as  the  followers  of  Balaam.  As  I  will  have  occasion 
hereafter  to  speak  of  the  peculiarities  of  these  Balaamites,  a  remark  or  two 
is  all  that  is  necessary  in  the  present  connection.  The  first  great  danger 
which  threatened  the  Christian  church  was  from  Judaizing  teachers.  They 
sought  to  lead  Christians  back  to  the  observance  of  circumcision  and  of  all 
the  rites  of  the  law  of  Moses.  After  this  danger  had  passed^  another  and 
a  greater  one  threatened  the  church.  There  were  those  who  tried  to  intro- 
duce into  it  the  freedom  and  license  of  heathen  worship.  They  taught  that 
the  gospel  was  a  gospel  of  liberty,  and  that  believers  in  the  gospel  were  to 
do  as  they  chose.  These  heathen  seducers  are,  I  believe,  the  persons  who 
are  called  Balaamites  and  Nicolaitanes,  for  this  is  given  as  the  sum  and 
substance  of  their  doctrine.  They  cast  a  stumbling  block  before  the  people 
of  Gh)d,  and  taught  them  to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  to  commit 
fornication.  Those  who  held  and  taught  such  doctrines  as  these  were 
hated  by  the  members  of  the  church  in  Ephesus,  and  the  Saviour  com- 
mends them  for  it.  Having  been  compelled  to  speak  sharp  words,  he 
will  also  speak  tenderly.  Having  been  compelled  to  wound,  he  will  also 
heal.  He  therefore  concludes  his  message  with  these  words  of  praise,  for 
it  b  no  email  praise  to  be  reckoned  among  those  who  love  what  Christ 
loves,  and  who  hate  what  Christ  hates. 

IV.  The  solemn  exhortation  to  heed  the  epistle  is  contained  in 
these  words :  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches."  This  expression  occurs  at  the  close  of  each  one  of 
the  seven  epistles.  Similar  expressions  were  often  used  by  our  Lord  whea 
on  earth.  It  is  a  solemn  call  to  hear,  to  notice,  and  to  obey.  And  thi» 
exhortation  shows  that  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Ephesus  was  intended 
for  all  churches,  for  it  is  not  said,  ^^  he  that  belongeth  to  the  church  of 
Ephesus,  let  him  hear,"  but  <'he  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear." 

y.  The  beautiful  promise  to  the  final  victor  is :  "To  him  that  over- 
Cometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
pahidise  of  God."  There  is  a  paradise  of  God.  There  is  in  it  the  tree  of 
life.  Some  are  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  that  tree.  Who  are  they  ?  Not  all 
who  are  born  into  the  world ;  not  all  who  have  said,  "  Lord,  Lord."  They 
only  who  overcome  besetting  sins  and  trials,  and  the  world  and  Satan,  and 
every  enemy,  may  hope  to  inherit  this  ble:»edness. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH   IN   SMYRNA.  39 

We  have  a  battle  to  figlit;  we  have  eDemies  to  conquer ;  we  often  grow 
disoouraged ;  but  we  have  this  gracious  promise  to  inspire  us.  Qod  grant 
that  we  may  be  among  the  victors  who  will  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  which  b 
in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  Qod  1 


LECTURE   V. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  SMYRNA. 

And  unto  the  aneel  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write ;  These  things  saith  the 
first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead,  and  is  alive;  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribula- 
tion, and  poverty,  (hut  thou  art  rich)  and  I  know  the  blasphemy  of  them  which 
say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan.  Fear  none  of 
thoee  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer :  behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you 
into  prison,  that  ye  may  be  tried  ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days  :  be 
thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I  will  five  thee  a  crown  of  life.  He  that  hath  an 
ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches ;  He  that  ovcrcometh 
shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death. — Rev.  2 :  8-1 1. 

The  epistle  to  the  church  of  Smyrna  contains  the  five  parts  which  have 
been  mentioned  as  belonging  to  each  of  the  seven  epistles :  1st.  The  com- 
mand to  write.  2d.  The  titles  which  the  Saviour  claims  for  himself.  3d. 
The  actual  message.  4th.  The  solemn  admonition  to  hear  and  heed.  5th. 
The  beautiful  promise  to  the  victor.  These  five  points  will  be  considered 
in  order,  bat  of  course  the  most  time  will  be  given  to  those  which  differ 
from  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Ephesus,  discussed  in  the  last  lecture. 

I.  The  command  to  write  this  epistle  is,  ''unto  the  angeP'  that 
is,  the  minister,  or  pastor,  or  bbhop,  ''of  the  church  in  Smyrna  write." 
The  only  thing  in  this  command  which  requires  attention,  is  the  city  in 
which  the  church  addressed  was  located.  Smyrna  was  one  of  the  chief 
cities  of  Asia ;  and  of  course  I  use  the  word  "Asia"  in  that  restricted  sense 
which  has  been  defined.  It  was  situated — I  might  say,  it  is  situated,  for 
it  is  the  only  one  of  the  seven  churches  which  has  survived  the  desolation  ** 
of  the  agee~-on  the  Egean  sea,  about  fifty  miles  north  of  Ephesus.  It  is 
one  of  the  ancient  cities  of  that  part  of  the  world  ;  and  though  it  has  been 
devastated  by  wars,  and  overthrown  by  earthquakes,  it  has  always  retained 
something  of  its  wealth  and  commerce.  It  was  a  beautiful  city.  Its  streets 
were  laid  out  at  right  angles  with  each  other,  and  its  palaces  took  high  rank 
even  among  the  magnificent  palaces  of  the  East.  In  the  days  of  the  apostle, 
its  inhabitants  called  it  "the  pride  of  Asia,''  a  name  which  was  not  whoUy 
undeserved.  It  b  still  a  city  of  considerable  importance,  having  upwards  ^ 
of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 


40  LECTURE   V. 

Such  was  the  city  in  which  the  church  was  established,  to  which  John 
was  commanded  to  write.  We  learn,  from  the  contents  of  this  epistle,  that 
that  church  differed  somewhat  from  the  church  in  Ephesus.  The  church  in 
Ephesus  was  diligent  in  the  discharge  of  all  outward  duties,  but  it  was  for- 
saking its  first  love.  For  that,  it  was  commended;  for  this,  it  was  rebuked. 
In  the  church  of  Smyrna,  the  Spirit  finds  nothing  to  rebuke  sharply  or  to 
praise  highly.  It  was  small,  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  surrounded  by 
enemies,  called  to  pass  through  the  fires  of  persecution ;  but  it  wafl  rich  in 
grace,  and  the  heir  of  the  crown  of  life.  But  extended  remarks  on  the 
condition  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  will  be  more  appropriate  when  we  come 
to  consider  the  Saviour's  actual  message  to  that  church. 

II.  1*HE  TITLES  which  the  Saviour  ckims  for  himself  are  expressed  in 
these  words  :  "  These  things  saith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead  and 
is  alive.''  These  titles  are  quoted  from  the  introductory  vision  of  chapter  I. 
There  the  great  high  priest  had  said  of  himself,  '*  I  am  the  first  and  the  last; 
I  am  he  that  liveth  and  was  dead,  and  behold,  I  am  alive  forever  more." 
Christ  here  claims  for  himself  the  attributes  of  an  eternal  and  unchange- 
able existence.  No  one  was  before  him,  for  he  is  the  first ;  no  one  can  be 
after  him,  for  he  is  the  last.  Through  all  duration,  from  that  unknown 
beginning  to  that  unknown  end,  he  is  ^'  without  variableness  or  shadow  of 
turning."  I  will  not  attempt  to  prove,  either  from  reason  or  revelation, 
that  the  Saviour  is  eternal  and  unchangeable.  I  wQl  take  this  for  granted, 
and  will  refer  only  to  the  appropriateness  of  these  titles  to  the  case  in  hand. 
This  epistle  is  addressed,  as  I  have  intimated,  to  a  tried  and  perseoated 
church.  But  when  trials  and  persecutions  come,  how  it  sustains  and  com- 
forts those  who  are  compelled  to  pass  under  the  rod,  to  remember  that 
though  their  outward  circumstances  may  change,  and  they  may  in  some 
measure  change  in  them,  yet  God  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever; 
that  he  is  the  first  and  the  last,  and  that  his  love  for  them  never  changes. 
And  there  is  a  beautiful  propriety  in  the  other  title  which  the  Saviour  elaime 
for  himself,  ^*  he  who  was  dead  and  is  alive."  The  members  of  the  church  in 
Smyrna  were  exposed  to  dangers,  and  many  of  them  were  to  be  oalled  to 
seal  their  testimony  with  their  blood.  And  surely  it  would  strengthen 
them  to  be  reminded  that  their  Saviour,  in  whom  they  tmated,  could  sym- 
pathize with  them,  for  he  had  suffered  persecution  and  experienced  the 
pangs  of  a  punful  death ;  and  that  he  could  reward  them,  for  though  he 
was  dead  once,  he  was  now  alive  forever  more.  No  titles,  among  all  the 
tiUes  of  the  Saviour,  could  be  more  appropriate  in  the  present  case.  To 
the  members  of  the  church  in  Smyrna,  persecuted,  imprisoned,  and  dying, 
there  could  be  no  words  of  greater  strength,  or  sweeter  sympathy,  or  pro- 
founder  consolation  than  these  with  which  the  Saviour  introduces  his  epistle ; 
"  these  things  st  ith  the  first  and  the  last,  which  was  dead  and  is  alive." 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH    IN   SMYRNA.  41 

III.  The  Saviour's  actual  message  is  contained  in  verses  9  and  10. 
This  message  consists  of  two  parts :  Ist.  A  declaration  of  the  Saviour's  in- 
timate knowledge  of  the  condition  of  things  in  Smyrna.  2d.  A  solemn 
exhortation  to  be  fearless  and  faithful.  The  declaration  of  the  Saviour's 
knowledge  is  contained  in  verse  9.  "  I  know  thy  works,  and  tribulation,  and 
poverty,  (but  thou  art  rich)  and  I  know* the  blasphemy  of  tbcm  which  say 
they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  are  the  synagogue  of  Satan."  We  have 
here  the  common  formula,  which  introduces  the  actual  message  in  each  one 
of  the  seven  epistles,  "  I  know  thy  works,"  an  expression  which  points  to 
the  omnipresence  and  omniscience  of  the  Saviour,  and  which  is  well  cal- 
culated to  prepare  and  sober  the  heart  for  the  explicit  statement  which  is 
to  follow. 

The  Saviour  knew  the  "  tribulation"  of  his  people  in  Smyrna.  The 
force  and  beauty  of  our  word  "tribulation"  will  be  increased,  if  we  call  to 
mind  its  etymology.  It  is  derived  from  the  Latin  word  "  tribulum,"  the 
name  of  a  threshing  instrument  in  common  use  among  the  fkrmers  of  the 
Roman  empire.  This  instrument  consisted  of  a  wooden  frame,  not  unlike 
a  modem  harrow,  underneath  which  were  fastened  sharp  pieces  of  iron  or 
stone.  "When  the  sheaves  were  laid  upon  the  threshing  floor,  this  instru- 
ment was  dragged  over  them,  cutting  the  straw  in  pieces  and  loosening  the 
grain  from  the  chaff.  This  process,  by  a  figure  of  speech,  describes  those 
who  are  in  affliction.  When  the  people  of  God  are  suffering  from  calamity, 
or  persecution,  or  sickness,  or  bereavement,  they  are  in  tribulation,  they 
are  under  the  sharp  threshing  instrument  of  the  divine  husbandman ;  but 
it  is  for  their  good  ;  for  though  they  are  bruised  and  broken  by  it,  their 
precioos  wheat  is  separated  from  the  worthless  chaff.  Through  such  trib- 
uUtion,  the  members  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  were  passing,  and  th^ir 
Saviour  knew  it.  What  the  source  of  their  tribulation  was,  we  are  not 
informed ;  but  from  what  follows  we  may  be  sure  that,  among  other  things, 
they  were  being  threshed  and  beaten  fine  as  dust  by  poverty  and  penecn- 
tions  and  imprisonments,  and  it  could  not  be  otherwise  than  comfoiting  to 
them  to  be  assured  that  he  who  had  himself  been  called  to  pass  under  the 
rod,  but  was  now  exalted  to  glory,  was  intimately  acquainted  with  (heir 
tribulstion. 

The  Saviour  also  knew  their  "  poverty."  This  church  must  have  been 
poor  beyond  the  rest  of  the  Asian  churches,  for  it  is  the  only  one  of  which 
poverty  is  predicated.  And  although  no  reason  for  their  poverty  is  as- 
signed, it  is  probable  that  it  can  be  traced  to  the  persecutions  through 
which  they  w^re  passing.  When  the  civil  authorities  and  the  wealthy  and 
influential  part  of  a  community  are  arrayed  against  the  Christians,  they  are 
not  able  to  acquire  property  or  to  retain  it  afler  it  is  acquired.  They  can 
neither  obtain  employment  nor  engage  in  trade ;  and  through  fines  and 
imprisonments,  and  the  scattering  of  their  families,  what  little  they  have 


42  LECTURE   V. 

will  soon  disappear.  Whether  this  was  the  immediate  cause  of  the  poverty 
^  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  or  not,  it  is  certain  it  was  poor.  And  this  was 
not  an  uncommon  characteiistic  of  the  early  Christians,  and  in  fact  of 
Christians  of  all  ages.  But  though  it  was  poor,  it  is  the  only  one  of  the 
^  seven  churches  which  has  survived,  and  therefore  its  poverty  may  not. 
after  all,  have^heen  a  disadvantage. 

Notwithstanding  this  poverty,  Smyrna  was  "  rich,"  not,  however,  in 
this  world's  goods,  but  in  the  grace  and  favor  of  God.  These  things  are 
often  united.  There  is  nothing  in  poverty  unfavorable  to  piety  ;  but  the 
Scriptures  often  contrast  worldly  wealth  with  spiritual  riches  in  such  a  way 
as  to  show  that  both  will  not  likely  be  enjoyed  at  the  same  time.  ^'Ye  can 
not  serve  God  and  mammon."  "  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  ^'  Lay  not  up  for  yourselves  treasures  upon  earth,  but  lay  up 
for  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven."  "  Hearken,  my  beloved  brethren ; 
hath  not  Gt)d  chosen  the  poor  of  this  world,  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the 
kingdom,  which  he  has  promised  to  them  that  love  him  ?" 

The  Saviour  also  knew  the  "blasphemy"  of  those  whose  misrepresenta- 
tions helped  on  the  tribulation  and  poverty  of  the  church  in  Smyrna.  As 
a  general  thing,  in  the  days  of  the  apostles,  and  during  the  following  cen- 
tury, the  persecutions  against  the  church  were  stirred  up  by  the  Jews.  In 
proof  of  this  I  need  only  refer  to  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Nearly  every 
disturbance  began  in  the  synagogue,  and  was  brought  to  the  notice  of  the 
civil  authorities  by  the  zealous  Jews.  And  this  is  what  we  might  expect. 
The  new  religion  had  not  yet  made  much  impression  upon  the  Pagan  re- 
ligions of  Rome,  and  the  government  of  Rome  did  not  feel  called  upon  to 
array  itself  against  Christianity.  But  this  new  religion  was  even  then 
making  great  inroads  in  the  synagogue.  Many  of  the  more  devout  Jews 
were  led  to  believe  on  Jesus ;  and  their  unconverted  brethren,  filled  with 
jealousy  and  national  pride,  were  very  diligent  and  bitter  against  the 
Christian  church.  There  were  such  Jews  in  Smyrna;  they  claimed  to  be- 
long to  the  only  true  church ;  they  prided  themselves  on  their  descent  from 
Abraham ;  but  they  were  not  true  Jews ;  their  conduct  showed  that  they 
had  not  the  spirit  of  the  Jewish  religion,  and  that  they  were  not  shaping 
their  lives  according  to  the  teachings  of  the  Jewbh  church.  If  they  had 
been  true  Jews,  they  would  have  examined  the  claims  of  Christianity  with 
candor,  and  recognized  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  the  promised  Messiah. 
Therefore,  though  they  did  belong  to  the  Jewish  nation,  they  were  not 
true  Israelites ;  they  belonged  rather  to  the  synagogue  of*  Satan.  They 
worshiped ^him,  they  served  him,  they  associated  with  his  servants.  These 
false  Jews  were  guilty  of  blasphemy.  They  heaped  reproaehes  and  re- 
vilings  upon  the  people  of  God ;  they  accused  them  falsely  ;  they  spake 
all  manner  of  evil  against  them  fur  the  Saviour's  sake.     In  so  doing,  they 


EPISTLE  TO   THE   CHURCH    IS   SMYRNA.  4^ 

were  guilty  of  blasphemy  agaiost  God,  for  God  has  said  that  he  and  his 
people  are  one. 

This  was  what  the  Saviour  knew  of  the  church  in  Smyrna.  He  knew 
its  tribulation,  its  poverty,  and  the  blasphemy  of  the  Jews.  He  also  knew 
that  those  who  were  in  such  a  case  as  this  needed  to  be  strengthened  and 
eneouraged  by  faithful  exhortation,  and  this  faithful  exhortation  is  the 
second  part  of  his  message.  *^Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou 
shalt  suffer :  behold,  the  devil  shall  cast  some  of  you  into  prison,  that  ye- 
may  be  tried ;  and  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days :  Be  thou  &ithful 
unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life."  He  did  not  conceal 
from  his  faithful  ones  what  they  would  have  to  suffer  for  his  name*s  sake.. 
This  he  never  does.  He  does  not  entice  men  into  his  service  by  assuring 
them  that  they  will  find  all  things  easy  and  pleasant.     He  tells  them  of 

^  the  crosses  they  will  have  to  bear ;  of  the  labors  they  will  have  to  perform; 

^  of  the  temptations  they  will  have  to  meet.  And  thus  he  did  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  in  Smyrna.  He  exhorts  them  not  to  be  afraid,  but  at 
the  same  time  he  assures  them  that  there  were  many  things  they  would 
have  to  suffer.  Among  other  things,  they  would  be  cast  into  prison.  And 
though  their  imprisonment  would  be  brought  about  by  the  hands  of  men^ 
the  Saviour  traces  it  to  its  true  source.  The  devil  would  cause  them  to  be 
imprisoned.  He  would  so  influence  those  who  belonged  to  his  synagogue,, 
that  they  would  carry  out  hb  will  in  this  regard.  And  it  is  right  enough 
to  say,  that  is  done  by  Satan  which  is  done  by  his  agents.  The  design  of 
this  imprisonment  was  to  try  the  faith  of  the  saints.  The  Saviour  permit- 
ted trials  to  come  upon  his  saints  that  the  reality  of  their  religion  might 
appear.  He  permitted  them  to  be  trodden  under  foot  that  their  sweet 
odor  might  go  forth  through  all  the  world. 

The  members  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  were  not  only  to  be  imprisoned, 
they  were  also  to  have  other  tribulation  ten  days ;  that  is,  they  were  to 
have  great  and  long  continued  tribulation.     We  use  the  words  *^  ten  "  and 

^  "  ten-fold ''  to  indicate  a  large  though  indefinite  quantity  ;  and  in  this 
sense  the  word  is  used  in  the  passage  we  are  now  considering.  The  best 
commentary  on  this  verse  is  to  be  found  on  the  pages  of  early  ecclesiastic 
cal  history.  We  read  that  in  the  year  167,  le9s  than  100  years  after  this 
epistle  was  written,  the  Christians  of  Asia  suffered  from  violent  persecu- 
tions. At  this  time  the  angel  or  pastor  of  the  church  in  Smyrna  was  the 
aged  Polycarp,  whose  name  is  known  and  loved  through  Christendom.  la 
his  youth  be  had  been  a  disciple  of  John,  and  he  seems  to  have  resembled 
his  teacher  in  love,  gentleness  and  purity.  When  the  persecutions  broke 
out,  Polycarp  was  a  marked  man.  Though  his  first  desire  was  to  remain 
at  his  post,  yet  feeling  the  force  of  the  Saviour's  injunction,  ^'when  perse- 
cuted in  one  city  flee  to  another,"  and  yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  his 
congregation,  he  sought  one  hiding  place  after  another.     At  last  his  place 


44  LECTURE   V. 

■ 

of  retreat  was  discovered,  we  are  told,  by  the  evidenoe  of  a  little  child 
who  was  forced  by  tortare  to  reveal  what  he  knew.  The  aged  dificiple 
came  down  from  the  upper  story  of  the  house  in  which  he  had  been  hid- 
ing, gave  himself  up  to  his  captors,  and  asked  from  them  this  favor,  that 
he  might  have  one  hour  of  prayer.  And  though  the  ftillness  of  his  godly 
heart  kept  him  kneeling  for  two  hours  at  the  mercy  seat,  the  heathen  sol- 
diers were  so  impressed  by  the  old  man's  earnestness  that  they  would  not 
disturb  him.  After  his  prayer  was  ended,  he  was  taken  back  to  the  city 
of  Smyrna  and  placed  on  trial  before  the  Roman  mi^trate.  This  mi^s- 
trate,  who  seems  to  have  been  a  humane  man,  was  inclined  to  deal  gently 
with  his  aged  prisoner.  He  asked  him,  "  What  harm  can  it  be  for  you  to 
offer  sacrifice  to  the  emperor  "  ?  But  when  Polycarp  stoutly  refused  to  be 
guilty  of  any  such  idolatry,  the  magistrate  lost  his  patience  and  cried : 
'*  Curse  Christ  and  I  will  set  thee  free.''  The  old  man  answered  in  words 
which  are  familiar  to  the  Christian  church  :  *'  Eighty  and  six  years  have 
I  served  Christ,  and  he  has  never  done  me  wrong ;  how  then  can  I  grieve 
him''  ?  After  many  indignities,  which  he  bore  meekly  and  bravdy,  he 
was  condemned  to  be  burned  alive.  Then  the  Jews  who  belonged  to  the 
synagogue  of  8atan,  ran  with  all  their  accustomed  eagerness  to  collect  Aiel 
for  the  funeral  pile.  The  old  man  laid  aside  his  own  garments  and  took 
bis  place  in  the  midst  of  the  fiiggots.  When  his  executioners  would  have 
bound  him  to  the  stake,  he  said,  "  leave  me,  I  pray  you,  thus  unfastened ; 
he  who  has  enabled  me  to  brave  the  fire  will  give  me  strength  also  to  en- 
dure its  fierceness."  Then  he  uttered  this  brief  prayer:  '*0  Lord,  Al- 
mighty Qod,  the  Father  of  thj  beloved  Son  Jesus  Christ,  through  whom 
^e  have  received  «  knowledge  of  thee ;  Ood  of  the  angels  and  of  the 
whole  creation,  of  the  whole  race  of  men  and  of  the  saints  who  live  be- 
fore  thy  presenoe ;  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  thought  me  worthy  this 
day  and  this  hour  to  thare  the  cop  of  thy  Christ  among  the  number  of 
thy  witnesses."  And  then  the  torch  was  applied,  and  in  a  Utile  while  Poly- 
carp, the  angel  of  the  church  ia  Smyrna,  having  been  faithfU  unto  detth, 
received  the  crown  of  life. 

This  is  but  one  example  oat  of  many.  In  those  days  the  ohureh  of 
Smyrna  was  baptized  with  blood.  As  the  Saviour  knew  that  these  perse* 
ctttions  were  coming,  how  appropriate  is  his  exhortation,  **  be  thou  fmckful 
unto  death" ;  and  how  cheering  his  promise,  ^*  I  will  give  tbee  a  crown  of 
life."  This  future  crown  is  ever  the  same,  though  it  is  called  by  various 
names.  James  calls  it,  as  the  Saviour  calls  it  in  this  verse,  *'  the  erown 
of  life"  ;  Paul  calls  it  <<  the  crown  of  righteousness" ;  Peter  catls  it  **  the 
<;rown  of  glory"  ^  Isaiah  calls  it  "  the  erown  of  beauty."  This  pronise 
may  well  strengthen  the  saints  to  witness  a  good  confession,  notwithstand- 
ing ail  the  tribulations  and  persecutions  which  the  synagogue  of  Satan  may 
bring  against  them.     To  reach  this  crown  of  life,  we  need  not  of  necessity 


EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHURCH   IN   SMYRNA.  45 

pan  throQgh  sunless  dungeons  and  scorching  fires  and  the  tortures  of  the 
sword.  He  who  is  faithful  unto  death,  no  matter  in  what  form  death  comes ;. 
he'  who  patkntlj  bears  whatever  trials  the  Master  requires  him  to  bear,  will 
receive  the  reward;  for  the  golden  crown  must  ever  follow  the  faithful  life. 

ly.  We  may  pass  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  epistle  without  a  single 
remark,  for  it  is  the  same  solemn  call  to  attention  and  obedience^ 
which  was  considered  in  the  epistle  to  the  Kphesian  church.  ^'  He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear." 

Y.  The  beautiful  promise  to  the  final  victor  is,  *^  he  that  over- 
cometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death/'  The  members  of  the 
church  in  Smyrna  were  surrounded  by  the  same  enemies  which  have  sur- 
rounded the  saints  in  all  ages.  Prominent  among  these  enemies  are  Satan, 
the  fallen  angels,  wicked  men,  the  world  with  its  allurements,  and  the 
remaining  corruption  of  our  own  hearts.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  wrestle 
with  these  principalities  and  powers,  but  there, is  a  blessed  promise  for  our 
encouragement,  for  he  that  overcomes  these  enemies  will  not  be  hurt  of  the 
second  death. 

We  know,  from  our  own  observation,  what  the  first  death  is.  It  is  the 
end  of  our  present  earthly  life.  It  is  the  severing  of  the  ties  which  bind 
body  and  spirit  together,  so  that  the  body  returns  to  the  dust  as  it  was,  and 
the  spirit  goes  to  God  who  gave  it.  There  are  few  who  do  not  regard  the 
first  death  as  the  king  of  terrors,  and  fear  his  approach.  But  as  there  is  a 
life  beyond  this  present,  for  the  faithful ;  so  there  is  a  death,  which  is  be- 
yond that  death  which  has  come  under  our  observation,  for  the  wicked. 
This  other  death,  which  is  nothing  else  than  the  eternal  punishment  of  the 
ungodly,  is  the  death  which  is  referred  to  in  the  text.  Over  him  that  over- 
cometb,  this  seoond  death  will  have  no  power.  He  will  live  forever,  with* 
out  lear  of  everlasting  punishment. 

We  aie  surrounded  by  the  same  enemies  which  surrounded  the  Christians 
of  Smyrna.  It  is  true  these  enemies  do  9ot  manifest  their  enmity  in  the 
same  way,  for  imprisonments,  and  persecutions,  and  bloodshed  for  the  sake 
of  Gbriat  are  suspended,  if  they  have  not  oome  to  a  full  end.  Still  these 
enemies  are  full  of  hatred  and  power,  and  we  cannot  hope  to  be  victors 
over  them  without  a  terrible  struggle.  But  to  every  one  who  has  ears  to 
hear,  to  every  victor  in  this  struggle,  this  promise  is  given:  '*he  that 
overoometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death."  Our  religion  does 
not  promise  exemption  from  the  first  death.  Such  a  promise  is  certainly 
witUn  the  power  of  Crod.  He  could  remove  all  his  redeemed  to  heaven 
OS  he  removed  Enoch  and  Elijah,  but  for  seme  good  reason  he  does  not. 
May  we  not  see  one  reason  in  this,  that  the  glories  of  heaven  may,  by 
eontrast,  be  enhanced  to  those  who  enter  it  through  the  darkness  and 


46  ^  LECTURE   VI. 

dust  of  death  ?  But  better  than  any  promise  of  exemption  from  the  first 
death,  is  the  promise  of  exemption  from  the  second  death.  All  we  need  to 
make  the  trials  of  life  endurable  is  the  assurance,  that  when  our  earthly 
life  is  ended,  there  is  nothing  to  hurt  or  harm  beyondi  Let  us,  then,  take 
this  promise  for  our  battle-cry  in  the  conflict  of  life,  "  he  that  overcometh 
shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death*' ! 


LECTURE    VI. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  PERGAMOS. 

And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Pergamos  write;  These  things  saith  he 
Tvhich  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges ;  I  know  thy  works,  and  where  thou 
dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is :  and  thou  holdest  fast  my  name,  and  hast 
not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipas  was  my  faithful  mar- 
tyr, who  was  slain  among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth.  *  But  I  have  a  few  things 
against  thee,  because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam, 
\^lio  taught  Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat 
things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication.  So  hast  thou  also  them 
that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  thing  I  hate.  Repent;  or 
•else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight  against  them  with  the  sword 
of  mj  mouth.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches  ;  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and 
will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man 
knoweth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it.^Rsv.  2 :  12-17. 

The  analysis  of  the  epistle  to  the  church  in  Pergamos  is  the  same  a§  that 
of  the  epistles  we  have  already  considered. 

I.  There  is  nothing  in  the  command  to  write  this  epistle,  which 
requires  explanation,  save  the  location  and  characteristics  of  the  city  of 
Pergamos.  "  Unto  the  angel/'  that  is,  the  pastor,  "of  the  church  in  Per- 
gamos write."  Pergamos  was  situated  a  little  more  than  fifty  miles  north 
of  Smyrna,  and  about  a  hundredp  miles  north  of  Ephesus.  It  was  a  com- 
mercial city,  for  though  it  was  not  directly  on  the  Egean  coast,  it  was  located 
on  the  banks  of  the  mej  Caicus,  only  a  few  miles  from  its  mouth.  Up  until 
about  two  hundred  years  before  this  epistle  was  written  it  had  been  the 
capital  of  Asia.  The  kings  of  the  Attalic  dynasty,  as  it  is  called,  had  made 
it  their  royal  residence,  and  had  lavished  their  immense  wealth  upon  it  with 
an  unstinted  hand.  After  they  had  bequeathed  it  to  the  Romans,  its  old 
time  splendor  was  not  dimmed  for  many  years.  This  city  was  celebrated  not 
only  for  its  splendor,  but  also  for  its  library  and  its  learning.  Its  library 
contained  two  hundred  thouiAnd  volumes,  an  immense  collection  for  those 
days.  By  its  devotion  to  literature,  this  city  has  inscribed  its  name  upon 
the  very  structure  of  our  own  language.     The  king  of  Egypt  would  not 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH   IN    PEROAMOS.  47 

pennit  tbe  exportation  of  the  papyrus  plant,  which  was  then  used  for  writiDg, 
as  we  use  paper,  and  from  which  our  word  ** paper"  is  derived;  and >  the 
philosophers  of  Pergamos  were  under  the  necessity  cf  providing  a  substitute. 
This  they  did  by  preparing  sheep  skins  and  goat  skins  in  a  peculiar  way, 
and  on  these  they  were  accustomed  to  write  their  books.  The  preparation 
of  these  skins  was  brought  to  perfection  in  Pergamos.  and  from  this  circum- 
stance they  were  called  *^  Pergamana  Charta/'  a  name  which  has  been  con- 
tracted and  modified  by  passing  through  various  languages  until  it  stands  in 
our  tongue,  parchment ;  that  is,  the  paper  of  Pergamos,  a  name  which  will 
forever  commemorate  the  zeal  of  the  inhabitants  of  Pergamos  in  the  pur- 
suits of  literature.  But  Pergamos  was  especially  celebrated  for  its  idolatry. 
It  was  filled  with  heathen  temples,  and  in  some  of  them  a  worship  was  con- 
ducted whose  licentiousness  was  too  repulsive  for  description,  or  even  allusion. 
Jupiter,  and  Athene,  and  Apollo,  and  Venus  had  temples  here,  but  the  most 
famous  of  them  all  was  a  temple  which  had  been  erected  for  the  worship 
of  JEsculapins,  the  founder  and  father  of  medical  science,  the  ruins  of  which 
still  remain.  This  gross  idolatry  and  lasciviousness  must  be  borne  in  mind, 
or  we  will  not  be  able  to  understand  the  praise  which  the  Saviour  bestows 
upon  the  church  which  maintained,  in  a  measure,  its  integrity  in  the  city 
of  Pergamos. 

II.  The  TITLE  by  which  the  Saviour  here  reveals  himself  is,  "  these 
things  suth  he  which  hath  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges."  This  title, 
like  the  titles  which  stand  at  the  beginning  of  the  other  epistles,  is  quoted 
from  tbe  introductory  vision  of  chapter  I.  .  In  that  vision  John  had  seen 
one  ^'  out  of  whose  mouth  went  a  sharp  two-edged  sword";  an  expression 
equivalent  to  this:  "  the  word  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth  was  like 
a  sharp  two-edged  sword."  The  word  of  the  Lord  is  well  compared  to  a 
sword.  It  goes  forth  to  smite,  to  punish  and  to  slay.  By  his  word  kings 
are  brought  down  to  the  dust,  his  enemies  are  overwhelmed  with  shame 
and  confusion,  and  the  wicked  are  cast  into  hell  with  the  nations  that  for- 
get God.  And  this  title  is  especially  appropriate  to  the  case  in  hand. 
The  Saviour  was  about  to  rebuke  sharply  the  members  of  the  church  in 
Pergamos ;  he  felt  called  upon  to  threaten  them  with  his  sore  displeasure ; 
and  to  give  this  threatening  its  full  force,  it  was  well  to  remind  them  that 
he  still  held  in  his  hands  the  sharp  sword  with  two  edges,  which  had  been 
such  a  terrible  instrument  of  punishment  to  the  church  and  the  world,  and 
whose  edge  was  still  unblunted,  for  the  destruction  of  the  ungodly  in  all 
time  to  come. 

IIL  The  Saviour's  actual  message  to  the  Pergamcne  church  is 
three-fold. 

].  In  this  epistle,  as  in  the  others,  we  have  a  statement  o/vhat  the  Sa* 


48  LECTURE  VI. 

viour  knew  about  the  church  in  Pergamos.  **  I  know  thy  works,  and 
where  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat  is;  and  thou  holdest  fast  my 
name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  faith,  even  in  those  days  wherein  Antipa& 
was  my  faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you,  where  Satan  dwelleth." 
The  introductory  formula,  ^^I  know  thy  works,"  common  to  all  the  epistles, 
may  be  passed  over  without  a  single  remark.  What  particular  ^^  works  " 
he  knew,  the  Saviour  proceeds  to  specify.  He  knew  their  dwelling  place 
and  surroundings.  ^^  I  know  where  thou  dwellest,  even  where  Satan's  seat 
is."  Why  Pergamos,  rather  than  any  other  of  the  seven  cities,  is  called 
Satan's  seat  or  throne,  is  a  question  which  is  not  easy  to  answer.  But 
a  reasonable  answer  can  be  discovered  in  some  remarks  which  have  already 
been  made.  We  know  that  the  worship  of  some  heathen  gods  and  god- 
desses was  ten-fold  more  vile  and  degrading  than  that  of  others,  that 
those  cities  in  which  the  vilest  of  the  deities  were  worshiped,  were  far 
more  corrupt  in  their  morals  and  practices  than  others.  No  one  can 
read  the  history  of  pagan  Qreece,  or  even  the  epistles  of  Paul  to  the 
Corinthians,  without  being  convmced  that  Corinth  was  such  a  city. 
And  from  what  history  has  toM  us,  as  well  as  from  what  is  contained 
in  this  brief  epistle,  we  must  believe  that  Pergamos  was  such  a  city. 
The  worship  in  the  temples  of  Venus  and  ^l^sculapius  had  gone  to  the  ex- 
treme verge  of  indecency  and  blasphemy.  The  morals  of  the  people  were 
corrupt.  Satan  ruled  over  them  with  unquestioned  authority.  So  abso- 
lute was  his  power,  and  so  extensive  his  sway,  that  Pergamos  was  appro- 
priately called  his  seat.  Such  was  the  city  in  which  the  Christians  of 
Pergamos  lived,  and  the  Saviour  knew  its  character.  He  knew  the  temp- 
tations to  which  they  were  exposed,  the  dangers  by  which  they  were  sur- 
rounded and  the  allurements  which  beckoned  to  them  from  every  side. 
A  knowledge  of  these  things  is  necessary  to  impartial  judgment.  It  will 
help  us  to  judge  of  men's  characters,  to  know  where  they  live  and  their 
circumstances.  It  is  far  easier  to  be  virtuous  and  pious  in  some  places 
than  in  others,  and  at  some  times  than  at  others.  Before  we  can  justly 
praise  men  for  their  virtues  or  blame  them  for  their  faults,  we  must  know 
their  temptations,  their  weaknesses  and  their  surroundings.  Because  we 
do  not  know  these  things,  we  often  bestow  praise  and  blame  where  they  are 
not  deserved.  But  the  Saviour  knows,  and  therefore  he  can  render  to 
every  man  according  to  his  works. 

The  Saviour  also  knew  the  faithfulness  of  the  members  of  the  church  in 
Pergamos.  ^*  Thou  boldest  fast  my  name,  and  hast  not  denied  my  &ith." 
In  scripture  language,  the  name  of  any  person  is  that  by  which  he  is  made 
known.  The  name  of  Christ  would  therefore  be  that  by  which  ho  is  made 
known ;  that  is,  the  gospel.  These  Christians  in  this  unholy  city  had  held 
fast  to  the  gospel.  They  had  not  been  ashamed  of  the  name  of  Christ  or 
of  their  faith  in  Christ.     No  matter  what  temptations  surrounded  them,  or 


TH£  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH   IN    PERQAM08.  49 

what  perseondons  thieatened  them,  they  held  ie^Bt  to  the  one  and  would 
not  deny  the  other ;  and  without  doubt  these  temptations  and  perseontions 
were  hard  to  bear.  They  liyed  in  the  "  days  wherein  Antipas  was  my 
faithful  martyr,  who  was  slain  among  you  where  Satan  dwdleth/'  Of  this 
Antipas  we  know  nothing,  save  what  is  recorded  in  these  few  words. 
From  these  words  we  know  that  he  was  a  distinguished  saint  in  that 
church,  and  that  he  had  been  called  to  seal  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 
Whether  he  was  only  one  martyr  in  the  midst  of  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses 
in  some  general  persecution,  or  whether  he  was  the  solitary  yictim  in  some 
local  outbreak,  as  Stephen  was,  we  do  not  know;  but  we  know  that  he  was 
counted  worthy  to  share  the  cup  of  suffering  with  Christ,  and  to  have  his 
name  written  on  the  pages  of  the  word  of  Grod  and  in  the  Lamb's  book  of 
life.  But  though  there  had  been  persecution  in  Pergamos  which  might 
have  excused  a  wavering  faith,  the  Christians  there  had  held  fast  the 
Christian  name  and  had  not  denied  the  Christian  faith. 

All  this  the  Saviour  knew ;  and  in  stating  what  he  knew,  he  indirectly 
but  plainly  praises  the  members  of  that  church.  Their  lot  had  been  cast 
in  a  wicked  city,  where  Satan  sat  enthroned ;  they  had  lived  in  a  time 
when  persecutions  and  bloodshed  had  tried  their  faith  and  tested  their  con- 
stancy ;  but  their  faith  and  constancy  had  not  failed.  While  their  stead- 
fastness would  have  been  praiseworthy  in  any  circumstanoes,  it  was  espe- 
cially praiseworthy  in  the  circumstances  in  which  they  had  been  placed. 
Therefore  the  Saviour^  who  is  just  in  all  his  ways,  praises  them.  Let  us 
do  honor  to  the  £uthful  ones  of  Pergamos,  and  let  us  strive  after  a  like 
honor,  ever  remembering  that  they  who  are  tempted  and  yet  victorious, 
who  are  tried  and  yet  faithful,  who  are  in  danger  and  yet  brave,  are  the 
ones  whom  the  Saviour  writes  on  the  palms  of  his  hands. 

2.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  a  sharp  rebuke.  '^  But 
I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou  hast  there  them  that  hold 
the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught  Balac  to  cast  a  stumbling-blook  be- 
fore the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  com- 
mit fornication.  So  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the 
Nicolaitanes,  which  thing  I  hate.**  The  church  in  Pergamos  tolerated  cer- 
tain persons  who  taught  error  and  who  practiced  immorality.  With  such 
they  should  of  course  have  held  no  fellowship.  They  should  have  exer- 
cised discipline  upon  them,  and  if  they  could  not  bring  them  to  repentance 
in  this  way,  they  should  have  cut  them  off  from  all  connection  with  the 
holy  church  of  God.  But  instead  of  this  they  recognized  them  as  mem- 
bers of  the  church  and  their  brethren  in  the  Lord.  They  associated  with 
them,  and  thus  brought  their  own  integrity  into  jeopardy  every  hour.  The 
Saviour  knew  this,  and  for  this  he  rebuked  them.  This  was  what  he  had 
against  the  church  in  Pergamos. 

These  &lse  teachers  and  evil  doers  are  here  described  as  those  ''  that 

4 


50  LECTURE  VI. 

hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam."  This  does  not  mean  that  they  fonned  a 
distinct  sect,  calling  themselyes  Balaam  it  es  ;  it  does  not  mean  that  they 
openly  taught  what  Balaam  taught ;  it  means  that  their  doctrines  and 
practices  were  substantially  the  same  as  those  of  the  false  prophet,  and 
that  they  deserved  to  be  placed  in  the  same  class  with  him.  What  the 
peculiar  doctrines  and  practices  of  Balaam  were,  we  may  learn  from  a  ref- 
erence to  Old  Testament  history.  When  the  children  of  Israel,  in  their 
journey  through  the  wilderness,  were  approaching  Moab,  Balak,  the  king 
of  that  country,  was  sore  afraid.  He  sent  for  Balaam,  who  seems  to  have 
mingled  sorcery  with  some  knowledge  of  the  true  Ood,  to  come  and  curse 
Israel,  in  the  hope  that  under  the  influence  of  that  curse  his  armies  might 
obtain  a  victory  over  the  hostd  which  Moses  was  leading.  Balaam  covet- 
ed the  great  reward  which  the  king  of  Moab  promised,  and  after  repeated 
intercession  he  obtained  the  permission  of  Ood  to  go  with  the  messengersi 
but  only  on  the  condition  that  he  should  speak  what  the  Lord  told  him  to 
speak. .  You  remember  how,  on  one  hilltop  after  another,  and  beside  one 
altar  after  another,  he  tried  his  best  to  corse  Israel,  but  every  trial  proved 
a  failure.  Words  of  present  blessing  and  of  ftiture  greatness  fell  from  his 
lips ;  words,  whose  eloquence  are  not  surpassed  in  sacred  or  profane  litera- 
ture. Balak  was  naturally  displeased  with  his  hired  prophet,  and  he  sent 
him  home  in  disgrace.  But  Balaam  was  determined  to  possess  himself  of 
the  magnificent  reward  which  the  king  of  Moab  had  promised,  and  he  set 
himself  at  work  to  devise  a  more  successful  plan.  The  Moabites,  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  advice,  sent  their  most  beautiful  women  to  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  camp  of  Israel,  and  the  Israelites  were  captivated  by  the 
daughters  of  Moab.  But  these  women,  instructed  by  those  who  .had  sent 
them  out,  would  not  yield  to  the  solicitations  of  the  men  of  Israel  untU 
the  men  of  Israel  had  promised  to  offer  saorifioes  to  the  idols  of  Moab.  By 
this  idol  worship,  and  by  these  unholy  matrimonial  allianoeSy  the  anger  of 
the  Lord  was  kindled,  and  he  sent  a  plague  upon  the  people,  in  which 
twenty-four  thousand  died  an  untimely  death.  Thus  far  the  plan  of  Ba- 
laam had  worked  well  If  it  had  worked  on  as  he  expected  it  to  do,  Is- 
rael would  soon  have  become  so  weak  that  it  would  have  fiillen  an  easy 
prey  to  Moab.  But  Israel  repented  ]  the  plague  was  stayed ;  the  armies 
of  the  Lord  went  forth  against  the  armies  of  Moab  and  utterly  defeated 
them ;  and  Balaam  himself  was  slain  with  the  sword.  I  have  not  time  to 
refer  to  all  the  passages,  scattered  through  several  chapters  of  Old  Testament 
history,  which  prove  the  truth  of  these  statements.  I  will  quote  a  single 
passage,  which  contains  the  substance  of  what  I  have  said.  When  the 
children  of  Israel  returned  from  the  conquest  of  Moab,  they  brought  back 
some  of  the  women  of  Moab  as  captives.  Moses,  who  had  gone  out  to 
meet  them  on  their  return,  commanded  these  captive  women  to  be  put  to 
death  at  once,  saying,  ^^  behold,  these  caused  the  children  of  Israel,  through 


THE    EPISTLX  TO   THE   CHURCH    IN   PEBQAMOS.  51 

the  counsel  of  Balaam,  to  oommit  trespass  against  tbe  Lord  in  the  matter 
of  Peor,  and  there  was  a  plague  among  the  congregation  of  the  Lord.'' 
Num.  31 :  16. 

These  facts  are  in  perfect  harmony  with  what  is  contained  in  the  verse 
we  are  now  considering.  Balaam  laid  a  stumbling-block  in  the  way  of  the 
Israelites,  over  which  they  fell.  Through  his  instruction  they  were  in- 
volved in  sin,  they  were  led  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  com- 
mit fornication.  Those  who  taught  similar  doctrines  and  introduced  simi- 
lar practices  into  the  Christian  church,  are  called  followers  of  Balaam. 
Peter  says  of  such,  *'  they  follow  the  way  of  Balaam  the  son  of  Bozor"  ; 
Jude  says  of  such,  **  they  run  greedily  ailer  the  error  of  Balaam."  Such 
men  were  to  be  found  in  the  church  of  Pergamos,  for  the  Saviour  says, 
^'  80  hast  thou  also  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nioolaitanes,  which 
thing  I  hate."  As  has  been  said,  the  Nicolaitanes  were  the  same  as  the 
followers  of  Balaam.  This  may  be  inferred  from  the  verse  we  are  now 
considering,  in  which  it  is  implied  that  the  influence  of  Balaam  over  Ba- 
lak  was  similar  to  that  which  was  exerted  by  the  Nicolaitanes  over  the 
church  of  Pergamos.  This  may  also  be  inferred  from  the  names  by  which 
they  are  called,  for  Balaam  and  Nicolas  mean  the  same  thing,  viz.,  '^  a 
destroyer  of  the  people."  This  may  also  be  inferred  ^m  what  is  told  us 
in  the  revelation  and  in  early  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  doctrines  which 
they  held.  What  were  these  doctrines  ?  Manifestly  that  it  was  not  a  sin 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols  or  to  commit  fornication.  It  may  seem 
strange  that  such  doctrines  were  ever  taught  by  persons  connected  with 
the  church  of  Christ,  but  the  fact  cannot  be  denied.  The  moral  sensibili- 
ties of  the  Gentiles  were  blunted  by  long  indulgence  in  vice,  and  they  could 
not  see  its  vileness  as  men  of  purer  lives  could  do.  Some  Gentile  converts 
talked  loudly  of  the  liberty  of  Christ,  and  used  that  liberty  ''  for  an  occa- 
sion to  the  flesh";  ''they  turned  the  grace  of  Gt)d  into  lasciviousness" ; 
"  they  continued  in  sin  that  grace  might  abound"  ;  they  maintained  that 
Christians  were  free  to  eat  things  sacrificed  to  idols,  and  to  engage  in  the 
festivities  of  sacrificial  feasts,  with  which  licentiousness  was  almost  insepa- 
rably connected.  It  was  the  presence  of  such  men  in  the  church,  which 
called  forth  the  decree  of  the  council  in  Jerusalem,  which  reads,  "  it 
seemed  good  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  to  us,  to  lay  upon  you  no  greater  bur- 
den than  these  necessary  things ;  that  ye  abstain  from  meats  offered  to 
idols,  and  from  blood,  and  from  things  strangled,  and  from  fornication." 
Acts  15 :  28, 29.  It  was  the  presence  of  such  men  in  the  church  of  Per- 
gamos, which  called  forth  the  stem  rebuke  we  are  now  considering.  And 
surely  this  rebuke  was  deserved,  for  they  who  extend  Christian  sympathy 
and  fellowship  to  those  who  teach  and  practice  such  things,  ^e  not  doing 
honor  to  the  church  which  God  has  purchased  with  his  own  blood. 

3.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  a  fearful  threaUfidng, 


52  LECTURE  YI. 

"Repent;  or  else  I  will  oome  unto  thee  quickly,  and  will  fight  againit 
them  with  the  sword  of  my  month/'  The  Saviour  may  visit  a  ohuroh  in 
mercy,  or  he  may  visit  it  in  wrath.  It  is  of  the  latter  visitation  he  here 
speaks.  No  church  can  retain  notorious  sinners  in  its  memhership  and  he 
guiltless.  But  the  Saviour's  wrath  would  he  especially  directed  against  the 
followers  of  Balaam.  Against  them  he  would  fight  with  the  sword  of  his 
mouthy  that  is,  the  command  would  go  fi)rth  out  of  his  mouth,  and  in 
obedience  to  that  command  judgments  would  cut  them  off.  In  what 
form  these  judgments  would  come,  he  does  not  say.  It  might  be  in  the 
form  of  persecution,  or  famine,  or  pestilence.  When  the  judgments  came, 
though  the  Nicolaitanes  would  suffer  most,  the  true  members  of  the 
church  would  also  suffer,  for  in  such  a  trial  both  the  gold  and  the  dross 
are  cast  into  the  ftimace,  though  the  latter  only  is  consumed.  The  only 
way  by  which  they  could  escape  from  this  visitation  was  by  the  door  of  re- 
pentance ;  and  this  is  the  only  door  by  which  any  of  us  can  hope  to  es- 
cape ;  for  to  all  those  who  are  sinners,  or  who  are  bidding  sinners  God- 
speed, the  Saviour  is  ever  saying,  "  repent ;  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee 
quickly." 

lY.  The  rolemn  call  to  attention  and  obedience  does  not  differ 
from  the  one  which  has  been  considered  in  the  former  epistles.  "  He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 

Y.  The  promise  to  the  final  victor  is,  "  to  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in 
the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  knoweth,  saving  he  that  re- 
ceiveth  it."  You  remember  the  event  in  Jewish  history  to  which  refer- 
ence is  made,  viz.,  the  feeding  of  the  Jews  with  manna  in  the  wilderness. 
You  remember,  also,  the  pot  of  manna  which  was  hidden  for  a  memorial 
in  the  most  holy  place  of  the  temple.  There  is  here  an  allusion  to  this 
pot  of  manna.  But  what  was  symbolized  by  it  ?  Eveiy  one  who  has  read 
the  Ghwpels  must  answer ;  it  is  the  Lord  Jesus  who  is  represented,  and  who 
represents  himself  as  the  bread  which  cometh  down  from  heaven.  He  is 
now  hidden  in  heaven,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  the  human  eye  and  the 
search  of  the  human  mind ;  but  they  that  overcome  those  spiritual  enemies, 
common  to  the  saints  of  Pergamos  and  to  the  saints  in  all  the  ages,  wUl 
find  him,  and  partaking  of  the  fullness  which  is  treasured  up  in  him,  will 
live  forever. 

These  victors  will  also  receive  a  "  white  stone"  ;  that  is,  a  glittering  gem. 
The  high  priest  of  the  Jewish  economy  had  a  breast  plate,  which  sparkled 
with  jewels.  The  allusion  may  be  to  this ;  or,  it  may  be  to  the  fisict  that 
kings  often  gave  a  signet  ring  to  the  man  whom  they  delighted  to  honor. 
In  either  case  the  meaning  is  the  same.     The  victor  is  to  be  both  a  priest 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHUROH    IN   THTATIRA.  63 

and  a  king ;  he  will  have  the  apparel  of  a  priest,  and  the  ring  of  a  king. 
And  on  this  white  stone,  there  would  be  a  new  name,  which  the  Christian 
wearer  had  won  for  himself  in  the  conflicts  of  life,  and  which  would  con- 
tain in  it  a  reference  to  the  battles  he  had  fonght,  and  the  victories  he  had 
gained.  This  name  would  be  a  secret  one,  for  his  hardest  battles,  and  his 
greatest  victories,  are  known  only  to  the  Christian  himself  and  to  his  Qod. 
Therefore,  the  name  which  commemorates  these  things,  can  be  known  only 
to  him  who  receives  it,  and  to  the  Ood  who  gives  it.  There  must  ever  be  a 
loneliness  about  the  Christian  life  and  experience,  which  is  shadowed  forth 
by  the  Saviour's  treading  the  wine  press  alone,  and  which  is  expressed  in 
the  words,  "  the  heart  knoweth  its  own  bitterness,  and  a  stranger  intermed- 
dleth  not  with  its  joys."  God  grant  this  manna,  and  this  stone,  and  this 
name,  may  be  ours ! 


LECTURE   VIL 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHUROH  IN  THYATIRA. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Thyatira  write ;  These  things  saith  the 
Son  of  €rod,  who  hath  hie  eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine 
brass ;  I  know  thy  works,  and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience, 
and  thy  works  ;  and  the  last  to  be  more  than  the  first.  Notwithstanding  I  have 
a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which 
calleth  herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit  for- 
nication, and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols.  And  I  gave  her  space  to  re- 
pent of  ner  fornication  ;  and  she  repented  not.  Behold,  1  will  cast  her  into  a 
oed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with  her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they 
repent  of  their  deeds.  And  I  will  kill  her  children  with  death  j  and  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which  searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts :  and  I 
will  give  unto  every  one  of  vou  according  to  your  works.  But  unto  you  I  say, 
and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  as  many  as  have  not  this  doctrine,  and  which 
have  not  known  the  depths  of  Satan,  as  they  speak ;  I  will  put  upon  you  none 
other  burden.  But  that  which  ye  have  already  hold  fast  tilt  I  come.  And  he 
that  overcometh,  and  keepeth  my  works  unto  tne  end,  to  him  will  I  give  power 
over  the  nations :  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  as  the  vessels  of 
a  potter  shall  thev  be  broken  to  shivers  :  even  as  I  received  of  my  Father.  And 
I  will  give  him  the  morning  star.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. — Rev.  2 :  18-29. 

In  tius  epistle,  as  in  the  ones  we  have  already  considered,  there  are  five 
parts,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  command,  titles,  message,  promise  and  exhortation ; 
though  ibr  some  reason,  which  is  not  veiy  clear,  the  exhortation  follows  the 
promise  and  does  not  precede  it,  as  in  the  former  epistles. 

I.  The  Saviour's  command  to  write  the  epistle  is:  "And  unto  the 
angel"  that  is,  the  pastor,  "of  the  church  in  Thyatira  write."     In  our 


54  LECTURE  VII. 

excursion  among  the  churches  of  Asia,  we  have  thus  far  been  traveling 
north.  At  Pergamos,  we  turn  directly  to  the  east  and  travel  about  thirty 
miles  into  the  interior  of  Asia,  to  the  city  of  Thyadra.  This  was  never  a 
large  or  famous  city.  Little  is  said  of  it  on  the  pages  of  history.  We 
know  that  it  was  a  Macedonian  colony.  It  is  a  slight  but  remarkable  con- 
firmation of  the  New  Testament  narrative,  that  on  the  occasion  of  Paul's 
first  visit  to  Macedon,  he  met  there  one  Lydia  from  the  city  of  Thyatira. 
And  this  is  just  what  we  might  have  expected.  Surely  those  who  had 
emigrated  from  Macedon  would,  when  their  business  and  circumstances 
permitted  it,  return  to  visit  their  native  land.  There  is  another  slight  con- 
firmation of  the  history  which  deserves  a  passing  notice.  A  traveler  who 
recently  visited  the  village  which  stands  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  city, 
tells  us  that  in  the  gardens  of  the  village,  and  on  the  plain  on  which  the 
village  stands,  are  raised  large  quantities  of  a  kind  of  madder,  whose  root  is 
now  and  has  been  for  centuries  extensively  used  in  coloring  red.  And  we 
are  told  of  Lydia,  whom  Paul  met  in  Macedon,  that  she  was  "  a  seller  of 
purple."  We  do  not  know  when  or  by  whom  the  church  of  Thyatira  was 
planted,  but  certainly  there  is  a  probability  that  this  purple-seller  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  its  establishment.  She  was  a  proselyte  to  the  Jewish  faith 
when  Paul  met  her,  for  she  was  then  a  worshiper  of  Gtod.  And  when  she 
heard  the  gospel,  "  the  Lord  opened  her  heart  that  she  attended  unto  the 
things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul."  It  therefore  gives  me  pleasure  to 
believe  that  she  who  had  gone  forth  to  buy  and  sell,  and  get  gain«  returned 
to  her  home  bringing  richer  merchandise  than  any  she  had  hoped  to  obtain, 
and  that  she  was  instrumental  in  helping  to  establish  a  church,  which  grew 
until  it  was  thought  worthy  to  be  numbered  with  the  other  churches  of 
Asia. 

II.  We  have  the  titles  by  which  the  Saviour  reveals  himself  to  this 
church.  ^'  These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his  eyes  like  unto 
a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass."  The  speaker  claims  to  be 
"  the  Son  of  God,"  a  name  which  the  Jews  rightly  understood  as  implying 
equality  with  the  Father.  The  other  titles  which  the  Saviour  claims  for 
himself,  have  all  been  noticed  and  explained  in  the  introductory  vision  of 
chapter  I.  His  eyes  were  like  *'  a  flame  of  fire."  Nothing,  however  hid- 
den, whether  in  the  world  or  in  the  human  heart,  could  be  concealed  from 
them,  and  their  fierce  brightness  would  bum  up  everything  that  was  offen- 
sive. His  feet  were  like  "  fine  brass,"  a  figure  which  indicates  the  majesty 
and  power  with  which  he  walks  in  the  midst  of  his  church.  Under  his  stately 
steppings  all  his  people's  enemies  are  ground  to  the  dust. 

These  titles  are  not  accidentally  bestowed  in  this  connection.  They  have 
a  direct  bearing  upon  the  message  which  is  about  to  be  delivered.  The 
Saviour  was  about  to  give  a  sharper  rebuke  than  any  he  had  yet  given ;  he  was 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH    IN   THYATIRA.       .  55 

about  to  utter  a  more  fearful  threatening  than  any  he  had  yet  uttered ;  he 
was  about  to  offer  a  more  astonishing  reward  than  any  he  had  yet  offered ; 
and  it  was  in  the  highest  degree  appropriate  for  him  to  remind  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  in  Thyatira  that  he  was  the  Son  and  equal  of  God,  and 
that  he  had  the  right  to  rebuke,  threaten,  punish  and  reward ;  that  hii^ 
eyes  of  fire  could  not  be  deceived ;  and  that  the  goings  of  his  feet  of  burn- 
ing brass  could  not  be  stayed.  The  deity,  the  omniscience  and  the  omni- 
presence of  the  Saviour,  and  these  are  the  things  which  are  shadowed  forth 
by  the  titles  we  are  now  considering,  lead  directly  to  the  threatenings  and 
the  promises  with  which  this  epistle  is  filled.  We  can  appreciate  neither 
the  feariulness  of  the  threatenings  nor  the  blessedness  of  the  promises,  if 
we  do  not  remember  that  the  speaker  is  ^Hhe  Son  of  God,  who  hath  his 
eyes  like  unto  a  flame  of  fire,  and  his  feet  are  like  fine  brass." 

III.  The  Sayiour^s  actual  message  is  contained  in  verses  19-26. 
This  message  contains  the  usual  declaration  of  knowledge ;  a  sharp  rebuke ; 
a  fearful  threatening ;  and  an  earnest  exhortation.  Let  us  take  up  these 
parts  in  order. 

1.  We  have  the  usual  declaration  of  knowledge,  ^'  I  know  thy  works, 
and  charity,  and  service,  and  faith,  and  thy  patience,  and  thy  works,  and 
the  last  to  be  more  than  the  first"  The  introductory  formula,  "I  know 
thy  works,''  requires  no  explanation.  Let  us  hasten  on  to  notice  the  par- 
ticular "works''  of  the  Thyatiran  church,  which  the  Saviour  knew.  He 
knew  their  "charity";  that  is,  their  love  to  their  fellow  men,  which  mani- 
fested itself  in  kindly  words  and  deeds,  and  their  love  to  God,  which 
manifested  itself  in  affectionate  worship  and  service.  He  also  knew  their 
'^  service."  God  does  not  call  his  people  to  idleness.  They  are  his  servants, 
and  they  have  their  work  to  do.  They  have  to  labor  for  their  own  sancti- 
fication,  for  the  conveision  of  others,  and  for  the  glory  of  God.  '  This  is  hard 
work,  but  it  is  well  for  them  to  remember,  for  their  encouragement,  that  their 
works  of  &ith  and  labors  of  love  are  all  known  and  noted.  He  also  knew 
the  ''faith"  of  his  people  in  Thyatira.  He  knew  that  they  trusted  in  him 
for  salvation,  and  that  they  showed  their  trust  by  unwavering  fidelity  in  his 
cause.  He  also  knew  their  ''patience"  under  all  the  persecutions  and  afflic- 
tions which  had  come  upon  them  to  tiy  their  &ith,  and  to  test  their  constancy. 
He  also  knew  that  they  were  making  progress  in  their  inward  sanctification 
and  in  their  outward  Christian  life ;  for  it  is  now  generally  acknowledged 
that  the  last  clause  of  the  verse  should  read,  "  thy  last  works  to  be  more 
than  the  first"  He  knew  that  their  works,  which  he  had  just  mentioned, 
were  growing  in  number  and  greatness;  he  knew  that  their  love,  and  service, 
and  fiiith,  and  patience,  were  greater  now  than  in  the  beginning  of  their 
Christian  life.  In  one  word,  he  knew  they  were  making  progress.  This 
is  an  honorable  commendation,  which  every  soul  and  every  church  should 


56  •  LECTURE  VII. 

seek  to  gain.  He  whose  last  works  are  not  greater  than  his  first,  who  is 
not  less  selfish,  and  less  proud,  anA  less  irritable,  and  more  useful,  and  more 
diligent,  and  more  self-denying  than  he  was  when  he  began  the  Christian  pil- 
grimage, has  reason  to  tremble  for  his  safety,  for  he  is  not  growing  in  grace. 

2.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  a  sharp  rehuke.  ^^  Not- 
withstanding I  have  a  few  things  against  thee,  because  thou  sufferest  that 
woman  Jezebel,  which  calleth  herself  a  prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce 
my  servants  to  commit  fornication,  and  to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols. 
And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her  fornication  ;  and  she  repented  not." 
According  to  the  best  critics,  the  words,  ^'  a  few  things*'  should  be  stricken 
from  the  text,  and  it  should  read,  "I  have  this  against  thee,  that  thou  suf- 
ferest,  &c."  There  is  another  remarkable  variation  in  the  reading  here, 
which  must  not  be  passed  over  without  an  observation  or  two.  Some  of 
the  ancient  manuscripts  and  versions  have  the  text  aa  it  is  in  our  version  ; 
others  have  it  <Hhy  wife  Jezebel."  If  this  is  the  correct  reading,  it  ap- 
peais  that  the  wife  of  the  pastor  of  the  church  in  Thyatira  was  a  notoriously 
wicked  woman,  that  she  had  used  all  her  influence  to  corrupt  the  faith  and 
morals  of  the  church,  and  that  her  husband  had  not  restrained  her  or  cut 
her  off  by  the  exercise  of  ecclesiastical  discipline.  But  the  general  mean- 
ing  of  the  passage  is  the  same  whichever  reading  is  adopted,  only  in  one 
case  the  notorious  sinner  was  the  wife  of  the  pastor,  and  in  the  other  case 
she  was  not. 

The  following  things  are  clear:  the  name  '^Jezebel*'  describes  a  person, 
and  not  a  class.  It  is  true,  in  the  preceding  part  of  the  chapter,  the  words 
''Nicolaitanes"  and  ^^Balaamites"  are  used  to  describe  classes.  If  in  this 
verse  it  had  been  said,  ^Hhou  sufferest  the  Jezebelites,"  or  "thou  sufferest 
them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Jezebel,"  then  we  would  of  course  have  seen 
in  the  language  a  description  of  some  class  of  men  and  women  who  resem- 
bled Jezebef.  But  by  the  language  that  is  used,  some  particular  individual 
is  pointed  out,  and  that  particular  individual  is  called  Jezebel.  It  is  also 
clear  that  this  particular  individual  was  a  woman.  The  name,  and 
all  the  circumstances  mentioned,  are  decisive  on  this  point.  It  is  also 
clear  that  this  woman  was  called  Jezebel,  not  because  this  was  her  real 
name,  but  because  she  resembled  the  wicked  wife  of  Ahab,  who  is  one 
of  the  notorious  characters  of  sacred  history.  Jezebel  was  the  daughter 
of  Ethbaaly  the  king  of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  of  cou^  devoted  to  the 
worship  of  the  gods  of  these  heathen  cities.  After  her  marriage  widi 
the  weak  Ahab,  she  exerted  a  controlling  influence  over  him  and  over 
Israel.  Before  the  reign  of  Ahab,  the  ten  tribes  had  worshiped  the  two 
golden  calves,  but  still  God  had  received  some  worship  and  his  law  some 
honor.  The  wicked  Jezebel  introduced  the  worship  of  Afihteroth,  a  wor- 
ship too  impure,  licentious  and  blasphemous  to  be  described,  and  the 
Israelites  were  only  too  willing  to  imitate  her  example  and  worship  her 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH   IN   THYATIRA.  57 

gods.  The  New  Testament  Jezebel  resembled  her  of  the  Old  Testament. 
She  claimed  to  be  a  prophetess,  that  is,  a  teacher.  If  she  was  the  wife 
of  the  pastor  of  the  ohureh  in  Thjatira,  as  the  old  Jezebel  was  the  wife 
of  the  king  of  Israel,  we  can  readily  see  how  she  could  establish  her 
claims  and  multiply  her  influence.  Like  her  Old  Testament  namesake,  she 
taught  the  people  of  Gtod  to  take  part  in  sacrificial  feasts,  and  in  all  the 
undeanness  which  was  inseparably  connected  with  those  feasts.  It  is,  there- 
fore, erident  that  she  taught  the  same  doctrines,  and  practiced  the  same  im- 
moralities which  the  Nioolaitanes  and  Balaamites  taught  and  practiced,  for 
the  same  words  are  used  to  describe  her  sin  which  are  used  to  describe 
theirs.  She  seduced  God's  servants  to  commit  fornication  and  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  unto  idols,  offenses  which  in  those  days  seem  to  haye  been  in- 
separable. 

The  leader  in  this  error  in  the  Thyatiran  church  was  a  woman,  possibly 
the  pastor's  wife.  Such  a  sin,  on  the  part  of  such  a  person,  was  one  of 
fearftd  aggravation ;  and  yet  Ood  did  not  at  once  punish  her.  ''I  gave  her 
space  to  repent  of  her  fornication ;  and  she  repented  not."  In  some  way 
Ood  had  warned  her  of  her  sin,  and  had  threatened  her  with  punishment^ 
but  she  would  not  repent  and  turn  from  the  sins  which  she  loved.  During 
all  this  trial  of  the  divine  patience,  the  pastor  and  office  bearers  of  the 
church  had  suffered  her  to  continue  in  her  immoral  practices,  which  show- 
ed that  she  was  the  very  opposite  of  what  her  name  signifies ;  for  Jezebel, 
or  Isabel],  as  the  name  stands  in  our  language,  means  chaste.  That  they 
should  suffer  her  thus  to  continue  seems  almost  incredible,  but  they  did. 
Does  not  this  fact  furnish  additional  confirmation  to  the  supposition  that 
she  was  the  pastor's  wife?  For  would  so  much  forbearance  have  been  exer- 
cised towards  one  who  did  not  stand  in  intimate  relationship  with  those 
whose  duty  it  was  to  exercise  discipline  ?  No  doubt  they  thov^ht  they 
had  some  excuse  for  their  forbearance,  but  the  Saviour  thought  otherwise, 
and  he  administered  to  them  this  sharp  rebuke,  which  must  have  cut  them 
to  the  heart. 

3.  The  next  part  of  the  Saviour's  message  is  a  fearful  threatening, 
"  Behold,  I  wiU  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and  them  that  commit  adultery  with 
her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they  repent  of  their  deeds."  The  sin  of 
Jesebel  and  her  followers  was  great,  but  their  day  of  grace  had  not  ex- 
pired, though  it  was  rapidly  drawing  to  a  close.  If  they  would  exercise 
repentance,  which  includes  sorrow  for  the  past  and  reformation  in  the  fu- 
ture, they  would  obtain  the  favor  and  promise  of  Gk)d;  but  if  not,  he  would 
turn  their  bed  of  adultery  into  a  bed  of  sickness,  and  their  sin  into  great 
tribulation.  There  is  often  a  strange  correspondence  between  sin  and  its 
punishment.  Jacob  deceived  his  father,  and  he  was  deceived  by  his  chil- 
dren. David  violated  the  sanctities  of  the  family,  and  the  sanctities  of  his 
family  were  violated.     In  our  own  day,  lewdness  is  followed  by  languish- 


58  LECTURE  VII. 

ing  and  loathesomeneBS.  So  it  would  be  with  the  vile  adulterers  of  Th ja- 
tira.     Their  bed  of  pleasure  would  be  turned  into  a  bed  of  pain. 

They  would  not  only  suffer  pain,  their  pain  would  be  unto  death.  '^And 
I  will  kill  her  children  with  death."  By  what  means  they  would  be 
brought  to  death,  is  not  expressly  stated ;  but  it  seems  to  be  implied  that 
it  would  be  through  some  disease  which  was  the  natural  result  of  their 
sinful  life,  and  a  judgment  upon  it. 

This  judgment,  in  whatever  form  it  would  come,  was  designed  not  only 
for  the  punishment  of  Jezebel  and  her  fellow  sinners,  but  also  for  the  in- 
struction of  all.  ^^All  the  churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which 
searcheth  the  reins  and  hearts."  In  scripture  language,  the  reins  are  re- 
garded as  the  seat  of  the  passions,  and  the  heart  as  the  seat  of  the  affec- 
tions. Therefore,  in  the  words  we  are  now  considering,  the  Saviour  claims 
the  attributes  of  God,  in  that  he  knows  the  secret  passions  and  affections 
of  men  ]  and  the  punishments  which  he  sends  upon  them,  and  which  cor- 
respond sometimes  in  form,  always  in  degree,  with  the  sins  for  which  they 
are  sent,  show  that  his  claims  are  well  founded.  His  judgments  are  the 
jud^ni^ents  of  one  who  is  omniscient  as  well  as  omnipotent. 

This  threatened  judgment,  when  it  came,  would  be  nothing  new  under 
the  sun ;  it  would  be  in  accordance  with  the  principle  announced  here  and 
in  many  other  places  in  the  inspired  word.  "I  will  give  unto  every  one  of 
you  according  to  your  works."  This  promise  or  threatening,  for  it  may  be 
either  a  promise  to  those  who  humbly  strive  to  do  the  works  of  God,  or 
a  threatening  to  those  who  serve  Satan,  is  not  fully  executed  in  this  life, 
but  it  will  be  fulfilled  to  the  very  letter  when  all  men  will  stand  before  the 
bar  to  be  judged  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body. 

4.  The  next  part  of  the  Saviour's  message  is  an  earnest  exhortation, 
"  But  unto  you  I  say,  and  unto  the  rest  in  Thyatira,  I  will  put  upon  you 
none  other  burden.  But  that  which  ye  have  already,  hold  last  till  I  come." 
The  first  clause  of  verse  24  should  read,  "  but  I  say  unto  you,  even  the 
remnant  in  Thyatira.''  Our  translation  conveys  the  idea  that  the  per- 
sons who  are  here  addressed  are  different  persons  from  those  who  are 
ealled  the  remnant  of  Thyatira.  This  is  not  correct.  This  remnant  is 
composed  of  those  who  are  true  members  of  the  church.  This  is  evident 
from  the  description  which  follows.  They  are  described  in  the  first  place 
as  those  who  *'have  not  this  doctrine";  that  is,  they  had  not  been  cor- 
rupted by  the  teaching  and  example  of  Jezebel.  They  are  also  described 
as  those  who  ''have  not  known  the  depths  of  Satan.''  The  depths  of 
Satan,  what  are  they  ?  They  are  the  deep  arts  with  which  he  beguiles 
men,  and  the  deep  sins  into  which  he  leads  them.  There  were  men  in  the 
church  in  the  days  of  John,  and  there  have  been  many  since  his  day,  who 
said  it  was  a  Christian  duty  to  know  the  depths  of  Satan.  They  said,  how 
can  a  man  resist  Satan  unless  he  knows  what  Satan's  wiles  are  ?    They 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHURCH  IN   THYATIRA.  59 

said  that  it  was  a  small  thing  to  despise  pleasure  and  to  live  above  it,  if 
one  eyer  fled  from  its  presence.  The  true  victory  was  to  visit  the  place 
where  sinners  gathered,  to  feel  the  force  of  temptation,  to  indulge  in  sin, 
and  yet  to  keep  the  upper  hand  of  it ;  the  true  victory  was  to  give  the 
body  to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  and  yet  maintain  a  mind  above  these  things. 
Thus  they  prated  about  "the  depths  of  Satan/'  as  they  called  them,  which 
it  was  their  duty  to  &thom.  Are  there  not  such  persons  in  our  own  day  ? 
If  I  mistake  not,  there  are  those  who  say,  the  right  thing  to  do  is  not  to  ab- 
stain from  intoxicating  drinks,  but  while  indulging  in  them  to  have  full 
power  over  our  own  will;  the  right  thing  to  do  is  not  to  keep  away  from 
the  drinking  saloon,  the  gambling  hell,  and  the  place  of  sinful  amusement 
and  doubtful  propriety,  but  while  visiting  them  and  seeing  and  sharing 
their  pleasures,  to  keep  the  mind  uncontaminated ;  the  right  thing  to  do  is 
not  to  avoid  ungodly  companions,  but  while  associating  with  them  and  going 
where  they  go  and  doing  what  they  do,  to  remain  unharmed ;  the  right 
thing  to  do  is  to  know  "the  depths  of  Satan,"  but  while  knowing  them  to 
live  above  them.  Such  men  preach  an  impossibility,  for  no  man  can  take 
fixe  in  his  bosom  and  his  clothes  not  be  burned. 

There  were  such  men  in  Thyatira.  They  held  the  doctrines  of  Jezebel 
and  maintained  that  it  was  their  duty  to  know  the  depths  of  Satan.  But 
there  were  others  in  Thyatira  who  did  not  hold  this  doctrine ;  who  did  not 
think  it  needful  for  them  to  know  from  experience  what  the  depths  of  sin 
are  ;  who  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  go  to  this  school  of  Satan  to  learn 
the  full  measure  of  evil ;  and  who  were  content  with  the  simple  knowledge 
of  the  good.  To  them  the  Saviour  addresses  his  words  of  exhortation. 
He  would  put  upon  them  no  other  burden  than  the  one  they  were  already 
called  to  bear.  They  were  still  to  abstain  from  and  protest  against  the 
abominations  by  which  they  were  surrounded.  He  would  impose  upon  them 
no  additional  burden,  on  condition  that  they  would  hold  fast  what  they  had. 
Whatever  of  sound  doctrine  and  holy  living  they  had  attained,  they  were 
to  hold  so  firmly  that  no  one  could  wrest  it  from  them.  This  firm  faithful- 
ness was  to  continue  till  the  Lord  should  come  to  receive  them  to  himself. 
Then  the  long  struggle  against  error  and  for  truth  would  come  to  an  end,  and 
they  would  enter  their  reward. 

IV.  The  promise  to  the  final  victor  b  contained  in  verses  26-28.  "And 
he  that  overcometh,  and  keepeth  my  works  unto  the  end,  to  him  will  I  give 
power  over  the  nations  :  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  as  the 
vessels  of  a  potter  shall  they  be  broken  to  shivers  ;  even  as  I  received  of     ,  Ct 

my  Father.     And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star."     Those  who  obtain      r  ^      ,^ 
the  victory  over  their  spiritual  foes  are  to  reign,  but  they  reign  only  be-  ^  ^'*     « 
cause  Christ  reigns,  and  they  are  united  with  him  ;  they  are  to  have  power 
over  the  nations  only  because  Christ,  with  whom  they  are  united,  is  "King  of 


60  LECTURE   VII. 

kings  and  Lord  of  lords" ;  they  are  to  rule  with  a  scepter  of  iron,  which 
cannot  be  resisted  or  broken  only  because  Christ,  with  whom  they  are  united, 
is  the  omnipotent  one.  All  this  is  evident,  because  the  words  which  are 
quoted  from  Psalm  2,  and  which  describe  the  submission  and  destruction 
of  the  church's  enemies,  were  in  the  first  instance  spoken  with  reference  to 
Christ.  But  Christ  here  applies  them  to  his  saints,  thereby  intimating  that 
they  have  a  part  in  his  future  triumph,  and  a  share  in  his  fiiture  gloiy. 
This  is  a  blessing  which  it  is  the  Saviour's  to  give,  for  he  has  received  it  of 
the  Father.  As  he  said  to  his  own  when  he  was  here  on  earth,  so  he  is 
saying  to  them  yet,  and  so  will  he  continue  to  say  to  them  till  his  words 
have  received  their  complete  fulfillment,  "  I  appoint  unto  you  a  kingdom  as 
my  Father  has  appointed  unto  me.*' 

The  Saviour  promises  to  give  to  his  victorious  ones  not  only  a  kingdom 
but  also  '^  the  morning  star."  Can  any  one  ask,  what  is  meant  by  the 
morning  star,  when  this  same  Saviour  has  said  in  the  concluding  words  of 
this  book,  ''I  am  the  bright  and  morning  star"?  Jesus  is  himself  the 
morning  star.  He  therefore  promises  to  give  himself  to  his  saints,  to  im- 
part  to  them  of  his  glory,  and  to  share  with  them  his  royal  dominion.  What 
a  sublime  promise !  The  morning  star  which  shines  in  our  heavens  is  a  near 
fore-runner  of  the  approaching  day ;  so  he  who  receives  the  star  of  the 
celestial  morning  may  know  that  he  is  about  to  enter  the  unclouded  glory 
of  the  unending  day. 

Y.  Well  then  may  the  Saviour,  for  the  encouragement  of  his  tried  and 
battling  ones,  conclude  this  epistle  with  the  usual  call  to  attention 
and  obedience.  "  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches."  This  call  is  for  us.  The  members  of  the  church  of 
Thyatira  are  sleeping  in  their  unknown  graves ;  the  city  of  Thyatira  itself 
can  hardly  be  found ;  but  Jezebel  has  her  followers  yet  *,  there  is  yet  need 
of  encouragement  and  faithfulness ;  the  promise  yet  holds  good.  Then,  for 
the  sake  of  the  glorious  kingdom,  for  the  sake  of  the  morning  star,  and 
above  all  for  the  sake  of  him  who  promises  even  to  us  the  kingdom  and 
the  star,  let  us  hold  fast  that  which  we  have  already  till  he  comes  to  receive 
us  to  himself. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH   IN   SABDIS.  61 


LECTURE    VIII. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  SARDIS. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write ;  These  things  saith  he  that 
hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God,  and  the  seven  stars ;  I  know  thy  works,  that 
thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead.  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen 
the  things  which  remain,  that  are  readv  to  die  :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works 
perfect  &fore  God.  Remember  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard, 
and  hold  fast,  and  repent.  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on 
thee  as  a  thief,  and  tnou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee. 
Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have  not  defiled  their  garments  ; 
and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white :  for  they  are  worthy.  He  that  over- 
cometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment;  and  I  will  not  blot 
out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his  name  before  my 
Father,  and  before  his  angels.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. — Bey.  8  : 1-6. 

The  epistle  to  the  church  in  Sardis  is  one  of  the  saddest  and  sharpest 
of  them  all.  In  the  other  churches  the  Saviour  finds  a  few  things  to  con- 
demn ;  in  this  church  he  finds  only  a  few  things  to  praise,  for  in  Sardis 
there  were  only  a  few  names  which  had  not  defiled  their  garments. 

L  The  command  to  write  this  epistle  is  in  these  words:  "  and  unto 
the  angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write."  The  seven  cities  of  Asia  have 
already  been  described  as  located  something  in  the  form  of  a  horse- shoe, 
with  its  toe  turned  towards  the  north.  From  Patmos  to  Ephesus,  from 
Sphesos  to  Smyrna,  and  from  Smyrna  to  Pergamos,  we  followed  the  .west 
nde  of  the  shoe;  from  Pergamos  to  Thyatira,  we  followed  the  crown;  and 
now  we  begin  our  return  on  the  east  side,  for  Sardis  was  about  forty  miles 
south  of  Thyatira. 

Sardis  was  one  of  the  famous  cities  of  antiquity.     Though  this  is  the 
only  connection  in  which  its  name  is  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  page 
after  page  of  profiine  history  is  occupied  with  the  story  of  its  riches  and 
its  beauty,  its  defeats  and  its  victories.     It  was  the  chief  city  of  Lydia,  one 
of  the  provinces  of  Asia.     It  was  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Pac- 
tolus,  famed  in  ancient  story  for  the  golden  sands  which  its  waters  washed 
down  from  the  mountains  beyond.     It  was  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of 
Croesus,  whose  wealth,  gathered  in  part  from  the  gold-washings  of  the  river 
which  flowed  by  his  city,  was  so  great  that  "  as  rich  as  Croesus  "  has  been 
a  proverb  in  all  the  ages.     It  might  be  interesting  to  recall  some  of  the 
incidents  in  the  life  of  this  distinguished  man ;  to  tell  of  the  famous  re- 
ply of  the  heathen  oracle,  ''  when  thou  crossest  thy  boundary,  thou  shalt 
destroy  a  kingdom" ;  a  reply  which  led  him  to  make  war  with  the  Persians 
and  to  lose  his  own  throne ;  to  tell  of  his  interview  with  Solon,  during 
which  that  great  philosopher  warned  him  of  the  instability  of  riches;  to 


62  LBOTUBE  VIII. 

tell  how  the  remembrance  of  that  interview  and  the  repetition  of  the  name 
of  Solon  saved  his  life  when  Cyras,  his  conqueror,  was  abont  to  put  him  to 
death.  But  as  these  incidents,  and  many  others  which  might  be  gathered 
up  from  history,  would  throw  no  light  on  the  passage  which  we  are  now 
considering,  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  dwell  upon  them.  Let  this 
only  be  borne  in  mind.  The  inhabitants  of  Sardis,  we  are  told,  were  held 
in  ill  repute,  even  among  the  ancients,  for  their  voluptuous  habits  of  life. 
This  must  be  remembered,  or  we  will  not  appreciate  the  full  force  of  the 
words,  "  thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have  not  defiled  their 
garments."  It  will  give  emphasis  and  pathos  to  the  threatenings  of  this 
epistle,  to  remember  that  a  few  miserable  huts  and  acres  of  crumbling 
ruins  are  all  that  now  remain  of  that  city  whose  beauty  was  so  great  that 
even  the  riches  of  Croesus  could  not  make  it  more  beautiful. 

II.  Let  us  now  notice  the  titles  by  which  the  Saviour  reveals  him- 
self to  the  church  of  Sardis,  ''These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the  seven 
Spirits  of  God,  and 'the  seven  stars."  These  titles  are  not  new  to  us ;  we 
have  already  heard  them  and  tried  to  apprehend  their  meaning.  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  here  called  'Hhe  seven  Spirits  of  God  "  to  indicate  the  per- 
fection of  his  manifold  operations,  for  seven  is  the  symbol  of  perfection. 
Christ  is  said  to  have  the  Holy  Ghost,  because  the  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  and  proceeds  from  the  Son  as  well  as  from  the  Father.  This  is 
in  accordance  with  what  the  Saviour  says  in  his  farewell  address  to  bis 
disciples :  '*  when  the  Comforter  is  come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from 
the  Father^  even  the  Spirit  of  truth  which  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he 
shall  testify  of  me."  Therefore,  it  can  be  said  that  the  Spirit  is  sent  to  do 
Christ's  will,  just  as  it  is  said  that  Christ  was  sent  to  do  the  Father's  will. 

The  Saviour  has  also  "  the  seven  stars,"  and  the  seven  stara  are  the 
angels  of  the  seven  churches;  that  is,  still  remembering  that  seven  is  the 
number  of  perfection,  the  seven  stars  are  Christian  ministers  in  all  the  di- 
versified and  perfect  work  which  their  Master  has  given  them  to  do.  The 
Saviour  holds  all  ministers  in  his  hands.  They  are  his ;  his  to  do  what  he 
bids,  to  go  where  he  sends,  to  speak  what  he  commands.  It  is  well  for 
them,  and  for  all  who  are  engaged  in  teaching  in  any  department  of  the 
church,  to  remember  this,  for  this  thought  will  be  to  every  one  of  them  a 
warning  and  an  encouragement. 

These  titles  were  selected  by  omniscience  with  special  reference  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  church  in  Sardis.  That  church  was  growing  cold  and 
lifeless.  The  flickering  lamps  of  their  piety  were  dimly  burning.  It  was 
well  to  remind  them  that  their  Saviour  held  in  his  hand  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  is  the  great  source  of  all  spiritual  influences,  and  the  ministers  of  the 
word,  who  are  the  great  instruments  by  which  these  spiritual  influences  are 
brought  to  bear  on  men.     If  they  wished  their  souls  to  be  revived,  and 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHUBOH   IN   SARDIS.  63 

the  lamps  of  their  piety  to  shine  with  renewed  brightness,  they  must  seek 
the  desired  blessing  alone  from  him  who  has  the  seven  Spirits  of  God  and 
the  seven  stars. 

in.  The  Saviour's  mbssaqb  to  the  church  of  Sardis  is  contained  in 
verses  1-4.  This  message  consists  of  four  parts,  viz.,  the  usual  declaration 
of  knowledge,  an  exhortation,  a  threatening,  and  a  word  of  praise. 

1.  We  have  the  usual  dedairatimi  of  knowledge*  The  first  clause  of  this 
declaration,  '^I  know  thy  works,"  is  explained  in  the  second  dause,  '*  that 
thou  hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead."  By  a  veiy  common  figure 
of  Scripture,  death  denotes  a  state  of  sin ;  as  for  example  when  Paul  says, 
''  and  you  hath  he  quickened  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  By 
another  closely  related  figure,  life  denotes  the  state  of  a  regenerated  and 
saved  soul.  The  meaning,  then,  of  the  words  under  consideration  is  this : 
the  members  of  the  church  in  Sardis  professed  to  be  Christians,  but  they 
were  in  a  state  of  sin,  they  were  not  Christians,  their  profession  was  but  a 
name.  Of  course  this  description  does  not  apply  to  all  the  members  of 
that  church,  for  there  were  some  who  had  not  defiled  their  garments. 
And  if  I  mistake  not,  these  words  mean  something  more  than  that  they 
had  made  a  profession  of  religion,  while  they  were  in  a  state  of  unbelief. 
They  mean  that  the  members  of  the  church  in  Sardis  had  a  name  and  re- 
putation for  piety  through  all  that  region  of  country ;  they  were  celebrated 
as  a  model  church;  men  pointed  to  them  as  an  example  in  the  management 
of  their  church  affairs,  and  in  all  the  externals  of  their  religion  ;  and  yet 
all  the  time  they  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  Are  there  no  such 
model  churches  in  the  days  in  which  we  live  ?  Are  there  no  churches 
which  devote  their  time  and  attention  to  those  things  which  will  make 
a  show  before  the  world,  and,  while  their  praise  is  in  every  one's  mouth, 
are  lifeless  ?  A  condition  more  sad  could  not  be  described.  Better  be 
dead  and  know  it,  than  be  a  ghastly  skeleton  clothed  with  the  semblance  of 
life !  If  there  are  any  of  us  who  have  reason  to  suspect  that  this  is  our 
state  in  the  sight  of  God,  let  us  enter  with  diligence  upon  the  work  of  self- 
examination,  for  it  is  not  a  reputation  for  piety,  but  a  livmg  and  saving 
faith,  which  is  the  unfailing  characteristic  of  the  people  of  God. 

2.  The  Saviour's  message  to  the  church  of  Sardis  contains  an  earned 
est^hortatum.  '*  Be  watchful,  and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that 
are  ready  to  die :  for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God. 
Remember  therefore  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and  hold  fiist,  and 
repent."  The  first  part  of  the  exhortation  has  reference  to  that  watch- 
fulness which  is  so  often  enjoined  upon  the  soldier  of  the  cross.  His 
enemies  are  numerous  and  powerful,  and  he  has  to  watch  their  plans.  His 
own  weakness  is  great,  and  he  has  to  watch  his  infirmities.  His  duties  are 
many,  and  he  has  to  watch  the  time  and  place  in  which  they  should  be 


64  LEGTUBE  VIII. 

performed.  But  watchfulness  was  especiallj  neoessaiy  for  those  who,  like 
the  church  of  Sardis,  had  fallen  into  a  state  of  moral  death.  To  all  such, 
the  Saviour's  command  is,  "  awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the 
dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light'' 

A  second  part  of  the  exhortation  is,  '^  strengthen  the  things  which  remain, 
that  are  ready  to  die."  The  members  of  that  church  still  possessed  some 
languishing  graces,  which  seemed  just  ready  to  perish ;  and  it  was  their 
duty  to  cultivate  and  cherish  these  graces,  and  to  inspire  them*  with  new 
and  vigorous  life.  The  garden  of  the  soul  is  filled  with  tender  plants. 
Even  when  they  are  in  the  most  flourishing  condition,  a  rude  blast  will 
cause  them  to  wither  and  fade;  but  when  they  are  the  reverse  of  flourishing, 
when  they  are  ready  to  die,  they  require  most  tender  care. 

A  reason  is  assigned  why  this  watching  and  strengthening  were  neces- 
sary, viz.,  "for  I  have  not  found  thy  works  perfect  before  God."  The  word 
which  is  here  translated  "  perfect"  is  not  the  one  which  is  usually  translated 
by  this  term ;  it  literally  means  complete  or  fall.  Their  works  had  not 
reached  the  full  standard  of  what  was  expected  of  them  ;  they  had  coiyie 
short  of  what  was  required  at  their  hands ;  they  may  have  thought  themselves 
diligent  in  every  good  word  and  work ;  and  their  words  and  works  may  have 
seemed  complete  to  their  fellow  men  ;  but  they  were  not  complete  before 
God.  Of  what  Christian,  of  what  church,  of  what  community  is  not  this 
true  ?     Whom  may  not  the  Saviour  reproach  with  this  veiy  language  ? 

The  third  part  of  the  Saviour's  exhortation  is,  ^'remember  therefore  how 
thou  hast  received  and  heard."  When  they  first  heard  the  gospel  their  hearts 
were  filled  with  joy,  and  they  heard  it  with  gladness ;  they  thought  they 
could  not  do  too  much  for  the  gospel  or  love  their  Saviour  too  well ;  but 
these  times  of  delight,'^  when  first  they  found  the  Lord,"  had  passed  away. 
They  now  revised  to  hear  the  word,  or  heard  it  with  coldness.  The  Saviour 
exhorts  them  to  look  back  to  the  days  when  they  gave  themselves  to  Christ, 
and  to  remember  the  joy  they  then  found  in  the  way  of  duty.  It  is  always 
well  for  Christians  to  call  to  mind  the  days  of  their  espousals,  when  their 
souls  were  filled  with  all  the  love  of  the  new  convert ;  for  such  an  exerdse, 
if  blessed  of  God,  will  lead  them  to  do  again  their  first  works. 

The  fourth  part  of  the  Saviour's  exhortation  is,  "  hold  fast."  It  was  their 
duty  to  remember  the  truths  which  they  had  received  in  the  early  part  of 
their  Christian  life,  and  to  hold  them  with  a  firmness  which  could  not  be 
shaken. 

The  fifth  part  of  the  Saviour's  exhortation  is,  "repent."  It  was  their 
duty  to  sorrow  over  their  departure  from  their  first  love  and  from  the  first 
truths  they  had  received ;  to  make  again  their  former  attainments ;  and  to 
press  forward  to  still  greater  ones.  All  this  is  included  in  evangelical  re- 
pentance. 

3.  The  Saviour's  message  to  the  church  of  Sardis  contains  a  fearful 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH    IN   SABDIS.  65 

ihrtatening,  "  I€  therefore  thou  thalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a 
thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee."  When 
Christ  was  here  on  earth  he  twice  compared  his  coming  to  the  coming  of  a 
thief.  This  figure  seems  to  have  taken  a  strong  hold  on  the  minds  of  the 
early  Christians.  Paul  uses  it  to  descrihe  the  same  event;  so  does  Peter ; 
so  does  John.  And  this  figure  does  describe,  in  a  most  impressive  manner, 
the  suddenness  of  the  Saviour's  coming  in  his  judgments.  Even  those 
who  were  not  enlightened  by  the  gospel  knew  that  the  judgments  of  heaven 
could  not  be  foreseen.  The  Greeks  had  a  proverb  that  the  feet  of  the 
avenging  deities  were  shod  with  wool ;  and  this  proverb  expresses  the  uni- 
versal experience  of  the  race.  The  adverse  providences  of  Qod  approach 
our  hearts  and  homes  with  a  noiseless  step,  and  they  may  be  near  at  hand 
when  we  think  they  are  far  ofi".  Christ  has  oflen  come  to  inflict  deserved 
punishment  on  the  ungodly,  and  these  comings  of  his  have  generally  been 
as  unexpected  as  the  coming  of  a  thief  in  the  night.  So  it  was  with  the 
fiery  rain  by  which  the  cities  of  the  plain  were  blotted  out  of  existence ; 
80  it  was  with  the  ruin  which  came  upon  the  deluded  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem ;  so  it  was  with  the  deluge,  for  men  were  eating  and  drinking,  and 
marrying  and  ^ving  in  marriage,  until  the  flood  came  and  swept  them  all 
away ;  so  it  will  be  in  that  great  day  of  judgment  which  is  to  come  upon 
all  the  world ;  in  such  an  hour  as  men  think  not  the  Son  of  man  will 
come ;  so  it  was  to  be  in  the  church  of  Sardis  in  case  its  members  did  not 
repent.  While  they  were  dreaming  in  fancied  security  the  Saviour  would 
come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  and  before  they  were  aware  of  it,  their 
spiritual  treasures  would  be  taken  away.  How  many  have  been  thus 
visited  and  in  a  moment  have  been  reduced  to  endless  poverty  I 

4.  The  Saviour's  message  to  the  church  of  Sardis  contains  a  tmaU 
measure  ofipraite.  "  Thou  hast  a  few  names  even  in  Sardis  which  have 
not  defiled  their  garments  ;  and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white :  for  they 
are  worthy."  There  is  this  difierence  between  the  church  of  Sardis  and 
the  churches  whose  condition  we  have  considered :  against  each  one  of 
them  the  Saviour  had  some  special  fault  to  find.  One  had  left  its  first  love  ; 
another  retained  in  its  communion  the  followers  of  Balaam ;  another  tolerated 
Jexebel  and  her  disciples ;  but  against  this  church  the  Saviour  mentions 
nothing  special.  There  was  a  general  decline.  One  point  of  faith  and 
practice  was  as  weak  and  as  worthy  of  blame  as  another.  But  even  in  a 
church  in  which  there  was  such  a  general  decline  of  piety,  even  in  the 
city  of  Sardis,  which  was  notorious  for  its  voluptuousness,  there  were  a  few 
persons  who  had  not  defiled  their  garments.  The  garments  here  spoken 
of  are  not  the  white  raiment  spoken  of  in  the  next  verse ;  they  are  not 
the  linen  robes,  clean  and  white,  which  are  spoken  of  elsewhere  in  this 
book.  The  latter  refer  to  the  apparel  of  the  saints  in  glory  ;  the  former 
to  the  apparel  of  the  saints  on  the  earth,  the  garments  of  a  true  Christian 

6 


66  LEOTURE   VIII. 

profession.  There  are  many  ways  in  whioh  such  garments  may  be  defiled. 
The  apostle  James  speaks  of  the  defilement  which  comes  from  the  world ; 
^*  pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  G-od  and  the  Father  is  this :  to  visit 
the  fiitherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction  and- to  keep  himself. unspotted 
from  the  world."  Jude  speaks  of  the  defilement  whioh  comes  from  the 
flesh ;  *'  hating  even  the  garment  spotted  by  the  flesh."  The  robes  of  our 
profession  are  liable  to  more  frequent  and  filthy  defilement  from  the  flesb 
than  j&om  the  world.  The  lusts  of  the  flesh  are  so  mingled  with  amiable 
impulses,  they  have  so  many  plausible  excuses,  they  are  always  carried 
about  with  us,  they  enter  places  from  whioh  the  world  is  easily  shut  out. 
They  go  with  the  hermit  into  the  desert,  with  the  monk  into  his  cell,  with 
the  Christian  into  his  retirement,  that  the  wonder  is  that  garments  spotted 
by  the  flesh  are  not  more  numerous  than  they  are. 

In  Sardis  there  were  a  few  saints  whose  garments  were  white,  and  whose 
hearts  were  pure.  They  must  sometimes  have  fallen  into  sin,  for  no  saint 
is  sinless,  but  when  their  garments  become  spotted,  they  washed  them 
again  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  On  this  account  the  Saviour  praises  them. 
For  their  encouragement  he  assures  them  that  in  the  future  world  they 
would  walk  in  white;  their  undeflled  garments  would  be  changed  into 
white  robes,  which  no  impurity  could  adhere  to  or  stain.  And  they  were 
not  only  to  be  clothed  in  white,  they  were  also  to  *^  walk,"  a  word  which 
indicates  their  freedom  and  untiring  activity.  And  they  were  to  walk 
with  the  Saviour  himself,  and  enjoy  unending  communion  with  him.  This 
privilege  was  to  be  theirs,  "for  they  were  worthy."  But  worthiness  must 
be  regarded  as  relative  and  not  as  absolute.  It  is  founded,  not  on  perfect 
obedience,  but  on  faith.  They  are  worthy  by  the  law  of  free  grace,  though 
they  are  not  worthy  by  the  law  of  justice. 

IV.  The  Saviour's  promise  to  the  final  victor  is  contained  in  verse 
5.  *'  He  that  overcometh,  the  same  shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment ;  and 
I  will  not  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  but  I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father  and  before  his  angels."  Let  it  be  remembered 
that  this  promise  is  not  alone  for  the  members  of  the  church  of  Sardis, 
but  for  all  those  who  have  ears  to  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the 
churches.  The  enemies  by  whom  we  are  surrounded,  and  the  confiict 
wliich  must  precede  our  final  victory,  need  not  again  be  described.  I  will 
notice  only  the  victors'  three-fold  reward. 

1.  He  that  overcometh  "shall  be  clothed  in  white  raiment."  White  is 
the  emblem  of  innocence,  and  therefore  it  is  the  color  of  heaven.  The 
Saviour  and  all  the  great  multitude  which  he  is  leading  to  glory  are  rep- 
resented as  wearing  shining  robes  of  purest  white.  Those  who  have  kept 
their  garments  unspotted  while  they  walked  in  the  midst  of  the  unnum- 
bt3red  defilements  of  the  present   life,  will  have  still  brighter  garments 


THE  EPISTLE   TO   THE   CHURCH   IN   SARDIS.  67 

given  to  them  in  the  world  to  come.  They  will  have  all  the  holiness,  and 
all  the  peace,  and  all  the  honor,  which  are  shadowed  forth  by  their  peculiar 
raiment.  Happy  are  they  whose  unspotted  robes  on  earth  give  unfailing 
promise  of  the  white  raiment  of  heaven. 

2.  The  victors  are  not  only  to  wear  the  robes  of  victory,  their  names 
are  to  stand  forever  in  "  the  book  of  life."  Heaven  is  here  compared  to 
a  city,  in  which  the  most  perfect  order  reigns.  The  names  of  all  its  citi- 
zens are  written  in  a  book  of  record,  which  is  here  and  elsewhere  called 
the  *^  book  of  life,"  for  those  whose  names  are  written  therein  are  heirs  of 
Kfe,  and  of  all  the  blessings  of  the  celestial  city.  In  one  place  this  book 
is  called  "  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.'^  The  names  which  are  written  therein 
can  never  be  erased.  The  book  is  in  the  keeping  of  the  Almighty  one, 
and  no  one  is  able  to  pluck  it  out  of  his  hand.  Those  whose  names  are 
written  therein  will  never  be  forgotten,  for  their  names  are  written  in  the 
blood  of  the  great  sacrifice.  Happy  are  they  whose  faith  gives  assurance 
that  they  are  enrolled  among  the  citizens  of  the  city  of  Ood. 

3.  In  addition  to  all  this,  the  victors  are  to  be  openly  acknowledged  by 
their  Saviour  in  the  presence  of  G>od  and  of  the  holy  angels.  While  they 
are  here  on  earth,  he  is  not  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren,  neither  will  he 
be  ashamed  to  call  them  brethren  when  they  stand  by  his  side  before  the 
bar  of  the  Heavenly  Father.  Happy  are  they,  whose  confession  of  Ohrist 
before  men  gives  evidence  that  they  will  be  confessed  before  the  assembled 
universe. 

v.  We  have  the  usual  call  to  attention  and  obedience,  which 
is  addressed  to  us  as  well  as  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia.  "  He  that 
hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 

Let  me  say  a  ooncluding  word  to  those  of  us  who  have  a  name  to  live. 
We  have  made  a  public  profession  of  faith.  It  may  be  that  we  regard 
ouneives,  and  that  others  regard  us,  as  model  Christians  and  a  model 
church ;  we  may  flatter  ourselves  that  we  are  walking  in  all  the  ordinances 
of  the  Lord  blameless ;  and  yet  it  may  be  that  we  are  dead.  How  can  we 
determine  whether  we  have  spiritual  life  ?  Just  as  we  determine  whether 
we  have  bodily  life.  Is  the  soul  in  exercise  ?  Is  it  seeking  Glod  and  com- 
muning with  Qtod,  and  praying  to  Gtod,  and  doing  the  works  of  God? 
Tried  by  this  test,  how  many  of  us  are  alive,  though  we  have  a  name  to 
live  ?  How  many  of  us  are  dead  !  All  such  should  hear  and  heed  the 
words,  "  awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  and  arise  from  the  dead."  "  Be  watch- 
ful, and  strengthen  the  things  which  remain,  that  are  ready  to  die." 


68  LECTURE  IX. 


LECTURE    IX. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  PHILADELPHIA. 

And  to  the  an^el  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write ;  These  things  saith  he 
that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth,  and 
no  man  shutteth ;  and  shutteth,  and  no  man  openeth  ;  I  know  thy  works :  be- 
hold, I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  ana  no  man  can  shut  it :  for  thou 
hast  a  little  strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied  my  name. 
Behold,  I  will  ms&e  them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews, 
and  are  not,  but  do  lie  ;  behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and  worship  before 
thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved  thee.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word 
of  my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation,  which  shall 
come*^upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth.  Behold,  I  come 
quickly  :  hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take  thy  crown.  Him 
tnat  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  Grod,  and  he  shall  go 
no  more  out :  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of 
the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven 
from  my  God :  and  I  will  write  upon  him  my  new  name.  He  that  hath  an  ear, 
let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. — Rev.  3 :  7-18. 

I.  In  the  epistle  to  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  we  have,  in  the  first 
place,  THE  Savioub's  command  to  wbitb  this  epistle.  *'And  to  the  angel 
of  the  church  in  Philadelphia  write.''  The  only  thing  here  which  requires 
attention  at  our  hands,  is  the  location  and  histoiy  of  Philadelphia.  This 
city  was  situated  about  forty  miles  south-east  of  Sardis.  In  our  excursion 
among  the  churches  of  Asia,  we  are  now  on  our  return  journey  towards 
Patmos,  the  place  of  beginning.  It  was  the  second  place  in  importance  in 
the  province  of  Lydia,  and  the  great  wine  market  for  all  that  region  of 
country.  It  was  so  often  shaken  with  earthquakes,  that  a  Greek  historian  calls 
it  "the  city  of  many  earthquakes" ;  a  fact  which  gives  peculiar  emphasis  and 
appropriateness  to  the  concluding  promise  that  the  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphian  church  would,  in  the  world  to  come,  be  made  pillars  in  a  glorious 
temple,  which  could  never  be  shaken  or  destroyed.  Though  this  city  had 
a  large  population,  it  does  not  occupy  a  distinguished  place  in  history.  With 
the  exception  of  its  earthquakes  and  its  wines,  and  from  what  we  can  learn 
the  latter  seem  to  have  been  as  fatal  to  its  prosperity  as  the  former,  there 
was  nothing  to  lift  it  into  prominence.  It  received  its  name  from  PhOadel- 
phus,  by  whom  it  was  builded.  It  is  stOl  a  place  of  considerable  size  when 
compared  with  the  other  interior  towns  of  Aisia  Minor,  containing  about 
three  thousand  houses,  and  some  ten  or  twelve  churches,  but  with  not  enough 
Christians,  and  they  of  a  doubtfol  reputation,  to  fill  one-fourth  of  these  places 
of  worship. 

Permit  me  to  read  a  few  sentences  from  Gibbon's  "  Decline  and  Fall  of 
the  Roman  Empire,"  which  describe  in  graphic  words  the  present  condition 
of  the  once  famous  cities  of  Asia,  and  especially  that  of  Philadelphia.  And 
while  yon  will  perceive  the  manifest  ridicule  which  the  infidel  historian 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH   IN   PHILADELPHIA.  69 

flings  at  prophecy  and  religion,  you  will  not  fail  to  notice  that  he  writes 
almost  like  one  who  believes  that  the  promises  and  threatenings  of  God  are 
fulfilled  in  history. 

"  In  the  loss  of  Ephesus,  the  Christians  deplored  the  &11  of  the  first 
angel,  the  extinction  of  the  first  candlestick  of  the  Revelation ;  the  desola- 
tion is  complete :  and  the  temple  of  Diana  or  the  church  of  Mary  will 
equally  elude  the  search  of  the  curious  traveler.  The  circus  and  the  three 
stately  theaters  of  Laodicea  are  now  peopled  with  wolves  and  foxes ;  Sardis 
is  reduced  to  a  miserable  village ;  the  God  of  Mohammed,  without  a  rival  or 
a  son,  is  invoked  in  the  mosques  of  Thyatira  and  Pergamos,  and  the  popu- 
iousnesB  of  Smyrna  is  supported  by  the  foreign  trade  of  the  Franks  and 
Armenians.  Philadelphia  alone  has  been  saved  by  prophecy,  or  courage. 
At  a  distance  from  the  sea,  forgotten  by  the  emperors,  encompassed  on  aU 
sides  by  the  Turks,  her  valiant  citizens  defended  their  religion  and  freedom 
above  four  score  years,  and  at  length  capitulated  with  the  proudest  of  Otto- 
mans. Among  the  Greek  colonies  and  churches  of  Asia,  Philadelphia  is 
still  erect,  a  column  in  a  scene  of  ruins,  a  pleasing  example  that  the  paths 
of  honor  and  safety  may  sometimes  be  the  same." 

II.  Next,  we  have  the  three  titles  by  which  the  Saviour  reveals 
himself  to  the  Philadelphian  church. 

1.  The  Saviour  calls  himself  the  "holy"  one.  This  attribute  of  holi- 
ness is  repeatedly  ascribed  to  Christ.  David  spake  of  it  when  he  said, 
"  neither  wilt  thou  suffer  thine  holy  one  to  see  corruption" ;  words  which 
the  inspired  writers  of  the  New  Testament  have  taken  up  and  laid  upon 
the  shoulders  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Gabriel  spake  of  this  attribute  when 
he  said  to  the  astonished  maiden  of  Galilee,  "  that  holy  thing  that  shall  be 
bom  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God."  Peter  spake  of  it  when  he 
called  the  prince  of  life  "  the  holy  one  and  the  just."  Paul  spake  of  it 
when  he  said  that  our  high  priest  was  "  holy,  harmless,  undefiled  and  separ- 
ate from  sinners."  This  attribute  of  holiness  in  all  its  fullness  cannot  be 
ascribed  to  the  angels,  for  God  charges  his  angels  with  folly ;  it  cannot  be 
ascribed  to  men^  for  there  is  not  one  on  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth 
not ;  it  belongs  only  to  him  who  is  God  over  all,  blessed  forever. 

2.  The  Saviour  also  calls  himself  the  <Hrue"  one.  This  attribute  of 
truthfulness  is  often  ascribed  to  Christ.  When  he  was  here  on  earth,  he 
said  of  himself,  <<  I  am  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life";  and  his  disciples, 
especially  John  the  beloved,  have  repeated  this  thought  in  an  endless  variety 
of  forms.  The  Saviour  cannot  deceive.  He  speaks  that  which  is.  A  prom- 
ise of  his  is  as  much  to  be  relied  on  as  is  the  actual  fulfillment.  But  the 
title  which  the  Saviour  here  claims  for  himself  means  something  more  than 
that  he  is  truthful ;  it  means  also  that  he  is  true.  He  is  not  a  pretender.  He 
is  nothing  more  and  nothing  less  than  he  claims  to  be,  the  Son  of  God  and 
the  Saviour  of  every  one  that  believes  in  his  name. 


70  LECTURE   IX. 

3.  The  Saviour  also  olaims  to  have  supreme  power  over  the  kingdom  of 
heaveu  to  admit  or  exclude  whomsoever  he  will.  '^  He  that  hath  the  key 
of  David,  he  that  openeth,  and  no  man  shutteth ;  and  shutteth,  and  no 
man  openeth/'  David  was  a  type  of  Christ,  and  therefore  the  house  of 
David  can  mean  nothing  else  than  the  Saviour's  heavenly  home,  the  glori- 
fied church.  To  show  his  power  over  this  church,  the  Saviour  quotes  and 
applies  to  himself  a  well  known  passage  from  the  book  of  Isaiah,  which 
primarily  referred  to  the  removal  of  one  treasurer  and  the  appointment  of 
another.  A  key  is  the  badge  of  office,  a  symbol  of  power.  He  who  car- 
ries the  key  can  open  and  shut  the  door  at  bis  pleasure.  And  Christ 
carries  the  key  of  his  church  triumphant.  It  is  true,  he  has  committed 
the  keys  of  the  visible  church  to  his  servants  here  on  earth,  but  he  retains 
the  administration  of  the  church  invisible,  in  his  own  hands.  If  there  is 
any  error  in  their  binding  and  loosing,  as  there  will  sometimes  be,  ''if 
they  make  sad  any  heart  which  he  has  not  made  sad,  if  they  speak  peace 
to  any  heart  to  which  he  has  not  spoken  peace,  his  judgment  shall  stand, 
and  not  theirs."  When  he  opens  the  door  for  any  soul  to  enter,  no  power 
in  earth  or  in  hell  can  shut  it ;  when  he  shuts  the  door,  no  power  can  open 
it.  The  church  in  heaven  is  the  Saviour's  home,  and  of  that  home  he 
alone  carries  the  key. 

It  was  well  to  remind  the  members  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  and  it 
is  well  to  remind  us  of  these  things.  If  our  Saviour  is  holy,  we  should 
be  holy  ;  if  he  is  truthful  and  true,  we  should  be  truthful  and  sincere;  if 
he  carries  the  keys  of  heaven,  we  may  be  sure  that  none  can  steal  our 
crown  or  shut  us  out  from  our  recompense  of  reward. 

III.  The  Saviour's  actual  message  to  the  Philadelphian  church, 
as  contained  in  verses  8-11,  consists  of  three  parts,  viz.,  a  declaration  of 
knowledge,  a  particular  promise,  and  an  earnest  exhortation. 

1.  The  first  thing  in  the  message  is  the  usual  declarcUion  of  knowledge. 
The  introductory  formula,  with  which  the  message  to  each  church  begins, 
''  I  know  thy  works,"  is  explained  in  the  words  that  follow.  The  Saviour 
knew  that  there  was  an  open  door  before  the  members  of  the  church  of 
Philadelphia.  *'  Behold  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door,  and  no  man 
can  shut  it."  The  phrase,  '*  an  open  door,"  is  frequently  used  by  Paul. 
In  one  place,  he  tells  that  a  '^  great  door  and  effectual "  was  opened 
before  him  in  Ephesus.  In  another  place,  he  tells  that  a  "groat  door" 
was  opened  unto  him  in  Troas.  In  another  place,  he  asks  the  Colossians 
to  pray  that  Ood  would  open  for  him  "a  door  of  utterance."  In  all  these, 
and  similar  passages,  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  is  obvious.  It  refers  to 
opportunities  for  doing  good.  And  it  may  be  that  this  is  its  meaning 
here.  The  members  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia  had  opportunities  for 
doing  good.     They  could  preach  the  gospel  and  in  other  ways  bring  the 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHUBGH    IN   PHILADELPHIA.  71 

truth  to  tbe  knowledge  of  their  fellow  men.  There  were  dying  souls  all 
around  them,  and  if  they  did  not  do  their  duty  to  these  dying  souls  there 
was  no  hope  for  their  salvation.  But  the  words,  ^'an  open  door/'  refer- 
ring back  to  what  the  Saviour  had  just  said,  may  point  to  the  fact  that 
they  had  free  access  to  their  heavenly  home.  Probably  the  phrase  includes 
both  of  these  ideas,  for  it  can  be  said  thai  work  for  Christ  on  earth  is  the 
door  through  which  the  Christian  enters  into  the  enjoyment  of  Christ  in 
heaven. 

This  door,  whether  it  refers  to  opportunity  for  doing  good,  or  to  access  to 
heaven,  or  to  both,  cannot  be  shut.  Wherever  the  Christian's  lot  is  cast, 
there  is  Christian  labor  to  be  performed;  wherever  the  Christian  dies,  from 
that  place  there  is  an  easy  and  shining  road  to  the  gates  of  the  celestial 
city.  And  this  door,  which  leads  to  the  Christian's  Work  and  the  Chris- 
tian's heaven,  can  never  be  shut. 

The  Saviour  also  knew  that  they  had  ^'  a  little  strength."  They  were 
probably  a  little  flock,  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  and  despised  in  the  eyes 
of  their  fellow-citizens;  they  had  but  little  strength,  and  yet  that  strength 
had  been  used  for  the  Saviour's  glory.  This  he  knew,  for  he  had  put 
them  to  the  test,  and  they  had  kept  his  word  and  had  not  denied  his  name. 
They  had  obeyed  the  commandments  which  he  had  given  them  as  a  rule 
of  life.  When  they  had  been  persecuted  and  brought  before  the  civil 
magistrates,  who  tried  to  make  them  renounce  their  allegiance  to  Christ, 
they  were  faithful  to  the  name  by  which  they  had  been  called.  The  Sa- 
viour knew  all  this,  and  for  this  he  praised  the  members  of  the  church  in 
Philadelphia.  And  they  deserved  the  praise.  It  is  an  easy  thing  for 
those  who  have  great  strength,  either  from  their  wealth,  their  learning,  or 
their  social  standing,  to  be  faithful  to  Christ;  but  when  those  who  have 
but  little  strength,  who  are  looked  down  upon  by  their  fellows,  who  are 
surrounded  by  all  the  disadvantages  and  persecutions  which  are  wont  to 
gather  around  the  lowly,  are  faithful,  they  deserve  and  receive  commenda- 
tion from  him  who  judges  not  from  the  outward  appearance  but  from  the 
heart. 

2.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  a  particular  promise  to 
this  weak  and  despised  church  of  Philadelphia.  "  Behold,  I  will  make 
them  of  the  synagogue  of  Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not, 
but  do  lie:  behold,  I  will  make  them  to  come  and  worship  before  thy  feet, 
and  to  know  that  I  have  loved  thee.  Because  thou  hast  kept  the  word  of 
my  patience,  I  dso  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation^  which  shall 
come  upon  all  the  wwld,  to  try  them  that  dwell  upon  the  earth."  It 
seems  that  the  persecutions  from  which  the  Philadelphian  Christians  suffer- 
ed, came  mainly  from  the  Jews.  We  know  that,  in  that  age  of  the  world, 
the  Jews  were  the  most  bitter  persecutors  of  the  church.  They  prided 
themsdves  on  being  the  descendants  of  Abraham,  and  the  only  members 


72  LECTURE   IX. 

of  the  true  church  ;  but  their  conduct  showed  that  they  did  not  have  the 
spirit  of  Abraham,  or  of  the  faithful  church,  of  which  Abraham  was  the 
^Either.  They  belonged  rather  to  the  synagogue  of  Satan  ;  they  were  his 
followers  ;  they  took  delight  in  doing  his  pleasure.  And  the  first  part  of 
the  special  promise  to  the  church  of  Philadelphia  is  that  the  Saviour  would 
so  arrange  matters  in  his  providence,  as  to  make  it  appear  to  all  the  world 
that  these  persecuting  Jews  were  the  servants  of  Satan.  Just  how  he 
would  reveal  their  true  character  and  make  it  hideous,  we  are  not  told, 
but  this  could  easily  be  accomplished  by  him  who  holds  all  things  in  his 
hands. 

The  second  part  of  the  special  promise  is,  that  the  Saviour  would  make 
some  of  these  persecuting  Jews  come  and  worship  at  the  feet  of  the  Phil- 
adelphian  Christians,  and  know  the  divine  love  toward  them.  He  would 
so  bless  their  labors,  their  example  and  their  influence,  that  even  their  en- 
emies would  be  converted,  would  come  and  join  in  their  worship,  and 
would  see  with  their  own  eyes  and  feel  with  their  own  hearts  that  the 
Christian  church  was  the  church  of  Jehovah's  love.  And  though  history 
does  not  record  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise,  we  may  be  sure  that  it  has 
been  fulfilled,  for  in  every  century  the  vail  has  been  removed  from  some 
Jewish  hearts,  who  have  then  been  able  to  recognize  the  Messiahship  of 
Je^us  of  Nazareth.  Some  of  the  brightest  names  among  Christian  theo- 
logians and  philosophers,  have  been  the  names  of  men  who  have  had  the 
right  to  call  Abraham  their  father  according  to  the  flesh. 

The  third  part  of  the  special  promise  is  expressed  in  the  words,  ''be- 
cause thou  hast  kept  the  word  of  my  patience,  I  will  also  keep  thee  from 
the  hour  of  temptation,  which  shall  come  upon  all  the  world,  to  try  them 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth/'  Great  calamities  were  to  come  upon  the 
world,  and  great  persecutions  upon  the  church.  Calamities  and  persecu- 
tions are  temptations,  that  is,  trials,  for  they  are  sent  to  try  them  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth.  They  test  the  faith  and  constancy  of  the  people  of 
Gk>d,  and  put  all  others  to  the  proof  whether  they  will  repent  and  turn  to 
the  Lord,  against  whom  they  had  hardened  their  hearts  in  the  days  of 
their  prosperity.  But  when  such  seasons  of  trial  came,  and  they  came 
frequently  during  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  the  Saviour  would 
keep  the  members  of  the  Philadelphian  church.  The  promise  is  not  that 
he  would  keep  them  from  such  temptation,  but  that  he  would  keep  them 
in  such  temptation.  He  would  not  give  them  over  to  their  enemies,  he 
would  not  sufler  their  faith  to  fail,  so  that  in  their  experience  would  be 
fulfilled  the  words,  "  blessed  is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation,  for  when 
he  is  tried  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life,  which  the  Lord  has  promised 
to  them  that  love  him."  Behold  here  the  correspondence  between  the 
promise  and  the  duty  performed  on  which  the  promise  is  founded.  "  Be- 
cause thou  hast  Icept  the  word  of  my  patience,  I  also  will  keep  thee." 


EPISTLE  TO  THE  GHUBCH  IN  PHILADELPHIA.  73 

*'The  word  of  patience"  is  the  Saviour's  word,  which  enjoins  patience. 
One  great  characteristic  of  the  word  is  that  it  commands  patient  labor,  par 
tient  enduring,  and  patient  waiting.  Those  who  keep  this  word  will  them- 
selves be  kept.  This  correspondence  between  the  duty  and  the  reward  is 
often  to  be  noticed.  ''  Them  that  honor  me  I  will  honor."  '^  He  that 
confesseth  me  before  men,  him  will  I  confess  before  mj  Father  in  heaven.'' 
3.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  <m  earnest  exhortation  : 
''  Behold,  I  come  quickly;  hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man  take 
thy  crown."  The  speedy  coming  of  Christ,  which  is  so  often  referred  to  in  the 
New  Testament,  especially  in  this  book,  and  which  is  to  be  accomplished  for 
every  believer  at  the  hour  of  his  death,  and  for  the  church  and  the  world  at 
the  time  of  the  second  advent,  is  a  word  of  fear  to  those  who  are  living  in 
carelessness  and  sin,  but  a  word  of  comfort  and  strength  to  those  who  are 
faithftdly  and  patiently  waiting  for  the  recompense  of  the  reward.  The 
members  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia  belonged  to  this  second  class ;  and 
therefore  ihe  Saviour,  pointing  to  his  speedy  coming,  exhorts  them  to  hold 
fast  to  the  &ith  they  possessed  and  to  the  attainments  they  had  made. 
There  was  occasion  for  such  holding  fast,  for  their  crown  of  glory  might  be 
taken  away.  Of  course  this  figure  is  not  to  be  pressed  beyond  its  propejr 
measure.  No  Christian  would  rob  another  of  his  crown  if  he  could.  No 
enemy  is  able  to  rob  the  Christian  of  his  crown.  But  these  enemies  are 
ever  making  the  attempt,  and  though  they  cannot  entirely  succeed,  they 
can  mar  its  brightness,  if  the  Christian  is  not  on  his  guard.  We  know  that 
there  are  degrees  in  glory;  that  some  will  shine  with  the  brightness  of  the 
sun,  others  with  the  brightness  of  the  moon,  and  others  with  the  bright- 
ness of  the  stars ;  and  that  those  who  occupy  the  higher  degrees  of  glory 
are  those  who  were  most  faithftil  and  firm  during  their  earthly  pilgrimage. 
By  a  figure,  whose  meaning  is  easy  to  understand,  these  degrees  of  glory 
may  be  indicated  by  the  crowns  which  the  glorified  wear.  Those  who  are 
most  faithful  wear  the  most  glorious  crowns,  which  are  radiant  with  the 
brightest  jewels.  He  who  weakly  yields  to  temptation,  who  does  not  hold 
fast  against  the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil,  will  not  attain  to  the  sum- 
mits of  glory  which  he  might  otherwise  have  reached.  His  crown  will  be 
dimmed,  and  some  of  its  jewels  will  be  taken  away.  This  exhortation  must 
have  appealed  powerftdly  to  the  Philadelphian  Christians ;  it  must  appeal 
powerfully  to  all  of  us  who  are  waiting  for  the  coming  of  our  Lord  and 
expecting  the  glory  beyond.  ''  Hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that  no  man 
take"  or  dim  "  thy  crown." 

lY.  The  Savioub's  promise  to  the  final  victor  is :  <'  Him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  make  a  piUar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more 
oat :  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  Qod,  and  the  name  of  the  city 
of  my  Qtodf  which  is  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from 


74  LECTURE   IX. 

my  Grod :  and  I  will  write  upon  him  my  new  name."  In  the  titles  prefixed 
to  this  epistle,  the  Saviour  had  spoken  of  heaven  as  a  glorious  palace  or 
temple,  and  of  himself  as  the  one  who  held  the  keys  of  that  heavenly  house. 
He  now  returns  to  the  same  figure,  and  assures  his  victorious  saints  that  they 
will  oocupy  a  prominent  place  in  that  glorious  temple.  They  are  to  be  made 
pillars  therein.  They  are  to  be  made  strong  forever  for  upholding  that 
eternal  structure  which  is  builded  for  the  glory  of  God.  They  are  to  be 
made  beautiibl  forever  for  showing  forth  the  attributes  of  God.  They  are 
to  be  permanent  fixtures  in  the  temple,  which  nothing  could  destroy  or  move. 
Unlike  the  pillars  which  upheld  their  places  of  worship  in  Philadelphia,  and 
which  were  often  rocked  by  earthquakes  and  tumbled  into  ruins,  these  pillars 
in  the  heavenly  temple  were  to  go  out  no  more.  Planted  on  the  rock  of 
ages,  builded  around  with  living  stones,  hewn  and  polished  by  the  hand  of 
God,  they  shall  stand  forever  firm,  though  the  world  itself  might  rock  as  a 
man  might  rock  a  drop  of  water  in  the  hoUow  of  his  hand. 

The  pillars  were  not  only  to  be  strong,  and  beautiful,  and  permanent,  they 
were  to  be  monumental.  They  were  to  be  covered  with  inscriptions.  That 
pillaiB  were  used  for  this  purpose  is  well  known.  Such  monumental  pillars 
have  been  erected  to  keep  alive  the  memories  of  earth's  warriors,  statesmen 
and  philosophers.  So  the  pillars  in  the  heavenly  temple  will  commemorate 
a  greater  victory  than  ever  earthly  army  won,  a  holier  philosophy  than  was 
ever  taught  in  the  academies  of  earthly  science,  and  a  more  glorious  king 
than  ever  reigned  on  earth.  These  pillars  are  to  have  a  three-fold  inscrip- 
tion. First,  the  name  of  God  is  to  be  graven  on  them.  This  inscription 
would  show  that  the  pillar  belonged  to  God,  and  that  it  was  a  triumph  of 
divine  love.  In  the  second  place,  the  name  of  the  church  would  be  graven 
on  them.  The  church  is  here  described  as  "  the  city  of  my  God,  which  is 
new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from  my  Gtod.**  The 
church  is  often  in  the  Scriptures  compared  to  a  city.  As  the  old  Jerusalem 
was  the  place  where  God  was  especially  worshiped  on  earth,  this  spiritual 
city  is  appropriately  caUed  the  new  Jerusalem.  As  this  spiritual  city  was 
builded  by  God  for  his  glory,  as  he  is  its  king,  and  as  his  sons  and  daughters 
are  its  only  inhabitants,  it  is  said  to  come  down  out  of  heaven  from  God. 
The  name  of  this  city  inscribed  upon  the  pillar  would  show  that  it  was  a 
part  of  the  church,  and  the  workmanship  of  the  churdi's  king  and  head. 
In  the  third  place,  the  Saviour's  new  name  would  be  graven  on  these  pillars ; 
not  his  old  name,  by  which  he  was  known  from  aU  eternity,  the  Son  and 
equal  of  God,  but  the  new  name  by  which  he  has  been  called  since  he  came 
to  do  the  Father's  will,  the  Saviour  and  Redeemer  of  his  people.  This  name 
inscribed  upon  the  pillar  would  show  that  it  was  saved  and  glorified  by  Christ, 
and  not  by  another.  What  a  sublime  prospect !  What  a  glorious  future  ! 
To  be  a  pillar  in  the  celestial  temple,  a  pillar  which  can  never  be  moved,  a 
pillar  made  beautiftd  by  divine  grace  beyond  all  earthly  comparison,  a  pillar 


THE   EPISTLE   TO   THE  CHURCH   IN   LAODICEA.  75 

to  bear  aloft  througli  unending  ages  the  three-fold  name  of  God,  of  the 
church,  and  of  the  Saviour  ;  this  is  an  honor  worthy  the  ambition  of  the 
immortal  soul! 

y.  And  this  honor  is  within  the  reach  of  all  to  whom  the  gospel  comes, 
for  the  Sayioor  oondudes  this  epistle,  and  opens  the  door  of  the  heavenly 
temple  for  our  entrance,  by  the  usual  call  to  attention  and  obedience. 
^'  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches.'' 

We  may  not  hope  to  have  a  place  in  the  church  in  heaven,  if  we  do  not 
have  a  place  in  the  church  on  earth.  These  churches  are  one.  They  are 
parts  of  ihe  same  oiganixation ;  they  are  divisions  of  the  same  great  army. 
And  we  have  reason  for  believing  that  the  degrees  of  gloiy  in  the  one  will 
eorrespond  with  the  d^ees  of  grace  in  the  other. .  Those  who  are  most 
fidthful  in  the  service  of  Christ  here  will  shine  with  the  brightness  of  the 
sun  hereafter.  Those  who  are  least  faithful  in  the  service  of  Christ  here 
will  shine  only  as  the  stars  hereafter.  If  this  is  so,  we  cannot  hope  to  be 
pillars  in  the  heavenly  temple  unless  we  are  pilUirs  in  the  earthly.  Are  we  ? 
Are  we,  by  our  words,  by  our  influence,  and  by  our  contributions,  strength- 
ening the  church  on  earth,  and  thus  fulfilling  the  office  which  is  expected 
of  pillars  in  a  material  structure  ?  Are  we,  by  our  lives,  making  the  church 
more  beautiful,  and  thus  fulfilling  another  office  which  is  expected  of  pillars 
in  a  material  structure  ?  Are  we,  every  day,  like  monumental  pillars,  lift- 
ing up  to  the  attention  and  admiration  of  men  the  name  of  GK)d,  the  name 
of  the  church,  and  the  name  of  the  Saviour  ?  If  we  are  not,  we  have  no 
right  to  hope  for  the  glory  which  is  here  revealed.  If  we  are,  we  may  look 
forward  with  confidence  to  the  time  when  these  words  of  the  Saviour  will  be 
fulfilled  in  us,  "him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of 
my  God." 


LECTURE    X. 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHURCH  IN  LAODICEA. 

And  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write ;  These  things 
saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of 
God;  I  know  thy  works,  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot:  I  would  thou 
wert  cold  or  hot.  So  then  becauae  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor 
hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my  mouth.  Because  thou  sayest,  I  am  rich,  and 
increased  with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing ;  and  knowest  not  that  thou 
art  wretched,  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked :  I  counsel  thee  to 
buy  of  me  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  that  thou  mayeat  be  rich  ;  and  white  raiment, 
that  thou  mayeet  be  clothed,  and  that  the  shame  of  thy  nakedness  do  not  ap- 
pear ;  and  anoint  thine  eyes  with  eyesalve,  that  thou  mayest  see.     As  many  as 


76  LECTURE   X. 

I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten :  be  zealous  therefore,  and  repent.  Behold,  I  stand 
at  the  door,  and  knock :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me.  To  him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and 
am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.  He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear 
what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches.-i-REy.  8 :  14-22. 

The  epistle  to  the  ohnrob  of  the  Laodioeans  is  the  sharpest  and  most  sor- 
rowfiil  of  them  all.  It  expresses  a  state  of  spiritual  dedension,  which 
must  sadden  the  heart  of  every  true  Christian,  and  make  it  tremble  in 
view  of  the  just  judgments  of  an  offended  God.  It  contains  the  five  parts 
which  by  frequent  repetition  must  have  become  fixed  in  our  memory. 

I* 
I.    We  have  the  Saviour's  command  to  wbite  this  epistle.  ^'  Unto 

the  angel  of  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  write" ;  or  rather,  as  it  is  in 
the  margin  of  our  Bibles,  ^'  unto  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Laodicea 
write" ;  for  there  is  no  good  reason  why  the  form  of  this  command  should 
differ  from  that  of  the  preceding  commands.  Laodicea  was  a  large  city, 
situated  about  fifty  miles  south-east  of  Philadelphia,  and  about  the  same 
distance  from  Ephesus.  Its  name  is  not  unknown  in  history.  We  read 
of  it  in  the  letters  of  Cicero,  the  Roman  orator,  who  visited  it  and  admin- 
istered justice  there,  whUe  he  was  proconsul  of  Cilicia.  We  read  that  it  was 
afterwards  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  and  rebuilt  by  the  energy  of  its 
inhabitants.  We  read  that  a  church  council  was  held  there,  at  which  the 
canon  of  the  Scriptures  was  declared.  We  read  that  it  was  totally  de- 
stroyed by  a  Turkish  invasion  during  the  fourteenth  century.  Its  name  is 
also  mentioned  in  Paul's  letter  to  Colosse,  a  city  only  a  few  miles  distant. 
In  one  place  he  telb  us  that  he  had  "  a  great  conflict  for  them  in  Laodi- 
cea." In  another  place  he  says  '^  salute  the  brethren  in  Laodicea/'  In 
another  place  he  says  "  when  this  epistle  has  been  read  among  you,  cause 
that  it  be  read  also  in  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans,  and  that  ye  likewise 
read  the  epistle  to  Laodicea."  This  does  not  mean  that  Paul  wrote  a  let- 
ter to  the  church  of  Laodicea,  which  is  now  lost.  We  have  good  reason 
for  believing  that  the  letter  which  he  thus  describes  was  a  circular  letter, 
one  copy  of  which  was  addressed  to  the  church  in  Laodicea,  another  copy 
to  the  church  in  Ephesus,  and  one  copy  to  each  of  the  other  churches  to 
which  he  wished  it  to  be  sent ;  and  that  we  have  this  letter  in  the  New 
Testament  under  the  name  of  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians. 

We  do  not  know  by  whom  the  church  in  Laodicea  had  been  planted, 
but  it  seems  probable  that  it  was  planted  by  Paul  himself.  In  the  passa- 
ges we  have  quoted,  we  have  seen  his  intense  interest  in  that  church.  In 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  his  journeys  ^*  through  all  the  country  of  Phry- 
gia"  are  twice  spoken  of;  and  Laodicea  was  one  of  the  most  important 
cities  in  that  province.  We  know,  too,  that  Paul  lived  and  labored  for 
three  years  m  Ephesus,  only  about  fifty  miles  distant,  and  it  does  not  acoerd 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  OHUBGH   IN   ^jAODIOEA.  7T 

with  hiB  untiring  zeal,  to  suppose  that  he  would  live  for  three  years  in 
Ephesus  without  paying  a  visit  to  Laodicea,  its  populous  neighbor ;  for  in 
those  days  Laodioea  was  populous,  though  its  desolation  is  now  complete. 
A  miserable  village  of  about  sixty  inhabitants,  and  wide  extended  ruins  of 
theaters,  aqueducts,  palaces  and  temples,  are  all  that  now  remain  to  mark 
its  site.  One  who  recently  made  it  a  short  visit  hurried  away  from  it  in 
the  midst  of  a  furious  storm.  *'  We  preferred  hurrying  on  to  further  de- 
lay in  that  melancholy  spot,  whei*e  eveiy  thing  whispered  desolation,  and 
where  every  wind  that  swept  impetuously  through  the  valley  sounded  like 
the  fiendish  laugh  of  time,  exulting  over  the  destruction  of  man  and  his 
proudest  monuments.' ' 

n.  The  Saviour's  title  is  revealed  in  these  words  :  *'  These  things 
saith  the  Amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of  the  crea- 
tion of  QodJ'  The  Saviour  here  claims  to  be  the  '^Amen.''  This  is  a 
Hebrew  word  which  means  ^*  verily,"  and  which  has  been  incorporated  into 
all  languages.  It  is  a  word  with  which  we  are  familiar,  for  according  to 
Christian  custom  it  concludes  every  prayer ;  and  it  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence in  our  Lord's  discourses,  especially  in  the  well  known  form.  '^  verily, 
verily  I  say  unto  you."  It  is  a  word  of  strong  affirmation  and  of  hearty 
assent.  When  applied  to  Christ  it  means  that  what  he  affirms  is  true,  and 
that  what  he  says  is  certain. 

Its  meaning  is  fully  explained  in  the  next  title  which  the  Saviour  claims  for 
himself,  *'  the  faithful  and  true  witness.*'  He  is  a  witness,  for  he  came  to 
reveal  God  and  to  bear  testimony  of  the  divine  character.  He  is  a  faith- 
M  witness,  for  his  testimony  is  the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth.  He  is  a  true  witness,  for  he  testifies  from  his  own  knowledge. 
He  has  all  the  qualifications  of  a  witness.  He  has  seen  with  his  own  eyes 
those  things  to  which  he  bears  testimony ;  and  he  is  competent  and  willing 
to  tell  what  he  has  seen.  Therefore,  he  is  a  faithful  and  true  witness,  who 
can  say,  as  he  did  say  to  Nicodemus,  "  amen,  amen  I  say  unto  you,  we 
speak  that  we  do  know,  and  testify  that  we  have  seen." 

The  Saviour  also  claims  to  be  "  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of  God." 
This  can  not  mean  that  he  was  ^e  first  creature  whom  God  created,  for 
the  Soriptares  plainly  teach  that  Christ  is  the  uncreated  one.  It  may 
mean  that  he  is  the  author  of  creation,  for  we  know  that  he  is  the  Crea- 
tor. "All  things  were  made  by  him,  and  without  him  was  not  anything 
made  that  was  made."  But  the  word  which  is  translated  '^  beginning," 
is  generaUy  transhited  "  principality."  As  for  example  in  the  well  known 
passages :  ''  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  prin- 
cipalities nor  powers  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord" ;  "  unto  principalities  and  powers  in 
heavenly  places  might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold  wisdom  of 


78  LECTURE   X. 

Gk)ci."  And  this  is  itp  meaning  here.  The  Saviour  is  the  first,  the  pri* 
mate,  the  prince  of  the  creation  of  God.  This  is  in  harmony  frith  the 
context ;  this  agrees  with  other  Scriptures ;  for  we  are  told  that  all  power 
is  given  unto  him  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  that  all  things  are  put  under 
his  feet. 

These  titles  are  especially  appropriate  in  the  epistle  to  the  lukewarm 
church  of  Laodioea.  It  was  well  for  the  members  of  that  church  to  re- 
member that  their  Saviour  was  '*  the  amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness," 
and  that  any  testimony  he  gave  against  them  was  infallibly  true.  It  was 
well  for  them  to  remember  that  he  was  the  ruler  over  all,  and  that  he  was 
able  to  inflict  any  just  punishment.  It  is  equally  important  for  us,  tempt- 
ed  as  we  are  to  lukewarmness  and  indifference,  to  remember  that  our 
Lord  is  "the  amen,  the  faithful  and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of  the 
creation  of  God." 

III.  The  Saviotjr's  actual  message  to  the  Laodicean  church  is 
contained  in  verses  15-20.  This  message  may  be  divided  into  three  parts, 
a  declaration  of  knowledge,  a  threatening,  and  an  exhortation. 

1.  The  works  of  the  Laodicean  church,  which  the  Saviour  knew,  had 
in  them  nothing  to  commend  them.  He  knew  that  the  members  of  that 
church  were  "  neither  cold  nor  hot,"  and  he  expresses  the  desire  that  they 
were  either  the  one  or  the  other.  This  declaration  must  fill  our  hearts  with 
wonder.  We  can  easily  understand  why  a  fervent  state  is  more  desirable 
than  a  lukewarm  one,  but  we  are  apt  to  think  that  a  lukewarm  state  is 
better  than  one  of  utter  coldness.  If,  however,  we  get  a  clear  idea  of  the 
terms  employed,  we  will  see  that  any  other  spiritual  condition  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred to  that  of  lukewarmness.  What,  then,  is  the  meaning  of  the  terms  ? 
We  can  have  no  difficulty  in  fixing  the  meaning  of  the  word  <<hot."  The 
Christians  who  are  thus  described  are  they  who  are  fervent  and  glowing  in 
their  love  towards  Christ.  They  are  they  who  know  and  appreciate  what 
Christ  has  done  for  them,  and  who  out  of  the  gratitude  of  their  hearts  de- 
vote  themselves  unreservedly  to  the  service  of  their  Redeemer.  They  are 
they  who  can  say  with  Paul,  "  the  love  of  Christ  oonstraineth  me" ;  or  with 
John,  '*we  love  him  because  he  first  loved  us";  or  with  Peter,  "thou 
knoweat  all  things,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.*'  On  the  other  hand, 
those  who  are  described  as  "  cold  "  are  the  ones  whose  hearts  have  never 
been  touched  by  the  power  of  grace.  They  are  strangei*s  to  God  and  to 
the  work  of  redemption.  Of  such  men  there  is  always  the  hope  that  when 
they  do  come  under  the  power  of  grace,  they  may  become  true  and  earn- 
est Christians.  Between  these  two  extremes  are  those  who  are  described 
as  lukewarm.  They  are  those  upon  whom  the  experiment  of  the  gospel 
has  been  tried  and  has  failed.  They  arc  those  who  have  heard  the  invita- 
tions of  the  gospol  and  have  hardened  their  hearts  in  unbelief     They  are 


THE   EPISTLE   TO  THE  CHUECH   IN   LAODIGEA.  79 

those  who  liaye  tasted  the  good  word  of  God  and  haye  rejected  it.  Of 
sach  there^is  little  hope.  Let  me  illostrate  by  a  few  examples.  Baring 
our  Lord's  earthly  pilgrimage,  publicans  and  harlots  were  cold,  the  scribes 
and  pharisees  were  lukewarm.  And  we  know  that  it  was  from  the  former, 
and  not  from  the  latter,  that  our  Lord  filled  up  the  ranks  of  his  disciples.  We 
know  that  Matthew,  and  Zaccheus,  and  Mary  Magdalene,  and  many  others 
of  the  former  class  entered  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  while  the  scribes  and 
phariaees  were  shut  out.  Or  take  another  example.  Saul  of  Tarsus,  the 
persecutor,  was  cold ;  Simon  Magus,  the  professed  disciple,  was  lukewarm. 
Or  take  still  another  example.  The  apostles  were  hot ;  Judas  Iscariot  was 
lukewarm ;  the  woman  of  Samaria  was  cold.  From  these  examples  you 
will  readily  see  that  any  other  spiritual  condition  is  to  be  preferred  to  that 
of  lukewarmness.  Those  who  are  cold,  who  are  in  a  state  of  utter  igno- 
rance or  open  opposition,  are  more  honest  and  honorable  than  those  who  are 
lukewann.  There  is  far  more  hope  for  the  salvation  of  the  former,  than 
of  the  latter.  This  lukewarm  condition  was  the  condition  of  the  Laodi- 
cean church.  They  were  like  the  scribes  and  pharisees,  like  Judas,  like 
Simon  Magus.  They  had  professed  religion  when  they  had  no  religion 
to  profeas.  On  them  the  power  of  the  gospel  had  been  brought  to  bear 
in  vain.     No  wonder  the  Saviour  says,  "  I  would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot.^' 

2.  And  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  pronounces  against  them  the  threatening j 
which  is  the  second  thing  in  his  actual  message.  "  So  then  because  thou 
art  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my 
mouth."  The  reference  is  to  the  well  known  fact  that  tepid  water  tends 
to  produce  nausea.  The  figure  is  a  strong  one,  and  indicates,  with  an  em* 
phasifl  which  cannot  be  described,  the  Saviour's  intense  loathing  and  dis- 
gust  at  the  condition  of  things  in  the  church  of  Laodicea.  The  meaning 
19  obvious.  The  Laodiceans  would  be  rejected  and  cast  off  as  a  church. 
This  threatening  has  been  literally  fulfilled.  This  threatening  and  its 
fulfillment  may  well  startle  all  professing  Christians  and  all  Christian 
churches,  that  have  reason  to  fear  that  they  may  be  lukewarm,  and  neither 
cold  nor  hot. 

3.  The  next  thing  in  the  Saviour's  message  is  an  earnest  exhorfatiofi. 
The  worst  symptom  about  the  Laodicean  Christians,  and  in  this  respect 
they  do  not  differ  firom  other  lukewarm  professors,  was,  that  they  were  ig- 
norant of  their  true  condition.  They  thought  that  they  were  rich  and 
growing  in  riches,  and  that  they  had  need  of  nothing.  These  words  may 
refer  to  literal  wealth,  for  it  seems  evident  that  they  were  rich  in  this 
world's  goods ;  but  it  seems  more  probable  that  they  refer  to  spiritual  richcss. 
The  Laodiceans  thought  that  they  were  model  Christians.  They  boasted 
of  their  faith,  and* their  love,  and  their  attainments  in  the  divine  life.  Such 
was  their  estimate  of  themselves,  but  the  reality  was  far  different.  They 
were   "  wretched  and  miserable."      Their  condition   was  one  of  ab'e  t 


80  LECTUBK  X. 

wretchedness,  one  which  called  for  pity.    And  they  were  ^^  poor."     Not- 
withstanding all  their  boasted  wealth,  they  had  no  religion  to  meet  the 
wants  of  their  souls.     And  they  were  "  blind."     Notwithstanding  their 
boast  that  they  had  need  of  nothing,  they  were  in  spiritual  darkness,  they 
could  not  see  their  true  condition,  or  the  character  of  Ood,  or  the  way  of 
salvation.     And  they  were  ^'  naked."     Notwithstanding  their  complacency, 
they  had  nothing  to  cover  the  nakedness  of  their  souls,  they  were  without 
the  garment  of  salvation.     And  saddest  of  all.  though  they  were  "  wretch- 
ed, and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind  and  naked,"  they  did  not  know  that 
this  was  their  condition.     When  one  who  is  naked  flatters  himself  that  he 
IB  clothed  in  royal  robes,  when  one  who  is  blind  flatters  himself  that  he  can 
see  all  things,  when  one  who  is  poor  flatters  himself  that  he  possesses  the 
whole  world,  when  one  who  is  wretched   and  miserable  flatters  himself 
that  he  is  the  happiest  of  men,  he  is  to  be  pitied,  not  so  much  because  of 
his  blindness,  nakedness,  poverty  and  wretchedness,  as  because  of  his  self 
deception.     This  was  the  state  of  the  Laodicean  church.     Therefore  the 
Saviour,  out  of  the  compassion  of  his  loving  heart,  turns  to  them  with  earnest 
exhortation.     He  exhorts  them  to  buy  of  him  *^  gold  tried  in  the  fire,"  that 
is,  the  purest  gold,  that  they  might  be  rich.     €k>ld,  which  is  the  most  pre- 
cious of  metals,  is  here  of  course  the  symbol  of  true  religion.     Those  who 
have  true  religion,  which  can  be  received  from  Christ  alone,  are  spiritually 
rich,  for  true  religion  supplies  every  want  of  the  soul.     He  exhorts  them 
again  to  buy  of  him  "  white  raiment  that  they  may  be  clothed,  and  that  the 
shame  of  their  nakedness  do  not  appear."     The  white  raiment  is  of  course 
the  emblem  of  salvation.     Those  who  are  clothed  with  the  garment  of  salva- 
tion have  a  robe  which  will  never  grow  old  and  which  will  hide  the  shame 
of  their  sinfulness  forever.     He  exhorts  them  also  to  buy  of  him  "  eye- 
salve  "  with  which  to  anoint  their  eyes  that  they  may  see.     The  eyesalve 
is  of  course  the  emblem  of  the  gospel.    When  this  is  applied  by  the  Spirit 
to  the  spiritual  eyes,  they  can  discern  clearly  the  character  of  Qod,  the 
beauty  of  Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation.    When  this  is  applied  to  the 
spiritual  eyes,  they  will  never  grow  dim,  they  will  be  able  to  bear  unharmed 
the  brightness  of  the  divine  glory. 

It  is  to  be  observed  that,  in  this  exhortation^  the  Saviour  usee  language 
which  the  Laodiceans  could  understand.  Theirs  was  a  commercial  city. 
They  were  buying  and  selling  and  getting  gain.  He,  therefore,  using  their 
own  dialect,  points  them  to  a  better  merchandise  than  that  in  which  they 
were  accustomed  to  traffic.  It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  in  reading  this 
exhortation,  the  emphasis  should  be  placed  on  the  words  '^of  me."  For 
this  fine  gold,  and  white  raiment,  and  healing  eyesalve,  can  be  obtained  from 
no  one  else.  It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  this  buying,  as  Isaiah  telb  us, 
is  "without  money  and  without  price." 

The  second  part  of  the  Saviour's  exhortation  is  expressed  in  the  words, 


r 


THE  EPISTLE  TO  THE  CHUBCH   IN   LAODICEA.  81 

"  as  many  as  I  love,  I  rebuke  and  chasten ;  be  zealous  therefore  and  repent." 
The  SaTiour  here  reveals  himself  as  a  true  friend.  He  is  not  one  of  those 
who  keep  their  harsh  words  for  their  enemies  and  their  soft  words  for  their 
friends.  He  rebukes  those  he  loves  when  they  deserve  it.  Like  a  faithful 
father,  he  chastens  his  children  because  he  loves  them.  And  because  of 
this  love,  and  the  rebukes  and  chastisements  in  which  this  love  manifests 
itself,  he  exhorts  the  Laodiceans  to  "  be  zealous  and  repent."  The  mean- 
ing of  this  exhortation  is  obvious.  They  were  not  only  to  exercise  that 
repentance  which  includes  sorrow  for  the  past  and  reformation  for  the 
ftitnre ;  they  were  also  to  be  earnest  and  ardent  in  their  repentance.  They 
were  to  lose  no  time  and  spare  no  labor  that  they  might  escape  from  the 
rebukes  and  judgments  which  would  come  upon  them  if  they  did  not  re- 
pent. This  is  an  exhortation  which  should  be  heeded  by  us  all.  As  surely 
as  the  Saviour  loves  us,  he  will  not  permit  our  unfaithfulness  to  go  unpun- 
ished, for  his  languid  is,  "as  many  as  I  love  I  rebuke  and  chasten." 

It  is  true,  the  Laodiceans  had  gone  far  astray,  but  the  door  of  hope  was 
not  dosed  against  them.  To  encourage  them  to  obey  his  exhortation,  the 
Saviour  assures  them  that  he  was  waiting  to  be  gracious.  "  Behold,  I 
stand  at  the  door,  and  knock ;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the 
door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him  and  he  with  me."  This 
figure  is  so  plain,  referring,  as  it  does,  to  a  matter  of  daily  occurrence,  that 
it  requires  little  explanation*  As  we  approach  the  door  of  a  friend  or 
neighbor,  and  by  knocking,  or  some  other  conventional  sign,  declare  our 
presence  and  ask  for  admission,  so  Christ  presents  himself  at  the  door  of 
the  sinner's  heart.  He  not  only  knocks^  he  also  causes  his  voice  to  be 
heard,  and  by  this  voice  he  reveals  unmistakably  who  he  is.  An  enemy 
might  knock,  but  the  Saviour's  gentle  voice  cannot  be  mistaken  for  another's. 
He  knocks  and  speaks  by  his  providences,  by  his  word  and  by  his  Spirit. 
By  these,  he  asks  for  a  place  in  the  sinner's  heart ;  by  these,  he  pleads 
for  the  sinner's  love.  There  is  not  one  of  us  who  can  say,  I  never  heard 
the  Saviour's  knock  or  voice  ;  I  never  heard  the  invitations  of  the  gospel. 
He  is  yet  standing  at  the  door  of  some  of  us,  for  his  knock  and  his  voice 
have  been  unheeded.  And  if  they  are  unheeded,  he  will  not  enter.  He 
does  not  break  down  the  door  and  force  an  entrance.  There  is  a  sense  in 
which  every  man  is  lord  over  his  own  heart.  Through  divine  grace,  he 
has  it  in  his  power  to  open  the  door  and  to  welcome  the  heavenly  visitor; 
or  he  may  keep  the  door  closed  to  the  very  end,  and  live  and  die  in  the 
utter  loneliness  of  him  whom  the  Lord  has  forsaken.  Of  course,  this  figure 
must  not  be  pushed  too  far.  Men  can  open  the  door  only  when  Christ 
knocks;  they  would  have  no  desire  to  open,  unless  with  the  external  knock- 
ing of  the  word,  and  of  sorrow,  and  of  pain,  there  was  also  the  inward 
voice  of  the  Spirit.     If  a  man  will  hear  this  external  call  and  yield  himself 

to  this  internal  voice  and  open  the  door,  Jesus  will  come  in  and  live  on 

6 


82  LECTURE   X. 

terms  of  closest  intimacy  with  him.  Such  an  exhibition  of  love  should 
have  moved  every  lukewarm  heart  in  Laodicea  to  open  wide  its  doors ;  but 
we  have  no  reason  to  believe  that  it  did,  for  to  this  day,  in  every  Christian 
congregation,  there  are  those  who,  notwithstanding  the  most  tender  calls 
and  the  most  loving  entreaties,  are  shutting  the  Saviour  out  from  their 
hearts. 

lY.  The  promise  to  the  final  victor  is,  "  to  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set 
down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne.**  Those  who  obtain  the  victory  over 
their  spiritual  foes  are  to  share  the  throne  of  glory  with  Christ.  They  re- 
semble Christ.  When  he  came  to  earth,  he  had  a  battle  to  fight  and  a 
victory  to  win  ;  and  when  that  battle  was  fought  and  that  victory  was  won, 
he  was  seated  on  the  throne  of  victory.  So  his  people  have  a  battle  to 
fight  and  a  victory  to  win  ;  and  when  their  battle  is  fought  and  their  vic- 
tory won,  they  too  will  be  seated  on  the  throne  of  victory.  There  is  much 
about  the  final  enthronement  of  the  saints  in  glory  which  we  do  not  yet 
understand.  For  a  full  understanding  of  it,  we  must  wait  till  the  hereaf- 
ter is  come.  But  this  we  know  :  it  is  to  be  a  glorious  honor,  for  it  is  to 
be  with  Christ ;  it  will  be  a  permanent  honor,  for  it  will  be  to  sit  with  him 
on  an  everlasting  throne ;  it  is  an  honor  which  belongs  to  all  the  saints,  for 
no  one  can  rob  a  single  victor  of  his  crown ;  it  is  an  honor  which  the 
Saviour  has  a  right  to  give,  for  as  he  said  to  his  disciples  here  on  earth,  so 
he  is  saying  yet,  and  so  will  he  continue  to  say  till  the  end,  "  I  appoint 
unto  you  a  kingdom  as  my  Father  hath  appointed  unto  me.*' 

y.  This  honor,  glorious  beyond  all  earthly  comparison,  is  within  the 
reach  of  us  all,  for  the  Saviour  concludes  this  epistle  as  he  had  concluded 
all  the  others,  with  his  universal  gall  to  attention  and  obedience, 
'*  he  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches.** 

I  cannot  turn  from  this  epistle  to  the  church  of  the  Laodiceans  without 
referring  once  more  to  the  love  of  Jesus  who  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks. 
Some  of  us  have  heard  his  voice,  and  have  opened  the  door,  and  we  are  now 
enjoying  the  blessedness  of  those  who  hold  constant  and  intimate  fellowship 
with  him.  But  some,  though  they  have  heard  the  voice,  have  not  opened 
the  door,  and  the  Saviour  still  stands  without.  How  long  is  this  to  con- 
tinue ?  Why  will  you  treat  the  Saviour  as  you  would  not  treat  an  earthly 
friend  ?  Nor  will  there  ever  be  a  more  favorable  time  for  receiving  Christ 
and  all  the  benefits  of  the  gospel.  Remembering  that  there  is  a  possibility 
of  the  Saviour  withdrawing  himself  forever,  it  is  not  wise  to  defer  a  duty 
which  is  so  essential  to  our  happiness.  On  our  opening  the  door  depends 
all  the  consolation  of  grace  in  the  present  life,  and  all  the  glory  of  the  life 


GENERAL   REMARKS   OS   THE   EPISTLES.  83 

to  come.  If  we  do  not.  open  the  door,  we  cannot  expect  to  have  fulfilled 
in  OS  the  exalted  promise,  "  to  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with 
me  in  mj  throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  my  Father 
in  his  throne." 


LECTURE  XI. 


GENERAL  REMARKS  ON  THE  EPISTLES  TO  THE  CHURCHES. 

He  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches. 

Rev.  3 :  22. 

We  have  now  finished  our  exposition  of  the  second  part  of  the  hook  of 
Revelation.  Before  we  enter  upon  the  exposition  of  the  third  part,  there 
are  some  thoughts  suggested  hy  the  epistles,  to  which  in  the  present  lecture 
I  wish  to  call  attention.  You  will  rememher  the  circumstances  in  which 
this  mjTsterious  vision  was  seen.  The  aged  John  was  an  exile  on  the  island 
of  Patmos.  On  a  certain  Sabbath  day,  the  Holy  Ghost  took  such  posses- 
sion of  his  faculties  that  he  was  ^4n  the  spirit."  In  his  vision  he  saw  the 
interior  of  a  magnificent  tabernacle,  fashioned  after  the  temple  in  Jerusalem, 
in  which  John  had  often  worshiped.  He  saw,  no  doubt,  all  the  furniture 
peculiar  to  such  a  place,  but  the  things  which  especially  claimed  his  atten- 
tion were  the  seven  golden  lamp-stands,  and  the  high  priest  clothed  in  his 
priestly  robes,  who  was  walking  among  them.  This  high  priest  revealed 
himself  to  the  apostle  not  only  as  the  Son  of  man  but  also  as  the  Son  of 
God,  possessed  of  divine  attributes.  John  at  once  recognized  him  as  the 
Saviour,  whom  he  had  not  seen  since  he  had  parted  with  him,  sixty  years 
before,  on  the  summit  of  Olivet.  This  high  priest  commands  John  to  write 
the  things  he  had  seen,  the  things  which  were,  and  the  things  which 
were  to  be  hereafter ;  and  John  obeys.  In  chapter  I  he  writes  of  the 
vision  he  had  seen.  In  the  epistles  to  the  seven  churches,  contained  in 
chapters  II  and  III,  he  writes  of  the  things  that  then  existed  in  the  church 
on  earth.  And  now,  as  we  leave  the  second  part  of  this  book,  and  before 
we  enter  upon  the  third,  let  us  discuss  a  few  thoughts  which  could  not  be 
appropriately  discussed  in  the  exposition  of  any  one  of  the  seven  epistles. 

L  Notice  THE  REMARKABLE  SIMILARITY  in  the  structure  of  these  epis- 
tles. They  are  the  work  of  the  same  mind  and  the  same  hatnd ;  they  have 
all  been  run  in  the  same  mould.  As  I  have  had  occasion  to  say  so  often, 
they  all  contain  the  same  general  divisions.  And  there  is  a  similarity  be- 
tween the  corresponding  divisions  which  cannot  be  overlooked.     The  first 


84  LECTURE   XI. 

division,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  command  to  write,  is  expressed  in  the  same 
words,  save  the  name  of  the  church  to  which  the  epistle  is  addressed.  It 
is  to  be  observed  that  though  each  epistle  is  intended  for  the  entire  church, 
it  is  addressed  to  the  angel  or  pastor  of  the  church.  This  indicates  the  rep- 
resentative character  of  the  true  pastor,  his  responsibility  for  the  congre- 
gation to  which  he  ministers,  and  his  oneness  with  his  people.  And  it  seems 
that  these  three  things  are  fulfilled,  not  in  Congregationalism,  or  in  Episco- 
pacy, but  in  the  Presbyterian  form  of  church  government. 

In  the  second  division,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  titles,  there  is  a  similarity  in 
this, — ^these  titles  are  all  drawn  from  the  introductory  vision  until  that 
vision  is  exhausted,  and  then  similar  titles,  gathered  from  other  parts  of 
the  word  of  God,  are  chosen.  But  all  these  titles  point  so  manifestly  to 
the  promised  Christ,  that  there  never  has  been  and  never  can  be  a  doubt  as 
to  the  person  speaking. 

In  the  third  division,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  actual  message,  there  is  always 
a  declaration  of  knowledge,  introduced  by  the  unvarying  formula,  "  I  know 
thy  works."  And  there  is  in  each  message,  praise  and  blame,  threatening 
and  exhortation,  suited  to  the  circumstances  of  the  church  addressed. 

In  the  fourth  division,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  promise,  that  promise  is  always 
addressed  to  him  that  overcometh ;  and  though  there  is  a  variation  in  the 
things  promised,  they  all  refer  to  heaven. 

The  fifth  division,  viz.,  the  Saviour's  call  to  universal  attention  and  obe- 
dience, is  always  expressed  in  the  same  words,  "he  that  hath  an  ear,  let  him 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches." 

11.  Notice  THE  REMARKABLE  VARIETY  in  the  contents  of  these  epistles. 
This  is  most  noticeable  in  the  second,  third  and  fourth  divisions ;  for  the 
first  and  fifth  remain  substantially  the  same  in  all  the  epistles. 

The  titles  by  which  the  Saviour  reveals  himself  have  a  direct  and  beauti- 
ful bearing  on  the  circumstances  of  the  church  addressed.  He  reminds  the 
members  of  the  Ephesian  church  who  were  forsaking  their  first  love,  that 
he  held  the  seven  stars  in  his  hand,  and  that  he  walked  in  the  midst  of  the 
seven  golden  candlesticks;  that  he  was  therefore  able  to  take  away  the  stars, 
that  is,  the  ministry,  and  to  remove  the  candlestick,  that  is,  the  church,  if 
they  did  not  repent  and  do  their  first  works.  He  reminds  the  members  of 
the  church  in  Smyrna,  who  were  in  poverty  and  tribulation,  that  he  was  the 
first  and  the  last,  who  was  dead  and  is  alive ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  could 
sympathize  and  deliver.  He  reminds  the  members  of  the  church  in  Per- 
gamos,  who  were  tolerating  Balaamites  and  Nicolaitanes,  that  he  held  a 
sharp  sword  with  two  edges ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  could  smite  and  kill. 
He  reminds  the  members  of  the  church  in  Thyatira,  who  were  tolerating 
that  woman  Jezebel  and  her  sinful  children,  that  his  eyes  were  like  a  flame 
of  fire,  and  his  feet  were  like  fine  brass  ;  and  that,  therefore,  any  sin,  how- 


QENEBAL  BEMAEE8  ON  THE  EPISTLES.  85 

ever  hidden,  could  not  be  concealed  from  his  sighfc,  and  that  no  combination 
could  sacoessfolly  oppose  the  stately  steppings  of  his  onward  progress.  He 
reminds  the  members  of  the  church  in  Sardis,  who  had  only  a  name  to  live, 
while  they  were  dead,  that  he  held  the  seven  spirits  of  God  and  the  seven 
stars ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  alone  was  able  to  revive  their  hearts.  He 
reminds  the  members  of  the  church  in  Philadelphia,  who  were  poor  and 
despised,  and  yet  faithful  to  his  name,  that  he  was  holy  and  true,  that  he 
had  the  key  of  David,  that  when  he  opened,  none  shut,  and  when  he  shut, 
none  opened ;  and  that,  therefore,  their  place  and  their  crown  in  his  Father's 
house  could  not  be  taken  away  from  them.  He  reminds  the  members  of 
the  church  in  Laodicea,  who  were  lukewarm  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  that 
he  was  the  amen,  and  the  faithful  and  true  witness  ;  and  that,  therefore, 
the  emphatic  testimony  he  bore  against  them  could  not  be  questioned. 

There  is  a  noticeable  diversity  in  the  Saviour's  messages,  as  well  as  in 
his  titles.  He  knew  the  works  of  them  all,  and  he  suited  his  message  t6 
the  condition  of  each  church.  For  two  of  them,  Smyrna  and  Philadelphia, 
he  has  nothing  but  praise ;  for  one  of  them,  Laodicea,  he  has  nothing  but 
blame ;  for  the  others,  praise  and  blame  are  mingled  in  different  proportions ; 
in  some  the  praise  predominates,  in  others  the  blame. 

There  is  also  a  noticeable  diversity  in  the  Saviour's  promises  to  the  final 
victor.  To  one,  he  promises  the  tree  of  life;  to  another,  freedom  from  the 
second  death ;  to  another,  the  hidden  manna  and  the  white  stone ;  to  another, 
power  over  the  nations  and  the  morning  star ;  to  Another,  white  raiment ; 
to  another,  that  he  would  be  a  pillar  in  the  heavenly  temple;  and  to  another, 
that  he  would  have  a  place  on  the  throne  of  glory. 

These  points  of  similarity  and  dissimilarity  deserve  attention.  In  this 
respect  these  epistles  stand  alone.  Nothing  like  them  is  to  be  found  else- 
where in  the  word  of  God.  The  epistles  of  Paul  resemble  each  other  in  a 
few  particulars,  but  it  is  impossible  to  trace  any  general  resemblance  in 
structure.  The  four  gospels  have  to  do  with  the  same  life  and  with  the 
same  work,  and  yet  they  are  not  written  on  the  same  plan.  These  seven 
epistles,  one  in  structure  and  varied  in  contents,  stand  apart  from  the  rest 
of  inspiration.  Their  similarity  makes  them  easily  remembered ;  the  di- 
versity of  their  contents  makes  them  interesting;  therefore  they  have  ever 
held,  and  they  will  ever  continue  to  hold,  a  high  place  in  the  heart  of  the 
people  of  Qod. 

III.  Let  us  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  persons  to  whom  these  epistles  were 
addressed,  or  rather  of  the  ghxtrches  which  are  described  in  these  epis- 
tles. In  a  previous  lecture  I  stated  that  some  expositors  regard  these 
seven  epistles  as  giving  an  unbroken  history  of  the  church  from  the  days 
of  John  to  the  consummation  of  all  things.  Let  me  give  a  brief  sketch  of 
this  theory.     I  will  not  attempt  to  fix  the  dates,  for  every  advocate  of  the 


86  LECTURE  XI. 

theory  has  his  own  system  of  chronology  ;  I  will  give  only  a  general  out- 
line. According  to  this  theory,  the  epistle  to  the  church  in  Ephesus 
describes  the  condition  of  the  church  during  the  two  or  three  centuries 
which  followed  the  apostolic  age.  During  these  centuries  the  church  begun 
to  leave  its  first  love.  Pagan  philosophers  corrupted  it,  so  that  Christians 
did  not  have  the  same  fervent  love  which  the  apostles  had.  And  these 
words  in  the  epistle  to  the  church  in  Ephesus  do  describe  the  state  of  the 
church  during  this  period :  "  I  have  somewhat  against  thee  because  thou 
hast  left  thy  first  love.  Remember,  therefore,  from  whence  thou  art  fallen, 
and  repent,  and  do  the  first  works,  or  else  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly.'' 

After  this,  violent  persecutions  arose,  which  continued  about  a  hundred 
years.  One  Roman  emperor  after  another  tried  to  destroy  the  church. 
During  these  years,  the  saints  were  in  poverty  and  tribulation.  The  names 
of  some  of  the  distinguished  martyrs  of  that  period  have  been  preserved 
in  history,  but  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  were  called  to  seal  their 
testimony  with  their  blood,  whose  names  have  long  been  forgotten  on  earth| 
though  they  occupy  no  mean  place  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  This  period 
is  supposed  to  be  described  in  the  ep&tle  to  the  church  of  Sardis,  where  it 
is  said, ''  Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  sufier;  behold  the 
devil  shall  cast  some  of  yon  into  prison  that  ye  may  be  tried ;  and  ye  shall 
have  tribulation  ten  days.  Be  thou  faithfnl  unto  death,  and  I  will  give 
thee  a  crown  of  life." 

After  this,  under  Constantino  and  his  successors,  there  was  a  union  of 
the  church  and  state.  The  church  was  put  under  the  power  of  the  state. 
Emperors,  recently  converted  from  heathenism,  with  many  of  their  heathen 
prejudices  still  clinging  to  them,  ruled  over  the  saints  of  God,  and  by  their 
authority  and  example  introduced  into  Christian  worship  nuiny  of  the  sinful 
practices  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  in  the  temples  of  their  idols. 
Under  their  influence  the  church  became  so  corrupt,  though  some  were 
faithful,  that  it  has  been  called  a  baptized  paganism.  This  period  is  sup- 
posed to  be  described  in  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Pergamos,  where  it  is 
said,  "  Thou  hast  there  them  that  hold  the  doctrine  of  Balaam,  who  taught 
Balak  to  cast  a  stumbling-block  before  the  children  of  Israel,  to  eat  things 
sacrificed  unto  idols,  and  to  commit  fornication.  So  hast  thou  also  them 
that  hold  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitanes,  which  thing  I  hate.'' 

Afler  thb.  Papacy  lorded  it  over  the  consciences  of  men  in 'the  seventh 
and  following  centuries.  Even  in  these  dark  ages  there  were  a  few  who 
were  fidthful ;  but  the  great  mass  of  the  church  was  too  corrupt  and  de- 
graded to  be  described.  Damning  heresies  in  doctrine  and  foul  immo- 
ralities in  practice  were  the  rule,  and  not  the  exception.  So  impure  and 
unholy  did  the  church  of  Rome  become,  that  she  well  deserves  the  name 
of  the  great  harlot,  which  is  given  to  her  in  the  Scriptures.  Every  one 
who  can  have  patience  to  read  the  history  of  the  Popes  during  these  ages 


QENEaAL  REMARKS  ON  THE   EPISTLES.  87 

to  which  I  refer^  will  see  the  appropriateness  of  this  name.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  church  of  Rome  is  described  in  the  epistle  to  the  church  of 
Thjatira,  under  the  name  of  ^*  that  woman,  Jezebel."  And  it  must  be 
oon&ssed,  eyen  by  those  who  reject  this  theory,  that  the  similarity  is  won- 
derful. ''Thou  sufferest  that  woman  Jezebel,  which  calleth  herself  a 
prophetess,  to  teach  and  to  seduce  my  servants  to  commit  fornication,  and 
to  eat  things  sacrificed  unto  idols.  And  I  gave  her  space  to  repent  of  her 
fornication ;  and  she  repented  not.  Behold,  I  will  cast  her  into  a  bed,  and 
them  that  commit  adultery  with  her  into  great  tribulation,  except  they 
repent  of  their  deeds." 

After  this  the  reformation  began  to  dawn.  Here  and  there  a  brave  soul 
testified  against  the  corruptions  of  the  dominant  church,  and  sealed  his 
testimony  with  his  blood.  But  these  faithful  ones,  though  their  names 
are  to  be  held  in  lasting  remembrance,  made  little  headway  against 
that  great  church,  which  had  a  name  to  live  while  it  was  dead.  This  is 
supposed  to  be  described  in  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Sardis  :  "  Thou 
hast  a  few  names,  even  in  Sardis,  which  have  not  defiled  their  garments ; 
and  they  shall  walk  with  me  in  white  ;  for  they  are  worthy." 

After  this,  came  the  time  of  the  second  reformation,  of  the  Puritans, 
of  the  Methodists,  and  of  others,  whose  intense  zeal  stirred  the  world.  It 
was  a  time  of  revivals  and  of  missions.  Old  established  churches  were 
quickened  into  new  life,  and  the  banner  of  the  cross  was  planted  in  almost 
every  land  under  the  whole  heaven.  Such  a  time  of  spiritual  activity  and 
of  missionary  effort  had  not  been  seen  since  the  apostolic  age.  AH  this 
has  been  going  on  during  the  past  two  centuries ;  and  all  this  is  supposed 
to  be  described  in  the  epistle  to  the  church  of  Philadelphia,  before  which 
Qcd  had  opened  a  door  of  usefulness,  which  no  man  could  shut.  The 
missionary  efforts  and  the  success  of  the  church  are  supposed  to  be  de- 
scribed in  the  words,  ^'  Behold,  I  will  make  them  of  the  synagogue  of 
Satan,  which  say  they  are  Jews,  and  are  not,  but  do  lie  ;  behold,  I  will  make 
Uiem  to  come  and  worship  before  thy  feet,  and  to  know  that  I  have  loved 
thee," 

According  to  this  theory,  this  sixth  period,  which  is  described  in  the 
sixth  epistle,  is  just  eading,  and  we  are  entering  upon  the  seventh  and  last 
period,  which  is  described  in  the  epistle  to  the  Laodicean  church.  It  is  a 
period  of  lukewarmness,  of  outward  profession,  but  of  spiritual  death — a 
period  which  excites  the  intense  loathing  and  disgust  of  the  loving  Saviour, 
and  which  is  before  very  long  to  give  place  to  the  startling  scenes  of  the 
promised  mUienium. 

This  is  the  theory  to  which  I  have  referred.  It  is  certainly  beautiful 
and  plausible.  But  is  it  true  ?  Were  these  epistles  designed  by  the  Spirit 
to  give  a  consecutive  history  of  the  church  from  the  time  of  John  to  the 
end  of  the  present  order  of  things  ?     I  think  not,  for  the  reason  already 


88  LECTURE   XI. 

stated.  The  high  priest  whom  John  saw  in  the  midst  of  the  golden  can- 
dlesticks, told  him  to  write  the  things  which  then  were ;  and  this  command 
he  obeys  in  these  seven  epistles.  For  this  reason,  so  plain  and  so  simple 
that  it  must  be  convincing,  I  believe  that  the  seven  epistles  do  not  describe 
the  church  then  future,  but  the  church  as  it  then  existed  on  the  earth. 
But  while  this  is  true^  human  nature,  and  even  sanctified  human  nature,  is 
the  same  in  all  ages.  Individual  experience  and  the  history  of  the  church 
are  continually  repeating  themselves.  Therefore,  though  these  episties 
have  primary  reference  to  the  church  and  the  Christians  of  eighteen  hun- 
dred years  ago,  we  may  expect  to  find  in  them  much  that  is  descriptive  of 
every  age  since  and  much  that  is  profitable  for  every  Christian  now. 

But  it  may  be  said,  "  if  these  epistles  were  intended  to  describe  the  church 
as  it  then  existed,  why  are  they  just  seven  in  number?  There  were  cer- 
tainly more  churches  than  seven  ;  and  those  whose  names  are  mentioned 
in  tfhese  chapters  are  not  by  any  means  the  largest  and  most  celebrated  of 
the  churches  in  the  days  of  John.''  It  is  true  there  were  more  than  seven 
churches,  but  the  number  seven,  as  has  been  said  more  than  once,  is  the 
symbol  of  completeness.  Therefore,  according  to  scripture  language,  seven 
churches  would  include  the  complete  church. 

Permit  me  to  say  something  with  regard  to  the  symbolical  numbers  of 
the  Scriptures.  The  following  statement  is  condensed  irom  one  of  the 
ablest  writers  of  the  day — Dr.  J.  A.  Seiss — and  while  I  cannot  endorse 
his  entire  theory,  I  think  it  in  the  main  correct.  In  this  statement  I  will 
omit  his  argument  and  give  only  his  conclusion.  One,  the  source  and 
parent  of  all  numbers,  stands  for  Grod,  the  first  great  cause,  the  unity  of 
heaven.  Two,  which  proceeds  from  one  and  rests  on  one,  stands  for 
Christ,  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity.  Three  is  the  number  of  individ* 
ual  completeness,  and  it  stands  for  the  Trinity.  As  man  is  body,  soul  and 
spirit,  three  in  one,  so  the  Godhead  is  Father,  Son  and  Spirit,  three  in 
one.  Four  is  the  worldly  number,  and  represents  the  creation  of  G-od.  To 
illustrate :  There  are  four  elements,  four  points  of  the  compass,  the  four 
seasons,  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  four  cherubim  in  Ezekielfs  vis- 
ion. Five  is  the  number  of  incompleteness.  Five  fingers  are  but  half 
of  what  pertains  to  a  complete  man.  The  five  wise  virgins  and  the 
five  foolish  virgins  each  represent  but  a  part  of  the  human  race.  Six  is 
Satan's  number.  Six,  written  three  times,  for  three  is  the  number  of  in- 
dividual completeness,  represents  the  individual  completeness  of  all  evil. 
Therefore,  this  number,  viz.,  666,  is  the  number  of  anti-Christ.  On  the 
sixth  day  of  the  week  Christ  was  crucified,  and  this  is  yet  the  usual  day 
for  the  execution  of  criminals.  May  it  not  be  that  the  popular  supersti- 
tion that  Friday,  the  sixth  day  of  the  week,  is  the  most  unlucky  of  the 
seven,  may  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  this  is  Satan's  number?  Seven  is 
the  number  of  dispcnsational  fullness,  or  completeness  in  the  manifesta- 


GENBBAL  REMARKS  ON  THE  EPISTLES.  89 

doDs  of  God's  grace.  Thus  there  are  the  seven  days  of  the  week,  the 
seven  epistles,  the  seven  spirits  of  God,  the  seven  stars,  the  seven  candle- 
sticks, the  seven  seals,  the  seven  trumpets,  the  seven  vials.  In  fact,  the 
book  of  Revelation  may  be  called  the  book  of  sevens.  Eight  is  the 
number  of  a  new  beginning.  Thus  the  eighth  day  is  the  beginning  of  a 
new  week.  Noah  was  the  eighth  person  saved  from  the  flood,  and  the  fa- 
ther of  a  new  world.  Ten  is  the  number  of  worldly  completion.  There 
are  ten  fingers  in  the  complete  man.  The  moral  law  has  ten  command- 
ments. The  virgins,  who  represented  the  entire  church  in  the  world,  were 
ten,  five  wise  and  five  foolish.  Twelve  is  the  number  of  final  complete- 
ness. There  are  twelve  months  in  the  year,  twelve  tribes  of  Isf'ael,  twelve 
apostles  of  the  lamb,  twelve  gates  in  the  New  Jerusalem  and  twelve  fruits 
on  the  tree  of  life.  It  will  be  well  to  remember  the  significance  of  the^e 
Scripture  numbers,  for  thus  we  will  be  assisted  in  understanding  the  mys- 
terious visions  which  are  shortly  to  engage  our  attention. 

lY.     We  may  learn  from  these  seven  epistles  what  the  Saviour  regards 

as  THE  TRUE  GHARA0TERI8TI0S  OF  HIS  EARTHLY  FOLLOWERS.      In   Cach 

church  he  finds  some  faithful,  and  he  describes  them.  In  Ephesus,  there 
were  ihose  who  labored  and  were  patient  and  who  could  not  bear  them 
that  were  evil.  In  Smyrna,  there  were  those  who  unflinchingly  endured 
all  the  persecutions  and  tribulations  which  came  upon  them.  In  Pergamos, 
there  were  those  who  had  not  denied  the  Saviour's  name,  and  who  had  held 
fast  the  Saviour's  faith.  In  Thyatira,  there  were  those  who  had  charity, 
service,  faith  and  patience,  and  who  were  making  progress  in  these  things, 
for  their  last  works  were  more  than  their  first.  In  Sardis,  there  were  those 
who  had  not  defiled  their  garments,  and  who  walked  in  unspotted  robes 
even  in  the  midst  of  the  pollutions  of  the  world.  In  Philadelphia,  there 
were  those  who  had  kept  the  Saviour's  word  and  had  not  denied  his  name. 
In  Laodicea^  there  were  those  who  had  received  rebukes  and  chastisements 
as  the  evidences  of  the  Father's  love.  And  these  are  the  characteristics  of 
the  saints  yet.  If  we  have  not  all,  or  at  least  some  of  these  characteris- 
tics, we  have  no  right  to  flatter  ourselves  that  we  are  among  the  people 
who  have  been  bought  with  a  price,  and  who  are  marching  to  the  freedom 
of  glory. 

v.  We  may  learn  from  these  epistles  something  of  what  heaven  is. 
We  often  long  to  know,  but  our  longings  are  not  fully  gratified.  However, 
a  few  glimpses  are  vouchsafed  to  us.  There  is  not  in  the  word  of  God, 
except  in  the  closing  chapters  of  this  book,  a  more  complete  revelation  of 
the  joys  and  honors  of  heaven  than  is  to  be  found  in  the  promises  which 
conclude  these  seven  epistles,  and  which  have  undoubted  reference  to  the 
heavenly  rest.  The  victors  of  Ephesus  were  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life,  which 


90  LECTURE   XI. 

is  in  the  midst  of  the  paradise  of  God,  The  victors  of  Smyrna  were  to 
be  delivered  from  the  second  death.  The  victors  of  Pergamos  were  to  eat 
of  the  hidden  manna,  and  to  receive  the  white  stone  and  the  new  name. 
The  victors  of  Thjatira  were  to  have  power  over  the  nations  and  to  receive 
the  morning  star.  The  victors  of  Sardis  were  to  be  clothed  in  white  raiment. 
The  victors  of  Philadelphia  were  to  be  pillars  in  the  temple  of  God,  which 
could  never  be  shaken,  and  on  which  were  to  be  inscribed  forever  the  name 
of  Gk>d,  of  the  church,  and  of  the  Saviour.  The  victors  of  Laodicea  were 
to  sit  with  Christ  on  his  throne.  Place  all  these  promises  together  in  beautiful 
harmony,  and  you  have  a  picture  of  that  heaven  towards  which  some  of  us 
are  traveling,  and  into  which  we  all  may  enter  through  the  new  and  living 
way  which  Jesus  has  opened.  When  we  stand  beneath  the  tree  of  life  and 
partake  of  its  life-giving  fruit ;  when  we  are  not  disturbed  by  a  single  fear 
of  the  second,  the  everlasting  death ;  when  we  eat  of  the  manna  laid  up 
in  heaven,  and  wear  the  signet  ring  of  the  great  king  set  with  the  brilliant 
gem,  on  which  is  engraven  the  new  name  of  the  new- born  child  of  glory  ; 
when  we  rule  the  world,  and  enter  upon  the  light  and  beauty  of  the  morning 
star,  which  is  Christ  the  Lord ;  when  we  walk  in  the  white  robes  of  glory, 
which  will  never  grow  old,  and  which  nothing  can  defile  ;  when  we  stand 
evermore  like  pillars  around  the  throne  to  make  known  to  principaUties  and 
powers  the  love  of  God,  and  the  history  of  the  church,  and  the  grace  of 
the  Saviour;  when  we  sit  with  Christ  on  his  everlasting  throne — then  we 
will  be  in  heaven. 

VI.  These  epistles  look  to  the  present  as  well  as  to  the  future.  They 
are  mirrors,  in  which  we  can  see  ourselves  reflected.  Which  of  these  churches 
do  we  resemble  ?  We  must  resemble  some  one  of  them,  for  these  seven 
churches  embrace  all  possible  conditions  of  the  earthly  church.  I  have 
not  time  to  dwell  on  this  point.  I  therefore  leave  it  as  a  subject  of  self- 
examination.  But  if  it  is,  as  I  greatly  fear,  that  we  most  resemble  the 
church  of  Laodicea,  which  was  lukewarm,  and  neither  cold  nor  hot,  let  us 
tremble  at  the  threatening  addressed  to  that  church  :  ^'  I  will  spue  thee  out 
of  my  mouth."  Let  us  heed  the  tender  exhortation,  ^'  Behold,  I  stand  at 
the  door,  and  knock ;  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."  And  let  us 
struggle  to  obtain  for  ourselves  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise,  ^'  Him  that 
overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as  I  also  over- 
came, and  am  set  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne." 


THE   VISION   0¥   HEAVEN.  91 


LECTURE    XII. 


THE  VISION  OF  HEAVEN. 

After  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  wus  opened  in  heaven  :  and  the  first 
voice  which  I  heard  was  au  it  were  of  a  trumpet  talking  with  me  ;  which  said, 
Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  shew  thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter.  And 
immediately  I  was  in  the  Si)irit :  and,,  behold,  a  throne  was  set  in  heaven,  and 
one  sat  on  the  throne.  And  he  that  sat  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a 
sardine  stone:  and  there  was  a  rainbow  round  about  tne  throne,  in  sight  like 
unto  an  emerald.  And  round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats  :  and 
upon  the  seats  I  saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment ; 
and  they  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold. — K£Y.  4:  1-4. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  third,  the  prophetic  part  of  this  book,  viz.,  the 
history  of  what  was  to  be  after  the  days  of  John.  It  is  a  history  of  won- 
derfnl  events,  of  wars  and  of  rumors  of  wars,  of  judgments  mingled  with 
mercies,  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations,  and  of  the  onward  progress  of  the 
church  towards  its  final  glory.  These  many  events,  so  wonderful,  so  con- 
fusing and  so  complicated,  cannot  be  intelligently  studied  from  an  earthly 
standpoint.  Therefore,  John  was  carried  in  the  spirit  into  heaven,  and 
thence  was  permitted  to  look  upon  the  things  which  were  to  be.  If  we 
would  be  successftd  in  our  investigation  of  these  visions,  we  must  study 
them  from  the  same  standpoint,  we  must  look  upon  them  from  the  heaven- 
ly side. 

Such  visions  as  those  John  was  about  to  see  have  not  often  been  vouch- 
safed to  men.  They  were  visions  which  unfolded  in  some  measure  the 
plans  of  God  for  the  triumph  of  the  church  and  the  punishment  of  his 
enemies.  The  man  who  was  to  receive  such  revelations  as  these  needed 
special  preparation.  He  needed  to  have  his  faculties  sharpened,  and  his 
soul  filled  with  awe  and  reverence.  John  is  therefore  introduced  into  what 
we  might  call  the  great  council  of  heaven,  and  is  permitted  to  see  the  king 
and  his  servants,  as  they  devise  and  carry  out  the  decrees  of  heaven.  This 
scene,  which  introduces  the  opening  of  the  seals,  the  blowing  of  the  trum- 
peta,  and  the  pouring  out  of  the  vials,  fitted  the  apostle  for  the  revelations 
which  he  was  about  to  receive,  and  which  he  was  commissioned  to  make 
known  to  all  the  generations  of  coming  time.  This  introductory  vision  is 
contained  in  chapters  IV  and  V.  In  that  part  of  it  which  will  constitute 
the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  there  are  these  points,  of  which  I  will 
speak  in  their  order  ;  the  place  of  the  heavenly  vision  ;  the  heavenly  throne 
and  its  occupant  and  its  overarching  rainbow ;  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders. 

I.  The  place  op  the  heavenly  vision  is  described  in  these  words: 
**  after  this  I  looked,  and,  behold,  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven  :  and  the 


92  LBOTURE   XII. 

first  voice  which  I  heard  was  as  it  were  of  a  trampet  talking  with  me ; 
which  said,  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show  thee  things  which  must  be 
hereafter.  And  immediately  I  was  in  the  Spirit."  Let  us  return  for  a 
few  moments  to  the  apostle's  first  vision.  He  was  exiled  to  Patmos  "  for 
the  word  of  God  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus."  On  a  certain  Sabbath, 
the  Spirit  took  possession  of  him,  and  in  the  introductory  vision  he  saw 
the  interior  of  a  magnificent  tabernacle  with  its  candlestick  and  its  high 
priest.  That  high  priest,  who  was  none  other  than  the  great  High  Priest 
of  our  profession,  commanded  John  to  write  an  epistle  to  each  of  <ihe  seven 
churches  of  Asia,  epistles  which  were  to  describe  the  things  which  then 
were.  But  now,  higher  and  holier  things  were  to  be  revealed  to  the  seer 
of  Patmos.  His  strengthened  eye  was  to  look  through  all  the  centuries 
yet  to  come ;  he  was  to  see  the  mustering  of  Satan's  hosts,  their  fierce  at- 
tacks on  the  church,  their  final  and  hopeless  defeat ;  he  was  to  see  the 
mighty  army  of  the  redeemed  marching  to  glory,  and  the  gathering  of  the 
general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  bom ;  he  was  to  see  the  great 
things  which  God  has  in  reserve  for  his  children  when  they  are  all  brought 
to  their  heavenly  home.  To  see  all  this,  it  was  fitting  that  he  should  be 
introduced  into  other  scenes  than  those  which  had  been  an  appropriate 
background  for  the  former  vision.  Therefore,  a  door  was  opened  in  heaven. 
It  was  not  a  window,  through  which  he  might  look  and  catch  glimpses  of 
what  was  transpiring  on  the  other  side.  It  was  a  door,  through  which  he 
could  enter,  and  through  which,  as  we  will  see  by  and  by,  he  did  enter  in 
spirit,  and  stand  in  the  very  midst  of  the  things  he  was  moved  to  describe. 
We  may  well  believe  that  the  entranced  apostle,  when  he  saw  the  door 
opened  which  led  to  the  mysteries  of  heaven,  and  beheld  the  bright 
glimpses  of  the  reflected  glory,  and  heard  the  voices  and  the  thunderings 
which  proceeded  from  the  throne,  was  astonished  beyond  measure ;  but  his 
astonishment  was  to  be  greater  still.  As  he  stood  gazing  up  into  that  open 
door,  as  many  years  before  he  had  stood  gazing  up  into  heaven  after  the 
ascending  Saviour,  he  heard  a  voice  speaking  unto  him.  It  was  a  voice 
he  had  heard  before,  with  which  he  was  familiar,  which  had  spoken  with 
him  at  the  first,  and  which  had  given  him  the  epistles  to  the  seven  church- 
es. There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  whose  voice  it  was,  for  in  chapter  1 :  10, 
11,  it  is  said,  *'  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  heard  behind 
me  a  great  voice,  as  of  a  trumpet,  saying,  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  first 
and  the  last."  This  same  "Alpha  and  Omega"  now  addressed  the  apos- 
tle, for  the  words,  ''  the  first  voice  which  I  heard,"  do  not  mean,  as  they 
seem  to  mean  in  our  translation,  that  this  was  the  first  voice  which  he 
heard  in  the  present  vision,  but  the  first  voice  which  he  had  heard  in  the 
former  vision. 

The  voice  of  this  speaker  was  clear  and  startling,  like  the  stirring  call 
of  a  trumpet,  but  it  uttered  words  of  blessed  invitation.     "  Come  up  hith- 


THE  VISION   OF  HEAVEN.  93 

er,  and  I  will  show  thee  things  which  mnst  he  hereafter."  John  obeyed 
the  invitation.  It  is  tme,  he  does  not  tell  us  in  so  nuuiy  'words  that  he 
entered  the  open  door,  bat  we  know  from  what  he  tells  us  afterwards  that 
he  did  stand  in  the  midst  of  the  things  whioh  he  saw ;  and  he  does  tell  ns 
that  immediately  he  was  in  the  Spirit.  That  is,  the  Spirit  took  possession 
of  his  faculties,  and  carried  them  whithersoever  he  would ;  he  opened  his 
eyes  to  see  things  they  would  not  otherwise  have  seen,  and  unstopped  his 
ears  to  hear  things  they  would  not  otherwise  have  heard.  I  suppose  the 
bodj  of  the  apostle  remained  on  the  island  of  Patmos,  and  that  the  visions 
he  saw  were  made  to  pass  before  him.  But  this  is  a  matter  of  little  im- 
portance. Wherever  he  was,  these  wonderful  pictures  of  the  ^ture  were 
unrolled  in  his  presence.  It  wUl  help  us  to  underatand  these  visions,  if  we 
imitate  the  inspired  apostle's  manner  of  speaking,  and  describe  all  that  he 
saw  as  actual  occurrences.  You  will  not,  therefore,  misunderstand  me,  if  in 
my  future  lectures  I  speak  of  the  visions  as  verities , 

John  entered  the  open  door  of  heaven.  Let  us  with  reverent  hearts 
follow  his  footsteps.  Some  day,  and  that  before  very  long,  a  similar  invi- 
tation will  be  addressed  to  us.  In  the  last  hours  of  dissolving  nature, 
when  heart  and  flesh  faint  and  fail,  the  words  "  come  up  hither  "  will  be 
whispered  in  our  ears.  Those  who  stand  around  us  will  not  hear  them, 
but  our  souls  will  be  quick  to  hear  and  obey.  Then  will  we,  in  actual 
fact,  stand  in  the  midst  of  those  glorious  scenes,  which  we  so  vainly  try 
to  realize  to-day.  But  even  now  we  can,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit, 
who  led  the  apostle,  enter  the  presence  of  the  throne.  While  waiting  to 
enter  let  us  gather  up  in  our  memories  the  manner  in  which  the  saints  of 
old  approached  the  mysteries  of  God,  and  let  us  with  reverence  and  humil- 
ity follow  their  example.  Like  Moses  at  the  burning  bush,  let  us  put  our 
polluted  sandals  firom  our  feet,  for  the  crystal  pavement  on  which  we  are 
to  stand  is  holy  ground.  Like  the  children  of  Israel  at  Sinai,  let  us  trem- 
ble at  the  sights  we  are  to  see,  and  the  voices  we  are  to  hear.  Like  the 
apostles  on  the  mount  of  Transfiguration,  let  us  fear  as  we  enter  the  cloud 
of  glory.  Like  the  apostles  on  the  mount  of  Olivet,  let  us  gaze  steadfast- 
ly into  heaven. 

The  thought  is  indeed  thrilling  and  sublime.  We  are  to  see  the  mov- 
ing forces  which  govern  human  destiny  as  they  emanate  from  the  throne 
of  the  universe.  We  are  to  see  where  the  thunderbolts  of  Jehovah's 
wrath  are  forged,  where  his  lightnings  are  stored,  and  where  the  plague 
and  pestilence  are  kept  until  the  time  comes  for  them  to  do  their  deadly 
work  on  earth.  We  are  to  see  the  agents  of  God  as  they  receive  their 
commissions  to«go  forth  and  execute  the  divine  will,  and  we  are  to  watch 
them  as  they  destroy  kingdoms,  and  set  up  kings,  and  make  all  things 
work  together  for  the  good  of  the  saints.  We  are  to  see  the  hidden  ma- 
chinery of  those  divine  providences  by  which  human  affairs  are  ruled  and 


94  LECTURE   XII. 

humaD  destiD  J  fixed.  We  are  to  see  that  the  things  which  tiUDSpire  on 
earth  are  but  the  working  out  of  the  decrees  of  heaven.  In  one  word,  we 
are  to  see  the  hand  of  God  as  it  guides  the  whole  creation  for  his  glory. 
Let  us,  then,  with  reverence  and  awe  enter  with  John  the  open  door  of 
heaven,  and  see  the  things  which  he  saw,  and  hear  the  things  which  he 
heard,  and  learn  from  the  very  source  of  all  knowledge  the  things  which 
were  to  be  thereafter. 

II.  The  first  thing  which  John  saw  when  he  entered  the  open  door 
was  THE  QREAT  THRONE  OF  HEAVEN.  This  is  the  second  division  in 
the  subject  of  my  morning's  lecture.  But  before  we  enter  upon  its  oon- 
sideration,  let  us  describe,  in  general  terms,  the  heavenly  scenery  in  which 
the  apostle  stood.  The  tabernacle  and  its  furniture,  which  the  apostle  saw 
in  the  former  vision,  had  vanished,  and  a  more  exalted  scene  now  presented 
itself.  All  the  heavenly  landscape  is  not  described  at  once.  Piece  by  piece 
it  is  brought  into  view  as  it  attracts  the  notice  of  the  seer,  or  aa  it  is  ne- 
cessary to  explain  his  successive  visions.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that 
the  scenery  which  now  appears  before  his  eyes  remains  unchanged  till  the 
end  of  the  book.  Let  us,  then,  by  gathering  up  what  is  revealed  to  us 
in  this  and  the  following  chapters,  and  framing  them  together  into  one 
harmonious  whole,  get  before  our  minds  a  clear  idea  of  the  celestial  country 
which  John  saw.  I  will  give  only  the  general  outlines.  The  details  will 
be  left  till  I  have  occasion  to  explain  them.      • 

First  of  all,  there  was  a  wide  extended  plain,  beautiful  beyond  compari- 
son. A  gentle  river,  called  the  River  of  the  Water  of  Life,  flowed  through 
it.  Branching  trees,  covered  with  all  kinds  of  fruit,  and  with  leaves  for 
the  healing  of  the  nations,  lined  its  banks  with  their  grateful  shade.  There 
was  a  sea  whose  crystal  waves,  never  rufiied  by  storm  or  tempest,  forever 
reflected  back  the  glory  of  the  surrounding  shores.  In  the  midst  of  this 
plain,  just  where  the  river  of  life  bubbled  up  from  the  celestial  earth,  a 
throne  was  placed  on  which  sat  the  Majesty  of  Heaven,  and  around  which 
were  gathered  his  worshipers  and  servants.  Not  far  distant  is  a  temple, 
builded,  but  not  with  earthly  hands,  after  the  similitude  of  Solomon's  tem- 
ple. Here  and  there  we  catch  glimpses  of  the  angels  as  they  hurry  through 
the  heavenly  country,  doing  the  will  of  their  Gtod,  or  as  they  return  fi*om 
earth  to  report  their  missions  fulflUed.  Away  in  the  distance  is  a  mountain, 
the  mountain  of  the  heavenly  Zion,  crowned  by  the  New  Jerusalem  with 
its  walls  of  jasper,  and  gates  of  pearl,  and  streets  of  gold,  and  palaces  of 
radiant  beauty.  And  then,  far  below  the  plain  on  which  the  apostle  stood, 
spread  out  like  a  map,  was  this  world  of  ours,  whose  history  is  to  be  de- 
scribed in  the  visions.  All  this  plain,  and  city,  and  temple  were  illuminated, 
not  by  a  oandlcior  by  the  sun,  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  them,  and 
the  Lamb  was  their  light.     This  is  a  brief  and  imperfect  sketch  of  what 


THE   VISION   OF   HEAVEN.  95 

John  saw.  Let  us  get  it  firmly  fixed  in  our  minds,  for  we  will  have  oceasion 
to  refer  to  it  again  and  again,  as  we  fill  it  up  with  the  necessary  details; 
and  unleas  we  bear  it  in  mind,  we  will  have  a  dim  and  indistinct  impression 
of  what  the  apostle  saw  and  heard. 

When  John,  in  the  Spirit,  passed  through  the  open  door  of  heaven  and 
stood  on  this  extended  plain,  the  first  thing  which  claimed  his  attention, 
and  which  he  was  moved  to  describe,  was  the  great  throne  of  heaven  :  "  Be- 
hold, a  throne  was  set  in  heaven."  The  question  may  present  itself  here,  do 
the  throne  and  its  surroundings,  afterwards  to  be  described,  represent  the 
orclinary  employments  and  appearance  of  heaven?  Or  do  they  represent 
something  extraordinary?  I  have  no  doubt  they  represent  the  latter. 
Earthly  kings  sometimes  gather  their  servants  and  councillors  about  them 
to  consult  and  decide  concerning  important  affairs  of  state.  This  seems  to 
be  the  figure  here.  The  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords  has  taken 
his  seat  upon  his  royal  throne  ;  he  has  summoned  the  princes  of  heaven 
to  meet  with  him,  and  they  have  taken  their  places  on  their  appropriate 
seats.  They  are  in  consultation  as  to  the  best  way  in  which  to  punish 
sinners  and  to  bring  about  the  final  glory  of  the  redeemed  in  accordance 
with  the  divine  plan.  This  is  the  key  which  unlocks  the  meaning  of  that 
wonderful  assembly  which  is  about  to  be  described. 

The  throne  which  John  saw  was  not  a  vacant  one.  One  sat  upon  it,  but 
that  one  the  apostle,  with  true  reverence,  does  not  undertake  to  describe. 
It  was  Jehovah  himself;  and  his  glory  can  neither  be  seen  by  human  eye 
nor  be  described  in  human  language.  The  apostle  tells  us  only  that  he 
who  sat  upon  the  throne  '^  was  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine 
stone.'*  Jasper  is  the  name  of  a  precious  stone  often  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures ;  it  was  one  of  the  twelve  stones  inserted  in  the  high  priest's 
breast-plate ;  it  is  the  first  of  the  twelve  foundations  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
The  characteristics  of  this  stone,  as  they  are  specified  in  the  Scriptures, 
are  that  it  is  "  most  precious,"  and  "  like  crystal."  That  is,  it  is  brilliant 
and  transparent.  The  stone  which  is  now  known  by  this  name  does  not 
accord  with  this  description.  It  is  opaque,  and  of  a  red,  yellow  or  green 
hue.  In  no  respect  does  it  resemble  the  jasper  of  the  Bible.  It  has  there- 
fore been  thought  that  the  diamond  is  meant,  for  this  fully  answers  the 
description ;  and  unless  this  beautiful  and  valuable  stone  is  described  by 
the  name  of  jasper,  it  has  no  place  in  the  visions  of  John.  The  sardine 
or  sardius,  or  sardony,  for  it  is  called  by  all  these  names,  is  also  a  precious 
.stone  frequently  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.  Its  modem  name  is  sard.. 
It  was  one  of  the  stones  in  the  breast-plate  of  the  high  priest;  it  was  the 
sixth  of  the  twelve  foundations  of  the  New  Jerusalem ;  it  is  a  superior 
variety  of  the  agate,  and  different  specimens  differ  widely  in  color.  In 
ancient  days  there  was  a  bright  red  variety  which  was  most  esteemed,  and 
it  is  supposed  that  this  is  the  variety  which  is  referred  to  in  the  words 


96  LECTURE   XII. 

under  consideratioii.  He  who  sat  upon  the  throne  was  in  appearance  like 
the  jasper  and  the  sardius ;  that  is,  his  appearance  had  the  brilliancy  of 
the  diamond,  mingled  with  the  bright  red  of  the  sard.  In  other  words,  he 
had  the  appearance  of  a  mighty  prince,  clothed  in  brilliant  purple  robes  of 
state.  From  this  description  we  cannot  reach  any  definite  conception  of 
the  likeness  of  him  who  sat  upon  the  throne ;  nor  is  it  intended  that  we 
should.  Jehovah  is  beyond  our  conceptions,  and  it  is  profane  for  us  to 
go  beyond  the  mysterious  indefiniteness  of  inspiration.  But  it  must  be 
remembered  that  from  him  who  sat  upon  the  throne,  and  who  was  to  look 
upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone,  there  beamed  forth  an  unchanging 
light  which  illuminated  the  heavenly  land. 

The  terrible  majesty  of  him  who  sat  upon  the  throne  was  reliev      an 
softened  by  the  overarching  bow  of  promise,  in  which,  as  in  every  rainbow 
which  spans  the  natural  heavens,  green  seemed  to  predominate.     '^There 
was  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne  in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald."  The 
emerald,  like  the  other  precious  stones  which  have  just  been  described, 
was  one  of  the  precious  stones  in  the  high  priest's  breast-plate,  and  one  of 
the  foundations  of  the  New  Jerusalem.     Its  appearance  need  not  be  de- 
scribed, for  it  is  familiar  to  us  all.    Nor  need  we  describe  the  rainbow,  that 
thing  woven  out  of  rain  drops  and  sunbeams,  for  there  is  not  one  of  us  who 
has  not  looked  upon  it  and  been  enraptured  with  its  beauty.    The  rainbow 
has  always  been,  from  its  nature  as  well  as  from  its  associations,  an  emblem 
of  peace.     It  appears  in  the  heaven  when  the  violence  of  the  storm  ha» 
passed ;  when  the  rain  is  ceasing;  when  the  newly  watered  earth  puts  on 
its  brightest  robes,  and  when  the  sun  unvails  its  faoe.     It  is  a  sure  pledge 
that  the  tempest  is  over,  that  the  war  of  the  elements  has  ceased,  and  that 
God  is  again  smiling  on  the  earth.     But  it  is  its  associations  which  espe- 
cially make  it  the  emblem  of  peace.     It  reminds  us  of  Noah,  standing 
upon  the  summit  of  Ararat ;  it  reminds  us  of  the  covenant  when  Gk>d  set 
his  bow  in  the  doud  and  promised  that  he  would  never  again  destroy  the 
earth  with  a  flood.     The  rainbow  overarching  the  throne  was  a  beautiful 
emblem  of  the  mercy  of  Gt>d,  and  of  the  unbroken  peace  which  ever 
reigns  in  heaven.     It  is  true,  there  were  thunderings  and  lightnings,  but 
the  bow  perpetually  bending  over  all,  gave  promise  of  a  mercy  and  a  peace 
which  should  never  end. 

in.  We  were  to  speak  of  the  four  and  twentt  elders.  '^And 
round  about  the  throne  were  four  and  twenty  seats:  and  upon  the  seats  I 
saw  four  and  twenty  elders  sitting,  clothed  in  white  raiment;  and  they  had 
on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.''  These  four  and  twenty  elders,  whoever 
they  were,  occupied  thrones  in  heaven,  for  the  same  word  is  used  in  the 
original  to  describe  their  seats  which  is  used  to  describe  the  great  central 
throne,  though  our  translators  have  rendered  it  by  a  different  word.     Of 


THE   VISION   OF   HEAVEN.  97 

coarse,  these  thrones  did  not  equal  in  dignity  and  majesty  the  throne  of 
Jehovah,  but  still  they  were  thrones,  and  those  who  sat  upon  them  were 
kings.  But  who  were  the  four  and  twenty  elders  ?  They  were  not  angels. 
They  were  men,  purchased  by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  for  in  their  song  of  praise 
they  expressly  say,  'Hhou  hast  redeemed  us.'*  They  were  not  individual 
men,  but  representatives  of  great  multitudes,  for  it  is  absurd  to  suppose  that 
there  are  only  twenty-four  redeemed  ones ;  and  in  the  song  of  praise  to 
which  I  have  referred,  they  say,  ^'  thou  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy 
blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation."  We  are, 
therefore,  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  they  are  representatives  of  the 
glorified  church,  of  the  saints  whom  God  had  already  brought  to  heaven ; 
juBt  as  the  four  beasts,  as  I  will  try  to  show  in  another  lecture,  are  the 
representatives  of  the  church  militant,  of  the  saints  who  are  yet  fighting 
the  battles  of  God  and  doing  his  will  on  the  earth. 

These  elders  are  four  and  twenty  in  number.  We  may  suppose,  from  the 
brief  description  here  given,  that  their  thrones  were  arranged  in  a  semi- 
circle, twelve  on  one  side  of  the  great  central  throne,  and  twelve  on  the 
other.  In  my  last  lecture,  I  said  that  twelve  was  the  number  of  final  com- 
pleteness. Therefore  these  elders,  arranged  by  twelves  and  in  number 
twelve  twice  told,  would  show  that  those  whom  they  represented  were  com- 
plete in  glory.  These  persons  are  called  "  elders,*'  not  so  much  because 
they  occupy  the  position  of  rulers,  as  because  they  are  the  eldest  of  the 
children  of  God,  the  first  born  in  his  celestial  home.  It  was  theirs  to  enjoy 
the  heavenly  reward  a  little  longer  than  their  brethren  who  yet  remained 
on  the  earth.  These  elders  were  clothed  in  white  raiment.  This  shows 
their  purity,  their  complete  sanctification,  and  their  entire  freedom  from  all 
the  pollutions  which  sometimes  stain  the  garments  of  the  earthly  saints. 
They  had  on  their  heads  crowns  of  gold.  These  golden  crowns,  as  well  as 
the  thrones  on  which  they  were  sitting,  show  that  they  have  the  kingly  honor 
of  reigning  with  Christ.  And  this  we  learn,  not  only  from  their  symbolical 
crowns  and  thrones,  but  also  from  that  song  which  they  sing,  'Hhou  hast 
redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation  ]  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests ;  and 
we  shall  reign  on  the  earth."  It  is  to  be  observed  that  these  elderS|  the 
representatives  of  the  glorified  church,  sat  unmoved  upon  their  thrones, 
though  out  of  the  great  central  throne  proceeded  thunderings  and  light- 
nings. They  knew  that  while  for  others  there  might  be  wrath,  indignation, 
anguish  and  death,  for  them  there  was  joy^  peace,  love  and  mercy  forever 
and  ever. 

We  can  proceed  no  further  in  our  exposition  of  the  heavenly  vision  in 
our  present  lecture,  but  let  us  lay  the  foundation  for  ^ture  expositions  by 
fixing  in  our  memory  the  points  we  have  already  attained.     By  continued 

7 


98  LECTURE    XIII. 

meditation  let  us  gain  as  clear  an  idea  as  we  can  of  the  celestial  scenery,  of 
the  great  white  throne  and  its  occupant,  and  its  overarching  bow,  and  of 
the  four  and  twenty  kings,  with  their  shining  apparel  and  their  golden 
crowns,  who  are  the  elders  in  the  church  of  the  first  bom  and  the  repre- 
sentatives of  all  the  glorified.  And  for  our  encouragement  we  will  do  well 
to  remember  that  these  things,  though  they  are  strange  to  us  now,  and 
here,  will  before  very  long  become  part  of  our  daily  experiences.  Heaven 
is  but  a  little  way  from  earth.  Some  of  these  days  or  nights,  if  we  are 
the  sons  of  the  highest,  a  door  will  be  opened  in  heaven  and  we  will  hear 
a  voice  saying  unto  us,  come  up  hither  and  I  will  show  thee  the  things 
which  Gk)d  has  in  reserve  for  them  that  love  him.  Of  course, — ^need  I  say 
it  ? — this  glory  is  only  for  those  who  in  life  are  reconciled  to  God  through 
the  atonement  of  Christ.  Are  you  thus  reconciled  ?  God  grant,  when 
that  time  comes,  and  we  hear  the  voice  and  enter  the  open  door,  we  may, 
with  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  oast  our  crowns  before  the  throne  and  cry, 
'Hhou  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood." 


LECTURE   XIII. 


THE  VISION  OF  HEAVEN— Continuicd. 

And  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings  and  thunderings  and  voices  :  and 
there  were  seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven 
Spirits  of  God.  And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass  like  unto 
crystal :  and  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about  the  throne,  were  four 
beasts,  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind.  And  the  first  beast  was  like  a  lion,  and 
the  second  beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third  beast  had  a  face  as  a  man,  and  the 
fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.  And  the  four  beasts  had  each  of  them 
six  wines  about  him ;  and  they  were  full  of  eyes  within :  and  they  rest  not  day 
and  nignty  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is, 
and  is  to  come.  And  when  those  beasts  give  glory  and  honor  and  thanks  to 
him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,  saying,  Thou  art 
worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor  and  power :  for  thou  hast  created 
all  things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created. — Rkv.  4:  5-11. 

In  our  last  lecture,  we  made  some  progress  in  explaining  the  apostle's 
introductory  vision.  In  spirit,  we  entered  with  him  into  the  open  door  of 
heaven,  and  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  celestial  scenery,  whose  ouUines  we 
briefly  sketched.  We  are  now  to  continue  our  explanations.  In  the  sub- 
ject of  the  present  lecture,  the  following  points  are  brought  out,  and  we 
will  discuss  them  in  their  order :  the  lightnings  and  the  thunderings  and 
the  voices  which  proceeded  from  the  throne ;  the  seven  lamps  before  the 


THE  VISION   OF  HEAVEN — CONTINUED.  99 

throne ;  the  sea  of  glass ;  the  four  living  ones ;  and  the  heavenly  worship. 
While  we  discuss  these  points^  let  us  not  forget  that  they  do  not  stand 
alone ;  they  are  intimately  connected  with  what  goes  before  and  with  what 
follows. 

I.  The  apostle  tells  us  that  out  of  the  throne  of  him  who  was  in  ap- 
pearance like  a  mighty  prince,  clothed  in  his  brilliant  and  purple  robes  of 
state,  there  "  proceeded  LiQHTNiNas  and  thunderings  and  voioes." 
The  throne  on  which  Jehovah  sat  was  not  his  throne  of  grace,  which  we 
tan  always  approach  with  holy  boldness,  for  from  it  no  angry  thunderings 
are  ever  heard  to  issue ;  it  was  a  throne  of  judgment,  from  which  indig- 
nation and  destmction  would  go  forth  upon  the  enemies  of  the  churoh. 
It  is  true,  judgment  would  be  mingled  with  mercy,  for  while  lightnings 
and  thunderings  and  voices  proceeded  from  the  throne,  that  throne  was 
evermore  encircled  by  the  bow  of  promise,  which  is  the  emblem  of  peaee. 
We  aro  reminded  here  of  what  the  children  of  Israel  saw  and  heard  when 
they  stood  at  the  foot  of  smoking  Sinai.  '^  It  came  to  pass  on  the  third 
day  in  the  morning,"  so  the  inspired  narrative  reads,  ^*  that  there  were 
thunderings  and  lightnings,  and  a  thick  cloud  upon  the  mount,  and  the 
voice  of  the  trumpet  exceeding  loud;  so  that  all  the  people  that  was  in  the 
camp  trembled."  But  it  is  to  be  observed  that  the  four  and  twenty  rep- 
resentatives of  the  glorified  churoh  did  not  tremble,  though  they  stood 
close  to  the  place  whence  these  mighty  manifestations  of  the  divine  power 
were  ever  issuing.  They  had  been  redeemed  to  God  by  the  death  of  his 
Son,  and  that  redemption  covered  them  like  a  shield.  If  we  have  been 
reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  his  Son,  we  need  not  fear  any  of  the 
judgments  which  are  pronounced  in  this  book,  for  ^^  we  are  not  come  unto 
the  mount  that  might  be  touched,  and  that  burned  with  fire,  nor  unto 
blackness,  and  darkness,  and  tempest,  and  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and 
the  voice  of  words.  *  *  *  But  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city 
of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumerable  com- 
pany of  angels,  to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  bom, 
which  axe  written  in  heaven." 

II.  The  next  thing  which  the  apostle  was  moved  to  mention  was  the 
SEVEN  LAMPS  which  Were  burning  before  the  throne.  **And  there  were 
seven  lamps  of  fire  burning  before  the  throne,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits 
of  God."  Where  these  lamps  were  placed,  or  how  they  were  arranged, 
except  that  it  was  before  the  throne,  we  do  not  know.  In  forming  a  men- 
tal picture  of  the  vision,  we  may  place  them  in  any  order,  for  the  order 
does  not  seem  to  be  material,  or  it  would  have  been  revealed.  But  we  are 
at  no  loss  to  know  what  is  signified  by  these  lamps,  for  their  signification 
is  explained.     It  seems  as  if  the  author  of  the  Revelation  thought  we 


100  LEOTUBE   XIII. 

might  confuse  these  lamps  with  the  seven  candlesticks  of  a  former  yision, 
which  represented  the  church  on  the  earth  :  and  therefore  he  tells  us  that 
they  are  ^'  the  seven  Spirits  of  God."  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
this  is  a  description  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  is  compared  to  a  lamp  be- 
cause bis  great  work,  in  the  divine  plan  of  redemption,  is  to  enlighten 
the  heart  and  the  world.  These  lamps  are  before  the  throne,  for  the 
Spirit  proceeds  from  the  Father.  These  lamps  are  ever  burning,  for  the 
Spirit's  work  is  unceasing ;  he  is  ever  as  a  light  burning  in  a  dark  place. 
These  lamps  are  seven  in  number,  for  seven  is  the  number  of  gracious 
completeness  and  perfection  ;  they,  therefore,  shadow  forth  the  plenitude 
of  the  Spirit's  manifold  operations.  This  description  calls  to  memory 
John's  introductory  salutation  in  chapter  I.  "  Grace  be  unto  you,  and 
peace,  from  him  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to  come ;  and  from 
the  seven  Spirits  which  are  before  his  throne,  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  who  is 
the  faithful  witness,  and  the  first  begotten  of  the  dead,  and  the  prince  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth."  In  the  vision  we  are  now  considering,  two  of 
the  three  persons  of  the  adorable  Trinity  are  revealed.  The  Father  is  sit- 
ting upon  the  throne ;  the  Holy  Ghost  is  burning  before  the  throne.  In 
the  next  chapter,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  appear  under  the  emblem  of 
a  lamb,  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 

III.  The  next  thing  of  which  the  apostle  was  moved  to  speak  was 
THE  SEA  OF  GLASS.  "And  before  the  throne  there  was  a  sea  of  glass 
like  unto  crystal."  These  words  describe  the  plain  or  pavement,  on  which 
the  throne  of  Gtod  and  the  seats  of  the  elders  were  placed.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  parallel  passages.  When  Moses,  Aaron,  Nadab,  Abihu,  and  the 
seventy  elders  went  up  into  Mount  Sinai,  "  they  saw  the  God  of  Israel ; 
and  there  was  under  his  feet  as  it  were  a  paved  work  of  a  sapphire  stone, 
and  as  it  were  the  body  of  heaven  in  his  clearness."  In  the  vision  of 
Esekiel,  the  plain  on  which  the  throne  of  God  rested  was  the  '^  likeness 
of  the  firmament,  as  the  color  of  the  terrible  crystal."  These  passages 
mutually  explain  each  other.  The  throne  of  G^d,  and  all  surrounding  it 
and  connected  with  it,  stood  upon  a  plain  which  resembled  a  wide  sea^ 
solid,  transparent,  and  full  of  inexpressible  beauty  and  splendor.  The 
beautiful  clearness  and  transparency  of  this  plain  is  represented  by  a 
three-fold  comparison.  It  was  like  a  sea ;  it  was  like  a  sea  of  glass ;  it 
was  like  a  sea  of  glass,  clear  as  crystal.  This  sea-like  plain  is  said  to  be 
before  the  throne,  because  this  was  the  only  part  of  it  which  came  within 
the  range  of  the  apostle's  vision.  A  spectator,  standing  in  front,  as  John 
is  represented  as  standing,  could  see  only  that  part  of  the  celestial  plain 
which  was  before  the  throne,  and  which  was  within  the  semi-circle  of  the 
four  and  twenty  seats ;  but  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  whole  of 
the  heavenly  landscape,  and  not  this  portion  alone,  was  '*  a  sea  of  ^ass 
like  unto  crystal." 


THB  VISION  OF  HEAVBN — CONTINUED.  101 

^  JY.  The  next  thing  of  whieh  the  apostle  w&s  moved  to  speak  was 
THS  FOUB  BBA8T8.  ''And  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  abont 
the  throne,  were  four  beasts  fhll  of  eyes  before  and  behind."  The  trans- 
ktion  here  is  an  unfortunate  ODe.  The  word  "  beasts"  conveys  to  us  the 
idea  of  wDd  beasts  or  monsters,  and  in  subsequent  chapters  of  this  book, 
beasts  of  this  character  are  described;  but  the  Greek  word  used  to  describe 
them  is  not  the  same  word  which  is  here  employed.  The  word  here  used 
literally  means  living  creatures.  It  is  indeed  applied  to  animals,  but  it  is 
always  applied  to  them  to  express  the  idea  that  they  have  life.  When 
UuB  term  is  used,  this  idea  should  be  kept  in  prominent  view.  I  will 
therefore  uniformly  speak  of  the  four  which  John  saw,  not  as  beasts,  but 
as  living  ones. 

The  position  of  these  living  creatures  with  reference  to  the  throne  is  not 
very  clearly  expressed.  They  are  said  to  be  '^  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
and  round  about  the  throne."  But  remembering  that  John's  imagery  is 
largely  drawn  from  the  Old  Testament,  a  reference  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment will  perhaps  help  us  here.  We  know  that  the  thrones  of  the  Jewish 
kings  were  supported  by  carved  images.  We  have  a  minute  description 
of  Solomon's  throne,  around  which  twelve  lions  stood.  The  description 
in  the  words  we  are  now  consideriDg  seems  to  point  to  a  similar  arrange- 
ment. The  throne  of  God  rested  not  on  carved  lions,  as  the  throne  of 
Solomon  did,  but  on  these  four  living  creatures.  Their  fiu^es,  each  one 
differing  from  the  others,  were  outward,  while  their  bodies  were  under* 
neath  the  throne  and  supported  it.  This  explanation  makes  plain  the 
words  which  describe  the  position  of  the  living  creatures.  They  were  "  in 
the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  round  about  the  throne."  These  four  living 
ones  in  John's  vision  are  drawn  partly  from  Isaiah's  vision,  and  partly 
from  Esekiel'Si  From  EzekieFs  vision,  we  have  their  number,  their  name 
and  their  appearance ;  from  Isaiah's  vision,  we  have  their  wings  and  their 
song. 

But  what  is  represented  by  these  four  living  ones  ?  This  is  a  question 
which  has  been  answered  in  so  many  ways  that  the  mind  is  bewildered  as 
it  attempts  to  recall  them.  Some  say  that  they  are  the  four  evangelists ; 
others,  that  they  are  the  four  dispensations ;  others,  that  they  are  the  four 
cardinal  virtues  of  the  saints  ;  others,  that  they  are  four  great  nations  of 
the  world;  others,  that  they  are  four  great  systems  of  religion ;  others,  that 
they  are  God's  providential  forces  by  which  he  governs  the  world ;  others, 
that  they  are  mere  angels.  And  these  are  only  some  of  the  theories  which 
have  been  advanced.  Which  of  these  theories  shall  we  adopt  ?  Or  shall 
we  reject  them  all  ?  What  is  represented  by  these  four  living  ones  ?  Will 
the  similar  visions  of  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel  give  us  any  assistance  in  answer- 
ing  this  question?  The  seraphim  that  Isaiah  saw,  were  undoubtedly 
holy  and  unfallen  angels ;  the  living  creatures  that  Ezekiel  saw,  were  in 


^ 


102  LECTURE  XIII. 

all  probability  God's  providential  forces ;  but  the  living  ones  of  John's  vis- 
ion were  neither  unikllen  angels  nor  providential  forces,  because  in  their 
song  of  praise  recorded  in  the  next  chapter,  they  refer  with  thankful  hearts 
to  their  redemption  through  the  blood  of  Jesus.  The  angels  were  never 
redeemed,  for  they  needed  no  redemption ;  and  it  is  the  height  of  absurdity 
to  speak  of  providential  forces  or  of  an  abstract  idea  as  being  redeemed 
by  the  blood  of  Christ.  The  visions  of  Isaiah  and  Ezekiel  will  not,  then,, 
help  us  in  determining  who  are  meant  by  the  four  living  ones.  This  vision 
of  John  stands  by  itself,  and  it  b  only  by  studying  all  its  various  parts, 
that  we  can  reach  a  correct  conclusion.  ^ 

The  first  and  most  obvious  thing  is  this :  the  living  ones  represent  men,, 
for  none  but  men  can  sing  the  song  they  sang,  '^  thou  hast  redeemed  us  to 
Ood  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation."  This  seems  so  obvious,  that  no  statement  or  argument  can  make 
it  plainer.  This  shows  at  once  that  there  can  be  no  truth  in  those  theories 
which  make  the  living  creatures  to  represent  angels,  or  providential  forces,, 
or  cardinal  virtues,  or  religious  systems,  or  abstract  ideas,  for  all  these  are- 
outside  the  province  of  redemption.  Another  thing  which  is  obvious  is^ 
that  the  living  creatures  represent  redeemed  men.  This  shows  that  there- 
can  be  no  truth  in  those  theories  which  make  the  living  creatures  repre- 
sent nations  or  political  powers.  And  these  living  creatures  were  four.  I 
had  occasion  to  say  in  a  former  lecture,  that  four  was  in  Scripture  the 
worldly  number.  If  this  is  correct,  then  the  four  living  creatures  would 
represent  the  redeemed  men  who  were  then  on  the  earth.  In  other  words,, 
they  would  be  the  representatives  of  the  earthly  church,  just  as  the  four 
and  twenty  elders  were  the  representatives  of  the  glorified  church. 

But  let  us  see  how  this  hypothesb  wUl  i^ree  with  the  other  parts  of  the 
vision.  The  living  creatures,  as  we  have  seen,  were  upholding  the  throne 
of  Ood,  This  is  the  province  of  the  earthly  church.  This  world  of  ours 
is  a  stage  on  which  the  glorious  attributes  of  the  Godhead  are  exhibited. 
This  is  not  an  idle  dream,  but  a  matter  of  plain  revelation ;  for  Paul  says, 
*<  to  the  intent  that  now  unto  principalities  and  powers  in  heavenly  places 
might  be  known  by  the  church  the  manifold  vnsdom  of  Gtod"  ;  that  is,  the 
church  in  its  redemption  reveals  to  all  the  universe  the  love,  the  mercy,, 
the  power,  the  justice,  the  faithfulness  and  all  the  manifold  attributes  of 
God.  And  what  is  this  but  upholding  the  throne  of  God  ?  What  is  this 
but  lifting  up  the  Majesty  of  heaven  that  he  may  receive  the  homage  of 
all  ?  This  will  appear  more  evident  when  we  compare  the  attitude  of  the 
four  and  twenty  elders  with  that  of  the  four  living  creatures.  The  former 
had  finished  the  work  which  had  been  given  them  to  do  and  they  were 
resting  in  heaven ;  while  the  latter  were  yet  actively  engaged  in  supporting 
the  throne ;  that  is,  they  were  actively  engaged  in  making  known  and  ez-^ 
alting  the  declarative  glory  of  Gtod. 


THE   VISION   OF   HEAVEN — CONTINUED.  103 

The  four  living  creatures  were  <*  full  of  eyes.''  They  looked  in  all  di- 
rections, and  were  unceasing  in  their  watchfulness.  This  is  descriptive  of 
the  church  militant.  It  looks  hackwardi(  and  rejoices  in  the  glorious  things 
which  are  written  in  its  past  history  ;  it  looks  forward,  and  rejoices  in  the 
more  glorious  things  which  are  yet  to  he;  it  watches  on  every  hand  for  op- 
portunities for  doing  good  and  glorifying  Qod.  All  this  is  represented  by 
the  many  eyes  of  the  living  creatures. 

The  living  creatures  did  not  all  have  the  same  appearance.  ''And  the 
first  beast  was  like  a  lion,  and  the  second  beast  like  a  calf,  and  the  third 
beast  had  a  face  as  a  man,  and  the  fourth  beast  was  like  a  flying  eagle.'' 
It  is  probable,  from  this  brief  description,  that  their  bodies,  which  were  un- 
derneath the  throne  and  supported  it,  were  alike,  and  that  the  only  differ- 
ence was  in  their  ftces,  which  looked  outward.  This  difference,  whether 
suggested  by  the  standards  carried  by  the  four  divisions  of  the  army  of 
Israel,  or  by  the  four  natural  divisions  in  the  animate  creation,  describes 
the  chief  characteristics  of  the  earthly  church.  The  lion  is  the  emblem  of 
boldness ;  and  the  church  militant  is  bold.  It  stands  unmoved  in  the 
presence  of  enemies  and  dangers ;  it  goes  wherever  duty  calls  it  to  go  ;  its 
voice  makes  thrones,  and  dominions,  and  systems  of  iniquity  to  tremble. 
The  church  is  as  bold  as  a  lion.  The  calf,  or  rather  the  young  ox,  for  this 
is  the  exact  translation  of  the  original  word,  is  the  emblem  of  patient  en- 
durance. And  the  church  has  patiently  borne  every  yoke  the  Master  has 
laid  upon  its  neck.  It  has  endured  labor,  persecution  and  poverty.  The 
human  countenance  is  the  emblem  of  intelligence  and  authority.  And 
the  church,  in  all  its  activity,  has  manifested  a  wisdom  which  is  more  than 
human.  When  it  speaks,  like  its  divine  Master,  it  speaks  as  one  having 
authority.  The  eagle  is  the  emblem  of  rapid  and  untiring  exertion.  And 
the  church  has  been  quick  to  respond  to  the  commands  of  its  Lord,  and 
untiling  in  its  obedience.  Every  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  redemption  must  see  that  the  courage,  and  the  patience,  and  the  intelli- 
geaee,  and  the  untiring  zeal  of  the  earthly  church  is  beautifully  represented 
by  the  four  living  creatures,  which  had  the  appearance  of  the  courageous 
Hon,  and  the  patient  ox,  and  the  intelligent  human  countenance,  and  the 
flying  eagle. 

Each  one  of  these  living  creatures  had  six  wings.  ''And  the  four 
beasts  had  eacti  of  them  six  wings  about  him,  and  they  were  full  of  eyes 
within."  The  six  wings,  teeming  with  eyes,  are  but  an  emphatic  repeti- 
tion of  the  idea  already  expressed  and  explained.  The  six  wings  repre- 
sent the  untiring  activity  which  is  also  represented  by  the  flying  eagle. 
The  untiring  activity  of  the  earthly  church  in  the  service  of  God  is 
brought  once  more  to  our  notice  in  the  unceasing  worship  of  the  living 
creatures.  "  They  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying.  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord 
Ood  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come."    Their  worship  is  given 


101  LECTURE  XIII. 

to  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  is  descrihed  as  past,  present,  aod  to  oome. 
These  words  express  the  self-existenoe  and  unchangeableness  of  Ood.  They 
are  in  fact  identical  with  that  revelation  which  was  made  to  Moses;  "  I  am 
that  I  am."  They  are  but  a  translation  of  the  mysterious  name,  Jehovah. 
To  this  Jehovah,  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and  forever,  holiness 
is  ascribed.  The  repetition  of  a  word  is  a  common  Hebrew  idiom  to  de- 
note great  emphasis.  Therefore  the  word  ^'  holy,"  three  times  repeated, 
would  mean  "  thrice  holy,'*  or  **  very  holy."  It  may  also  point  to  the  mys- 
tery of  the  Trinity.  But  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that  in  the  Sinaitic  man- 
uscript, one  of  the  most  ancient  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament,  the 
word  ^'holy  "  is  repeated  eight  times,  instead  of  three  times,  as  in  our  ver- 
sion. And  this  is  the  ascription  of  praise  which  is  ever  going  up  from  the 
earthly  church.  In  different  languages,  spoken  by  different  persons,  in 
different  places,  it  is  continually  ascending  to  heaven.  The  voice  of  praise 
follows  the  sun  in  his  ceaseless  course  around  the  world.  While  we  sle^, 
others  are  worshiping ;  and  we  worship  while  others  sleep.  When  we  re- 
member that  Christians  are  to  be  found  in  every  country  under  the  whole 
heaven,  and  that  they  are  offering  praises  and  prayers  in  the  closet,  at  the 
family  altar,  in  the  social  meeting  and  in  the  public  assembly,  not  in  our 

■ 

own  city  alone,  but  in  every  city,  town  and  hamlet,  we  can  see  that  these 
words  do  describe,  beautifully  and  truthfully,  the  attitude  of  the  earthly 
church:  "they  rest  not  day  and  night,  saying,  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God 
Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  and  is  to  come." 

V.  We  have  a  description  of  the  heavenly  worship.  Verses  9-11. 
In  these  words  we  have,  in  the  first  place,  the  object  of  the  heavenly  wor- 
ship. It  is  paid  "to  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  who  liveth  forever."  In 
the  second  place,  we  have  the  subject  matter  of  the  heavenly  worship.  It 
ascribes  "  glory  "  to  Ood,  for  he  has  a  name  which  is  above  every  name  ; 
it  ascribes  "  honor"  to  God,  for  to  him  every  knee  should  bow,  and  every 
tongue  should  confess;  it  ascribes  "  thanks"  to  God,  for  he  has  bestowed 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  all  that  fhllness  of  joy  which  prompts  their 
unending  worship.  In  the  third  place,  we  have  the  worshipers,  vis.,  the 
four  living  ones  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  former  representing  the 
church  militant,  the  latter  the  church  glorified.  It  is  worthy  of  special 
note,  that  the  earthly  church  is  the  leader  in  this  worship.  ^  It  is  as  if  the 
glorified  saints  ever  wait  till  the  battling  ones  on  earth  begin  the  song. 
Whenever  they  experience  a  great  deliverance,  or  win  a  great  victory,  or 
have  a  great  manifestation  of  the  divine  love,  and  begin  their  praise,  then 
those  who  have  already  entered  heaven  join  in  the  song.  What  an  honor 
is  ours  !  Without  us,  the  saints  in  heaven  are  not  made  perfect.  In  the 
fourth  place,  we  have  the  attitude  of  the  worshipers.  "  The  four  and  twenty 
elders  fall  down  before  him  that  sat  on  the  throne,  and  worship  him  that 


THE  8EALSD  BOOK.  105 

liTeth  forever  and  ever,  and  cast  their  crowns  before  the  throne,"  because 
they  owe  all  their  past  triumphs,  and  all  their  present  glory,  to  him  whom  they 
worship.  In  the  fifth  place,  we  have  the  song  they  sing.  '^  Thou  art  worthy, 
O  Lord,  to  receive  glory  and  honor  and  power :  for  thou  hast  created  all 
things,  and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created."  This  song  re- 
quires litUe  explanation,  for  the  thoughts  contained  in  it  are  familiar  to  us 
all.  God  has  created  all  things  for  his  pleasure,  and  for  his  pleasure  they 
are  sustained  in  being ;  therefore  he  b  worthy  to  have  all  glory,  and  honor, 
and  power  ascribed  to  him  by  all  his  intelligent  creatures  forever  and  ever. 

I  cannot  conclude  this  lecture  without  calling  your  attention  to  the  fact 
which  is  so  prominently  brought  to  view,  that  the  church  in  heaven  and  the 
church  on  earth  are  one.  They  have  the  same  God  and  the  same  Saviour; 
their  representatives  stand  beside  the  same  throne  and  join  in  the  same 
worship.  Surely,  then,  we  have  no  right  to  expect  to  belong  to  the  former, 
unless  we  first  belong  to  ihe  latter.  The  church  visible  is  the  only  door 
through  which,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  we  can  enter  the  church  glorified. 
If,  therefore,  you  have  any  ^esire  to  enter  the  church  in  heaven,  I  commend 
to  your  serious  consideration  the  claims  of  the  church  on  earth.  Is  there 
any  one  who  is  so  indifferent  to  his  own  happiness,  and  to  a  place  at  God's 
right  hand,  that  he  is  willing  to  cast  away  the  golden  opportunity  of  the 
present  as  a  useless  thing  ?  I  put  it  to  your  consciences,  if  you  can  hope 
for  clemency  hereafter,  when  you  despise  the  privileges  now  within  your 
reach,  and  neglect  the  invitations  which  you  so  often  hear  ?  By  the  golden 
erowns  and  spotless  robes  of  the  future,  by  your  own  longings  for  happiness, 
by  the  love  with  which  the  Saviour  has  loved  us,  I  charge  you  to  give  heed 
to  these  things,  and  by  earnest  faith  and  holy  living  begin  the  communion 
with  the  church  which  will  never  be  broken,  and  the  song  of  redemption 
which  will  never  end. 


LECTURE  XIV. 


THE  SEALED  BOOK. 

And  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  eat  on  the  throne  a  book  written 
within  and  on  the  back  side,  sealed  with  seven  seals.  And  I  saw  a  strong  angel 
proclaiming  with  a  loud  vice,  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  hook,  and  to  loose 
the  seals  thereof?  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth, 
was  ahle  to  open  the  hook,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And  I  wept  much,  hecause 
no  man  was  found  worthv  to  open  and  to  read  the  hook,  neither  to  look  thereon. 
And  one  of  the  elders  saith  unto  me,  Weep  not:  behold,  the  Lion  of  the  tribe 
of  Jnda,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the 
seven  seals  thereof.     And  1  beheld,  and,  lo,  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of 


106  LEGTURS   XIV. 

the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  elders,  stood  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain, 
haying  seven  horns  and  seven  eyes,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God  sent 
forth  into  all  the  earth.  And  he  came  and  took  the  book  out  of  the  right  hand 
of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne. — BsY.  6  :  1-7. 

We  are  to  enter  once  more  into  the  council  of  heaven.  As  we  listen 
to  the  sublime  revelations  which  are  to  be  made,  let  us  not  forget  that 
the  scene  already  described  remains  unchanged.  The  celestial  landscape, 
whose  outlines  were  briefly  sketched,  with  its  river  and  tree  of  life,  its 
mi^ifioent  temple,  its  mountain,  whose  summit  is  adorned  with  the  New 
Jerusalem,  and  its  multitudes  of  busy  angels,  is  unaltered.  In  the  imme- 
diate foreground,  there  is  the  central  throne,  from  which  proceed  the  thunder- 
ings  and  lightnings,  and  over  which  arches  the  rainbow,  the  emblem  of 
perpetual  peace.  We  see  the  thrones  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  glorified  church  ;  we  see  the  four  living  ones,  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  earthly  church,  supporting  tbe  throne  of  God.  We  stand 
upon  the  heavenly  plain,  as  it  were  the  paved  work  of  a  sapphire  stone,  and 
as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  clear  as  ciystal.  But  beautiful  as  the  scene  is,  our 
human  and  sinftd  hearts  are  not  satisfied.  There  is  something  lacking,  some- 
thing for  which  every  ransomed  soul  must  long  with  unutterable  longings. 
Our  Redeemer  is  not  there,  and  heaven  itself  would  be  no  heaven  without 
his  presence.  The  Father,  to  look  upon  like  a  jasper  and  a  sardine  stone, 
is  sitting  upon  the  throne ;  the  Spirit  is  burning  before  the  throne ;  but 
where  is  the  Son,  who  is  the  express  image  of  the  Father's  presence,  and 
the  brightness  of  the  Father's  glory,  and  to  whom  the  Spirit  has  been  given 
without  measure  ?  In  this  chapter,  he  is  about  to  be  introduced  to  our 
notice  and  to  receive  the  worship  of  the  universe,  a  chapter  of  unparalleled 
beauty  and  sublimity,  which  should  be  studied  with  reverent  hearts.  Let 
us,  then,  with  awe  and  thankfulness,  enter  upon  the  consideration  of  the 
verses  before  us.  In  these  verses  there  are  these  points,  which  I  will  discuss 
in  their  order:  the  sealed  book,  the  weeping  apostle,  and  the  slain  lamb. 

I.  We  are  to  consider  the  sealed  book.  <<And  I  saw  in  the  r^bt 
hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne  a  book  written  within  and  on  the  back 
side,  sealed  with  seven  seals."  This  book  was  in  the  form  of  a  roll,  for  in 
those  days  books  were  not  bound  as  they  are  now.  We  are  so  familiar  with 
the  present  form,  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  by  mere  words,  without  the  help 
of  engravings,  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  ancient  roll.  Perhaps  there  is 
no  need  to  attempt  a  description,  for  there  are  few  of  us  who  have  not  seen 
pictures  of  rolls  of  various  kinds,  or  it  may  be  the  rolls  themselves.  It 
may,  however,  be  stated  that  the  parchment  was  prepared  in  a  long  strip, 
and  then  rolled  up  after  the  fashion  of  a  roll  of  wall  paper.  There  was  a 
small  wooden  roller  at  each  end  of  the  strip,  and  the  reader  unrolled  the 
parchment  from  the  lower  roller,  and  rolled  it  on  the  upper.     We  must  re- 


THE  8EALSD  BOOK.  107 

member  that  the  book  which  John  saw  waa  in  this  form,  or  we  will  not  reach 
a  dear  conoeption  of  the  subseqaent  vision,  in  which  the  book  occupies  such 
a  prominent  place.  ' 

This  roll  was  in  the  right  hand  of  him  who  sat  npon  the  throne.  The 
reference  is,  of  course,  not  to  the  seats  of  the  elders,  but  to  the  great  cen- 
tral throne  and  to  its  occupant,  who  was  in  appearance  Uke  a  mighty  prince, 
clothed  in  his  brilliant  and  purple  robes  of  state.  Whatever,  then,  the 
roll  represents,  it  was  the  property  of  Qod  and  in  the  power  of  Ood ;  no 
one  could  take  it  without  his  permission,  for  he  is  the  Almighty  one ;  no 
one  could  hope  to  know  its  contents  against  his  will,  for  his  right  hand  ia 
stronger  than  all  his  foes. 

The  roll  was  written  within  and  without.  This  was  very  unusual.  The 
ancient  roll  was  generally  wiitten  only  on  the  one  side.  It  was  only  when 
writing  mateiiab  were  scarce,  or  when  the  writing  extended  to  a  greater 
length  than  was  expected,  or  when  something  additional  had  to  be  added 
alter  the  roll  was  finished,  that  there  was  anything  written  on  the  other 
side.  However,  this  roll  contained  so  many  important  matters,  that  it  was 
written  within  and  without.  It  reminds  us  of  the  two  tables  of  the  law 
received  by  Moses  on  the  mount,  which  were  ^'  written  on  both  sides ;  on 
the  one  side  and  on  the  other  were  they  written.''  It  reminds  us  also  of 
the  roU  of  the  book  which  Esekiel  saw.  ''  It  was  written  within  and  with- 
out, and  there  was  written  therein  lamentations,  mourning  and  woe.''  In 
the  present  instance  John  could  not  see  that  there  was  writing  within,  but 
he  could  see  that  there  was  writing  on  the  outside,  and  he  supposed,  as  a. 
matter  of  course,  that  there  was  writing  on  the  inside ;  and  when  it  waa 
afterwards  unrolled,  he  saw  that  this  was  actually  the  case. 

The  roll  was  sealed  with  seven  seals.  This  was  an  unusual  number.  One 
seal  was  all  that  was  necessary  to  keep  the  contents  of  a  book  from  being 
read.  But  this  roll  was  sealed  with  seven  seals  to  show  that  its  contents 
were  perfectly  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  men.  How  these  seals  were  arranged 
has  not  been  revealed,  nor  is  it  a  matter  of  great  importance.  However, 
these  two  things  seem  to  be  plain,  from  the  brief  description  which  has  been 
given  us :  the  seals  were  so  placed  that  they  could  all  be  seen,  for  John 
no  sooner  saw  the  roll  than  he  saw  the  seals  by  which  it  was  fastened  ;  and 
the  seals  were  not  all  arranged  along  the  end  of  the  roiled  parchment,  for 
then  all  the  seals  would  have  to  be  broken  before  any  of  the  book  could  be 
unroUed.  It  seems,  from  the  subsequent  chapters,  that  when  one  seal  was 
broken  a  portion  of  the  book  was  unrolled ;  when  another  seal  was  broken 
another  portion  was  unrolled,  and  so  on  till  all  the  seals  were  broken  and 
all  the  contents  of  the  book  were  exposed.  The  following  arrangement 
may  be  sn^ested  as  probable :  The  seals  were  placed  upon  the  ends  of  tho 
roll.  When  a  portion  of  the  roll  was  rolled  up  a  seal  was  placed  upon  the 
end,  perhaps  by  a  projecting  tab ;  another  portion  was  rolled  up,  and  another 


108  LKCTUaS  XIV. 

seal  was  affixed,  and  so  on  dll  the  whole  was  rolled  up,  when  the  seventh 
and  last  seal  was  affixed.  With  this  arrangement,  when  the  outermost  seal 
was  broken,  the  book  could  be  unrolled  only  till  the  next  seal  was  reached ; 
and  the  breaking  of  each  seal  would  permit  the  unrolling  of  the  book  till 
the  next  seal  was  reached.  Whether  this  was  the  exact  arrangement  or 
not,  it  is  evident  that  all  the  seals  could  be  seen  at  once,  and  that  the  break- 
ing of  each  successive  seal  allowed  only  a  portion  of  the  book  to  be  read. 

While  John  was  looking  at  the  roll  he  heard  ^^  a  strong  angel  proclaim- 
ing with  a  loud  voice,  Who  b  worthy  to  open  the  book  and  to  loose  the 
seab  thereof"  ?  It  is  manifest  that  no  one  could  declare  the  contents  of 
this  book,  who  did  not  have  power  to  break  its  seals  and  ability  to  read  it 
after  the  seals  were  broken.  Therefore,  the  proclamation  of  the  angel  has 
reference  to  both  these  things.  It  is  also  manifest  that  this  angel  was  an 
appointed  herald,  and  that  he  spake  by  authority.  He  was  a  strong  ang^, 
for  his  voice  was  to  sound  through  all  the  heavens  and  through  all  the 
•earth,  to  see  if  there  was  any  one  who  had  the  requisite  power  and  quali- 
fications to  reveal  the  secrets  of  the  right  hand  of  God.  This  is  the  first 
angelic  being  we  have  seen  in  the  mysterious  gathering  around  the  throne, 
though  before  the  vision  is  ended  we  will  see  multitudes  of  the  heavenly 
host;  and  wherever  we  see  them  we  will  find  them  actively  engaged  in 
doing  the  will  of  their  divine  Master;  and  bur  endeavor,  as  well  as  our 
prayer,  should  be  to  do  God's  will  as  the  angels  do  in  heaven. 

The  angel's  proclamation  called  forth  no  reply.  "And  no  man  in  heaven, 
nor  in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth," — that  is,  in  any  part  of  God  s  uni- 
versal dominion — "was  able  to  open  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon." 
Of  course  the  Lamb  is  excepted,  for  the  apostle  had  not  as  yet  seen  him. 
The  four  living  ones  were  silent,  for  they  could  not  open  the  seals  and  read 
the  book ;  the  four  and  twenty  elders  were  silent,  for  it  was  not  theirs  to 
touch  the  sealed  roll ;  the  holy  angels  were  sUent,  for  it  was  not  given  to 
them  to  unfold  the  fatsare ;  the  inhabitants  of  earth  were  silent,  for  they 
were  unable  to  read  the  hidden  things  of  Gtod,  The  angel's  proclamatioii 
•called  forth  no  response.  Perfect  silence  reigned  in  the  universe.  It  seemed 
as  if  the  seals  must  ever  remain  unbroken,  and  the  contents  of  the  book, 
however  important,  must  ever  remain  unknown. 

II.  We  must  now  turn,  in  the  second  place,  to  notice  THS  wbspino 
APOSTLE.  "And  I  wept  much,  because  no  man  was  found  worthy  to  open 
and  to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon."  Though  our  translation 
oonfines  the  inability  to  open  the  book  to  men,  the  original  does  not  so  con- 
fine it.  It  asserts  that  no  one,  whether  man,  or  angel,  or  devil,  was  able  to 
open  the  book.  And  though  our  translation  asserts  that  no  one  was  able 
to  look  thereon — that  is,  on  the  book — this  is  manifestly  incorrect,  for  John 
did  look  thereon.     The  meaning  is,  that  no  one  was  able  to  look  therein. 


'  THE  8EALSD  BOOK.  109 

The  reason  of  the  apostle's  weeping  ia  obvious.  He  knew  the  prophetic 
significance  of  the  sealed  roll.  He  knew  that  it  signified  that  th^  things 
written  therein  must  remain  unknown  till  some  one  was  found  who  was 
able  to  break  the  seals.  He  knew  also  to  what  the  things  written  in  the 
roll  had  reference,  for  he  had  been  twice  informed  that  he  was  to  hear  the 
things  which  were  to  be  thereafter.  He  therefore  knew  that  the  sealed 
book  contiuned  the  future  history  of  the  church.  He  longed  to  know  what 
that  future  history  should  be.  Would  it  be  a  history  of  continual  defeat, 
persecution,  punishment  and  bloodshed  ?  Or  would  it  be  a  record  of  glorious 
triumphs  ?  In  order  to  understand  the  keenness  of  the  apostle's  sorrow,  we 
most  remember  the  anguish  through  which  the  church  was  passing,  and 
which  seemed,  to  the  weakness  of  human  &ith,  without  an  end.  Some  one 
hafl  well  said,  "  The  words,  '  I  wept  much '  can  only  be  understood  by 
those  who  have  lived  in  the  great  catastrophes  of  the  church,  and  who 
have  entered  with  idlest  sympathy  into  her  sufferings.  Without  tears,  the 
book  of  the  Revelation  was  not  written ;  neither  can  it,  without  tears,  be 
understood."  John's  sorrow  did  not,  therefore,  arise  merely  from  disap- 
pointed curiosity.  It  had  a  far  deeper  and  tenderer  origin.  It  arose  from 
the  thought  that  the  comfort  and  the  strength  which  would  be  imparted  by 
a  knowledge  of  the  future  seemed  forever  beyond  his  reach.  He  thought 
of  the  persecuted  Christians,  and  of  the  consolations  which  would  fill  their 
lives  if  they  could  only  know  what  was  written  in  that  sealed  roll ;  and 
when  he  listened  for  one  to  make  reply  to  the  angel's  proclamation,  and 
the  deep  silence  remained  unbroken,  it  was  too  much  for  the  loving  John, 
and  his  bitter  tears  dropped  upon  the  sapphire  pavement  of  heaven.  He 
wept  much.  His  silent  tears — an  unwonted  spectacle  in  that  land,  from 
which  all  sorrow  is  excluded,  and  in  which  God  wipes  away  all  tears  from 
all  faces — ^were  not  unnoticed.  A  comforter  was  near  at  hand  with  the 
sweetest  consolations.  The  seals  were  to  be  broken,  the  contents  of  the 
roU  were  to  be  read,  and  John  was  to  be  the  messenger  of  consolation  to 
the  church  in  every  age  and  in  every  land. 

III.  This  comforter  points  the  weeping  apostle  to  thb  slain  lamb, 
?dio  was  able  to  open  the  book  and  loose  its  seals.  This  brings  us  to  the 
third  division  of  the  present  lecture,  which  is  contained  in  verses  5-7.  This 
comforter  was  one  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  representatives  of  the 
glorified  church.  Perhaps  we  might  expect  that  an  angel  would  be  sent  on 
this  errand,  for  it  is  similar  to  the  errands  on  which  angels  have  been  sent 
on  otiier  occasions;  but  there  is  a  manifest  propriety  in  one  of  the  four  and 
twenty  elders  performing  this  duty.  The  members  of  the  glorified  church 
have  not  forgotten  the  sorrows  and  the  longings  of  their  earthly  existence, 
and  therefore  they  are  better  able  tp  sympathize  with  their  brethren  on  the 
earth  than  any  angel  could  be.    And  the  members  of  the  glorified  church 


110  LECTURE   XIV. 

have  a  more  extended  knowledge  of  Ood  and  the  plan  of  salvation  and  the 
ahilitj  of  the  Saviour,  than  the  members  of  the  chnrch  militant.  Therefore, 
there  is  a  manifest  propriety  that  a  representative  of  the  glorified  church 
should  comfort  the  weeping  apostle. 

The  elder  comforts  John  by  informing  him  that  though  there  had  not 
as  yet  been  any  response  to  the  angelic  proclamation,  there  was  one  who 
was  able  to  open  the  book  and  read  its  contents.  This  one  he  describes  as 
^Hhe  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah."  The  reference  is  to  the  Lord  and 
Saviour,  Jesus  Christ ;  and  though  this  is  the  only  place  in  the  Scriptores 
in  which  he  is  called  by  this  name,  its  propriety  is  obvious.  The  lion  is 
the  emblem  of  strength,  and  Jesus  is  mighty  to  save;  the  lion  is  the  emblem 
of  courage,  and  Jesus  dared  to  meet  the  hosts  of  Satan  and  of  darkness ;  the 
lion  is  the  emblem  of  majesty,  and  Jesus  is  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
lords.  Jesus  is  also  the  Lion  "of  the  tribe  of  Judah,"  for  as  Paul  tells  us, 
"it  is  evident  that  our  Lord  sprang  out  of  Judah."  This  was  the  tribe  to 
which  he  belonged  according  to  the  flesh.  There  is  here  a  probable  refer- 
ence to  the  traditional  fact  that  the  standard  of  the  armies  of  Judah  in  the 
march  through  the  wilderness  was  a  lion ;  and  there  is,  without  doubt,  a  ref- 
erence to  the  prophetic  blessing  which  Jacob  pronounced  upon  that  tribe ; 
"  Judah  is  a  lion's  whelp  ;  from  the  prey,  my  son,  thou  art  gone  up ;  he 
stooped  down,  he  couched  as  a  lion,  and  as  an  old  lion ;  who  shall  rouse 
him  up"  ? 

The  elder  also  describes  the  one  who  was  able  to  open  and  read  the 
book  as  "the  root  of  David";  not  the  root  from  which  David  sprung,  but 
the  root-shoot  which  sprung  irom  David.  That  our  Lord  was  a  descendant 
of  David  is  plainly  revealed,  and  as  he  was  a  descendant  of  David,  he 
was  the  heir  of  David's  throne.  Therefore,  he  of  whom  the  elder  spake 
was  of  the  tribe  of  which  it  had  been  predicted  that  the  Shiloh  should  come ; 
he  was  also  of  the  predicted  family,  for  it  had  been  foretold  that  David  should 
not  be  without  a  son  to  sit  on  his  throne  forever. 

Of  course  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  Jesus  appeared  in  the  form  of  a  lion, 
or  of  a  tree  springing  from  the  root  of  David.  The  elder  does  not  say  that 
he  appeared  in  this  form,  nor  does  John  say  that  he  saw  him  under  this 
form.  Such  an  appearance  would  not  be  in  harmony  with  the  rest  of  the 
vision.  The  elder  is  describing  the  one  who  was  able  to  open  and  to  read 
the  book  as  a  mighty  and  legitimate  king,  but  instead  of  putting  his  descrip- 
tion in  literal  language,  he  uses  highly  figurative  words,  which  no  one  ac- 
quainted with  the  Scriptures  can  misunderstand. 

The  elder  still  further  describes  the  Saviour  as  one  who  has  "  prevailed," 
or  conquered.  He  had  indeed  passed  through  a  mighty  struggle.  Men  and 
devils  were  arrayed  against  him ;  and  for  a  time,  in  the  midst  of  the  hour  and 
power  of  darkness  the  issue  of  the  conflict,  to  human  eyes,  seemed  doubtful, 
but  at  last  he  conquered.    All  his  enemies  were  put  under  his  feet.    As  a 


THE  SEALED   BOOK.  Ill 

result  of  this  victory,  the  way  was  prepared  for  the  ftiture  triumph  and  glory 
of  the  church.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this  victory,  that  he  was  ahle  to 
read  the  hook  which  contained  the  history  of  the  church  in  all  the  ages  yet 
to  he.  Hence  the  propriety  of  the  elder's  language,  "  the  lion  of  the  trihe 
of  Judah  and  the  root  of  David  hath  prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seven  seals  thereof,"  language  which  shows  the  intimate  connec- 
tion there  is  between  the  Saviour's  victory  in  the  work  of  redemption,  and 
the  things  revealed  in  this  book  which  pertain  to  the  glorious  triumphs  of 
the  redeemed. 

These  words  of  the  elder  comforted  the  apostle  and  dried  his  tears.  He 
looked,  and  lo,  a  new  personage  had  appeared  in  the  heavenly  council.  He 
saw  "  in  the  midst  of  the  throne  and  of  the  four  beasts,  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  elders  ♦  *  *  a  Lamb  as  it  had  been  slain."  This  Lamb  had  on  it 
marks  of  recent  slaughter.  It  may  be  that  there  were  manifest  wounds  on 
its  body,  or  that  it  was  stained  with  blood.  In  some  way  it  showed  that  it 
had  been  slain,  though  it  was  now  alive.  John  could  have  had  no  difficulty 
in  determining  who  was  meant  by  this  symbol,  for  it  must  have  recalled  to 
his  memory  the  time  when  the  newly  risen  Saviour  appeared  in  the  midst 
of  the  disciples  and  showed  them  the  print  of  the  nails  in  hb  hands  and 
the  wound  of  the  spear  in  his  side.  And  does  not  the  form  in  which  the 
Saviour  appears  in  this  wion,  the  form  of  a  lamb  slain,  reveal  one  way  in 
which  he  makes  intercession  for  his  people  ?  Does  it  not  hint  that  he  ex- 
hibits his  wounds  before  the  throne  as  a  plea  in  behalf  of  those  for  whom 
these  wounds  were  inflicted?  The  language  of  symbols  seems  to  labor  to 
express  the  greatness  of  him  who  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  heavenly  con- 
gregation. He  was  a  Lamb  ;  he  was  a  Lamb  slain ;  he  had  "  seven  horns." 
A  horn  has  been  universally  recognized  as  a  symbol  of  power.  And  as 
seven  is  the  number  of  perfection,  the  seven  horns  would  be  a  symbol  of 
perfect  power.  The  Lamb  had  also  '^  seven  eyes,"  which  are  explained  as 
"  the  seven  Spirits  of  G-od."  The  eye  is  an  emblem  of  all-seeing:  intelli- 
gence. The  seven  eyes  would  be  an  emblem  of  perfect  intelligence. 
This  describes  the  Holy  G-host,  for  no  one  can  go  beyond  his  reach. 
He  is  sent,  according  to  the  Savioar's  promise  before  his  death,  into  all  the 
world  to  perform  his  manifold  operations  in  converting,  illumining  and  sanc- 
tifying the  souls  of  men.  When  these  emblems  are  connected  with  the 
Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the  heavenly  congregation,  the  meaning  is  that  the 
Saviour  has  all  power,  and  that  the  Spirit  has  been  given  to  him  without 
measure.  He  therefore  is  able  to  open  the  roll  and  to  read  the  secret  things 
of  God. 

And  he  is  not  only  able,  he  is  also  willing.  "  He  came  and  took  the 
book  out  of  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne."  There  seems 
to  be  something  incongruous  in  that  a  lamb  should  take  and  open  and 
read  the  book ;  but  he  is  described  as  a  lamb  to  shadow  forth  in  figurative 


112  LEOTUBE   XT. 

laDgoage  his  character  and  work.  Thus  the  Baptist  said  of  him  at  the 
beginning  of  his  earthly  ministry,  "behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world."  Thus  Isaiah  says,  "  he  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to 
the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth 
not  his  mouth.''  Thus  Paul  says,  "Christ  our  passover,"  that  is,  our  pass- 
over  lamb,  "is  sacrificed  for  us."  And  throughout  this  book,  this  name 
is  often  applied  to  him  who,  by  one  sacrifice  of  himself,  perfected  forever 
them  that  are  sanctified. 

When  this  Lamb  approached  the  throne,  and  took  the  roll  from  him  who 
sat  thereon,  a  thrill  of  joy  went  through  the  heavenly  congregation,  and 
with  one  accord  they  began  their  heavenly  worship.  The  description  of 
this  worshiping  congregation  and  their  worship  must  be  reserved  for  future 
consideration. 


LECTURE    XV. 


THE  HEAVENLY  WORSHIP. 

And  when  ho  had  taken  the  book,  the  four  beasts  and  four  and  twenty  elders 
fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and  golden  vials 
full  of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  saints.  And  they  sung  a  new  song,  say- 
ing, Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof :  for  thou 
wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and 
priests :  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth.  And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne  and  the  beasts  and  the  elders  :  and  the 
number  of  tnem  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thou- 
sands ;  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive 
power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  bless- 
ing. And  every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying,  Blci^s- 
ing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  four  beasts  said,  Amen.  And 
the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  and  worshipped  him  that  liveth  for  ever 
and  ever. — Rev.  6  :  8-14. 

All  things  remain  as  they  were  described  in  the  previous  lectures. 
When  the  slain  Lamb  took  the  book  from  the  hand  of  heaven's  ELing,  a 
thrill  of  joy  ran  through  all  the  created  universe.  The  four  and  twenty 
elders,  and  the  four  living  ones,  the  representatives  of  the  church  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  sang  a  song  of  praise,  which  celebrates  the  power  and  love 
of  the  Lamb  in  the  redemption  of  his  people,  and  which  must  move  the 
heart  of  every  one  who  reads  it.  No  sooner  did  this  song  cease,  than 
myriads  of  unnumbered  and  innumerable  angels  unite  in  another  song  of 
praise  to  him  who  was  slain.  When  this  anthem  died  away,  a  still  grander 
song  is  heard,  in   which   the  whole  created  universe  takes  a  part,  for 


THE  HEAVENLY   WORSHIP.  113 

every  oreature  in  heaven  and  on  earth  and  under  the  earth  and  in  the  sea 
was  heard  saying  in  unison,  ^^  blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be 
unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and 
ever/'  And  then,  as  was  fitting,  the  four  living  ones  cry  ^^  amen  "  to  this 
universal  worship,  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fall  down  in  silent  adora- 
tion before  the  throne.  We  have,  therefore,  in  the  subject  of  the  present 
lecture  three  doxologies,  viz.,  the  doxology  of  the  church,  the  doxology  of 
the  angels,  and  the  dozol(^  of  the  universe. 

I.  The  boxolooy  of  the  church  is  contained  in  these  words :  *'  and 
when  he  had  taken  the  book,  the  four  beasts  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  fell  down  before  the  Lamb^  having  every  one  of  them  harps,  and 
golden  vials  full  of  odors,  which  are  the  prayers  of  the  saints.  And  they 
sung  a  new  song,  saying,  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open 
the  seals  thereof:  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  Grod  by  thy 
blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  peoplci  and  nation ;  and  hast 
made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests:  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth." 
A  doxology  is  a  formal  ascription  of  praise,  which  is  used  in  divine 
worship.  In  considering  this  sublime  doxology  of  the  church,  and  the 
two  equally  sublime  ones  which  follow  it,  I  feel  that  I  must  come  far  short 
of  your  expectations,  and  still  i^rther  short  of  the  truth.  They  are  so 
exalted  that  human  speech  is  baffled  in  attempting  to  explain  them ;  but 
their  different  parts  must  be  explained  in  order  to  a  right  appreciation  of 
the  entire  song. 

The  occasion  of  this  doxology  was  the  Lamb's  taking  the  book  from  the 
hand  of  Ood.  It  seemed  as  if  the  future  history  of  the  church  must  for- 
ever remain  unknown,  for  no  one  could  open  and  read  the  roll  in  which  it 
was  written;  but  when  the  Lamb  came  and  made  known  his  ability  and  wil- 
lingness to  reveal  its  contents,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  church  rejoiced. 

This  doxology  was  by  the  four  living  ones,  the  representatives  of  the 
earthly  church,  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  representatives  of  the 
heavenly  church.  It  is  a  doxology  which  falls  from  the  lips  and  stirs  the 
hearts  of  all  the  redeemed.  We  are  told  that  each  one  of  these  worship- 
ers had  a  "  harp.*'  The  harp  was  a  well  known  musical  instrument, 
which  was  extensively  used  in  the  old  dispensation  in  the  worship  of  God. 
Each  of  these  worshipers  had  also  a  *^  golden  vial,  full  of  odors,"  or 
rather,  as  the  word  is  rendered  in  the  margin  of  our  Bibles,  "  full  of  in- 
cense." The  word  "  vial "  with  us  denotes  a  small  bottle  with  a  narrow 
neck.  It  is  evident  that  such  a  vessel  would  not  be  appropriate  for  offer- 
ing inoense.  The  word  bowl  or  vase  would  better  express  the  idea.  And 
it  18  to  be  remembered  that  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  '*  vial "  every 
where  in  the  book  of  the  Revelation.     The  incense  with  which  these  vials 

were  filled  is  described  as  "  the  prayers  of  the  saints."     This  is  no  new 

8 


114  LECTURE   XV. 

figure  of  speech.  Years  before,  the  Psalmist  had  used  it  when  he  said^ 
"  let  my  prayers  be  set  before  thee  as  incense."  This  figure  is  an  appro- 
priate one.  As  incense  produces  a  grateful  fragrance,  so  prayer  ib  accepta- 
ble in  the  sight  of  God.  As  incense  floats  lightly  upward  through  the  air, 
so  prayer  ascends  to  the  eternal  throne.  The  worship,  then,  of  this  congre- 
gation consists  partly  in  praise,  which  is  indicated  by  the  harp  which  each 
worshiper  holds  in  his  hand,  and  by  the  song  they  are  afterwards  described 
as  singing ;  and  partly  in  prayer,  which  is  indicated  by  the  incense  which 
they  offer.  I  must  call  special  attention  to  the  fact^  that  the  members  of 
the  glorified  church  still  perform  the  duty  and  enjoy  the  privilege  of  prayer, 
which  they  learned  to  perform  and  enjoy  when  they  were  yet  on  earth. 
This  is  a  truth  which  is  taught  elsewhere  in  this  book,  for  we  are  told  that 
the  souls  of  the  martyrs  under  the  altar  are  ever  praying  for  their  perse- 
cuted brethren  on  earth.  It  is  for  our  comfort  to  remember  that  our 
Christian  friends  who  have  gone  to  heaven  have  not  forgotten  how  to  pray, 
and  that  those  who  remembered  us  in  their  petitions  on  earth  will  still  re- 
member us  in  their  petitions  when  they  have  a  nearer  access  to  the  throne 
of  God.  This  passage  gives  no  countenance  to  the  heresy  that  there  are 
human  intercessors  around  the  heavenly  throne.  There  is  but  one  media- 
tor between  God  and  man.  Though  our  departed  friends  may  pray  for  us, 
this  is  no  reason  why  we  should  pray  to  them,  for  we  did  not  pray  to  them 
when  on  earth  they  made  supplication  in  our  behalf. 

We  have  now  clearly  brought  before  us  this  heavenly  congr^ation.  It 
is  composed  of  all  the  redeemed  in  heaven  and  on  earth,  represented  by 
the  four  living  ones  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders.  They  bow  themselves 
in  love  and  wonder  before  the  throne,  and  in  prayer  and  praise  worship 
him  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  Let  us  proceed  to  consider  the  song 
which  they  sing.  It  la  said  to  be  "a  new  song.'*  It  does  not  celebrate 
the  glories  of  creation.  Such  a  song  would  not  be  new  in  heaven,  for  it 
has  been  sung  there  ever  since  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  the 
sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.  It  celebrates  the  glories  of  redemption,  and 
therefore  it  differs  from  all  the  songs  which  were  sung  in  heaven  before  the 
work  of  redemption  was  consummated.  It  strikes  notes  which  were  never 
struck  before ;  it  reveals  traits  of  the  divine  character  and  depths  in  the 
divine  love  which  would  have  been  unknown  if  it  had  not  been  for  re- 
demption. 

In  their  new  song,  they  celebrate  the  worthiness  of  him  who  could  take 
the  book  and  open  its  seals.  Every  voice  utters  its  sweetest  notes ;  all 
the  golden  harps  sound  in  unison  ;  the  incense  of  every  censer  floats  be- 
fore the  throne.  But  wherein  consists  the  worthiness  of  him  they  worship? 
In  other  words,  why  do  they  worship  the  Lamb  ?  The  reasons  are  assigned 
in  the  words  of  their  song.  In  the  first  place,  they  worship  him  because 
he  was  "  slain."     The  cross  of  Calvary  can  never  be  forgotten.     The  Sa- 


THE   HEAVENLY  WORSHIP.  115 

yiour's  sufferings  thereon  made  him  the  Redeemer  of  his  people.  Of  course 
there  are  other  grounds  of  worthiness  and  other  reasons  for  worship.  But 
his  dying  in  our  room  and  stead  is  the  most  conspicuous;  and  in  every  out- 
burst of  praise,  the  redeemed  soul  will  remember,  first  of  all,  the  death  of 
Christ. 

In  the  second  place,  they  worship  him  because  he  had  ^'  redeemed  "  them. 

They  were  in  bondage  to  Satan  and  he  bought  them  from  their  former 

master ;  and  surely  it  is  fitting  that  those  who  have  been  redeemed  from 

such  a  bondage  and  from  such  a  master  should  remember  their  redemption 

in  every  song  of  praise.     And  they  were  not  only  redeemed  from  Satan, 

they  were  also  redeemed  '^  to  Ood.*'     They  are  his  possession,  his  peculiar 

people,  bis  servants  and  his  friends.     It  was  not  their  redemption  alone 

wMch  called  forth  their  gratitude,  but  also  the  price  which  was  paid,  for 

they  were  redeemed,  not  with  corruptible  things,  such  as  silver  and  gold, 

but  with  the  precious  blood  of  the  Son  of  God.     Such  language  as  is  used 

in  their  song  shows  that  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  was  vicarious.     Men  on 

earth  may  believe  and  teach  that  Jesus  died  as  a  martyr  or  as  an  example, 

but  the  saints  in  heaven,  who  know  even  as  they  are  known,  know  that  he 

died  in  their  room  and  stead,  and  that  he  redeemed  them  by  his  own  blood. 

And  their  redemption  was  precious  and  widely  extended,  for  they  were 

redeemed  *^out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.'' 

These  terms  show  how  widely  the  benefits  of  the  atonement  were  applied. 

The  church  is  called  out  of  every  kindred,  that  is,  out  of  every  tribe  or 

family;  out  of  every  tongue,  that  is,  out  of  every  people  speaking  the  same 

language  ;  out  of  every  people,  and  out  of  every  nation.     These  terms  are 

not,  then,  synonymous  in  meaning.     The  following  example  will  illustrate 

the  difference  in  their  signification.     The  British  nation,  a  phrase  which 

includes  all  those  who  are  under  British  government,  is  composed  of  many 

different  tribes  and  families  of  men,  speaking  many  different  languages } 

and  of  many  different  peoples,  as  the  Anglo  Saxon,  the  Scotch,  the  Irish, 

&c.     And  the  church,  in  this  anthem,  celebrates  the  fact  that  it  has  been 

redeemed,  not  firom  the  Jews  only,  but  from  all  families  and  nations,  great 

and  small,  the  world  over.     The  blessings  of  redemption  are  not  confined 

to  a  narrow  circle.    They  have  already  extended  to  many  parts  of  the  earth, 

and  they  are  to  extend  to  more.     When  that  great  assembly  which  is  here 

referred  to,  will  be  gathered,  and  the  redeemed,  all  purchased  by  the  same 

blood,  will  look  back  to  their  widely  scattered  homes  on  earth,  they  can 

say,  **  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation." 

In  the  third  place,  the  redeemed  worshiped  the  Lamb,  not  only  for  what 
he  had  done  for  them  in  the  past,  viz.,  for  redeeming  them  by  his  blood, 
bat  also  for  the  present  honor  he  confers  upon  them.  '^  Thou  hast  made 
MB  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests."  It  was  no  empty  honor  to  which 
they  had  been  redeemed.     They  were  kings,  wearing  kingly  crowns  and 


116  LSOTURE  XV. 

sittiog  on  kingly  thrones  ;  they  were  priests,  clothed  in  priestly  robes  and 
admitted  to  intimate  commnnion  with  God.  This  two-fold  honor  the  apos- 
tle Peter  describes  in  the  words^  "a  royal  priesthood."  This  doable  honor 
could  not  but  give  emphasis  to  their  song  of  praise.  It  was  indeed  a 
great  blessing  to  be  redeemed  from  sin,  but  to  be  made  kings  and  priests 
was  a  blessing  infinitely  greater. 

In  the  fourth  place,  the  redeemed  worshiped  the  Lamb  because  of  the 
future  honor  which  was  in  store  for  them.  <*  We  shall  reign  on  the  earth." 
It  is  true  that  the  saints  of  God  are  as  yet  in  the  minority,  but  this  is  not 
always  to  be  the  case.  The  church  is  to  increase  through  the  appointed 
means,  until  it  fills  the  earth,  and  the  earth  becomes  a  kingdom  of  holiness. 
And  these  words  seem  to  point  to  a  still  more  distant  future.  It  seems 
probable  that  our  world,  regenerated  and  purified  from  all  the  effects  of 
sin,  is  to  be  the  home  of  God's  ransomed  ones.  When  this  world,  washed 
by  the  baptism  of  fire  and  made  as  beautiful  and  pure  as  Eden  was  before 
the  fall,  becomes  the  residence  of  saints  alone,  without  any  admixture  of 
the  wicked,  then  will  this  song  of  the  church  be  fulfilled,-  for  then  the 
church  will  reign  on  the  earth. 

n.  Having  listened  to  the  doxology  of  the  church,  let  us  now  listen  to 
THX  DOXOLOGY  OF  THE  ANGELS.  "And  I  beheld,  and  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne  and  the  beasts  and  the  elders ;  and 
the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands 
of  thousands ;  saying  with  a  loud  voice.  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain 
to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and  glory 
and  blessing.''  No  sooner  had  the  four  living  ones  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders,  whose  position  was  near  the  throne,  ceased  their  song  of  adoration 
than  another  soDg  of  adoration  came  from  other  worshipers,  whose  place 
was  at  a  greater  distance.  Who  were  these  other  worshipers?  They 
were  the  holy  angels,  who  kept  their  first  estate.  We  have  already  caught 
glimpses  of  them  in  our  previous  lectures,  as  they  were  busy  on  the  celestial 
plain  doing  the  will  of  God;  but  now  for  the  first  time  they  are  brought 
into  distinct  vision.  These  holy  ones^  though  they  have  no  personal  interest 
in  the  plan  of  redemption,  are  intensely  interested  in  its  successes,  for  it 
concerns  the  honor  of  their  divine  Master.  Their  position  was  beyond  the 
circle  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four  living  ones.  Their  num- 
ber was  without  number.  It  is  described  as  "  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand,"  that  is^  one  hundred  millions,  and  ''thousands  of  thousands" 
besides.  Of  course,  these  figures  are  not  to  be  understood  literally,  but 
they  denote  an  immense  multitude.  This  agrees  with  the  uniform  teach- 
ings of  the  Scriptures  with  regard  to  the  number  of  the  heavenly  host.  The 
Saviour  spake  of  twelve  legions  of  angels  as  if  they  were  but  a  handful  of 
the  number  he  might  command.     Daniel  says,  "thousand  thousands  min- 


THE  HXAVBNLT  WORSHIP.  117 

istered  onto  him,  and  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him." 
The  Psalmist  says,  ''the  chariots  of  Ood  are  twenty  thousand,  even  thou- 
sands of  angels." 

From  such  a  congregation  we  might  expect  a  sublime  anthem  of  praise, 
and  we  are  not  disappointed.  They  ascribe  to  the  Lamb  power,  that  is, 
authority  to  rule  over  all ;  and  riches,  that  is,  an  abundance  of  gifts  and 
graces  in  himself  for  all  his  people ;  and  wisdom,  that  is,  wisdom  for  redeem- 
ing and  governing  hia  church  and  for  conquering  his  enemies;  and  strength, 
that  is,  ability  to  accomplish  his  purposes ;  and  glory,  that  is,  the  honor  of 
complete  triumph ;  and  blessing,  that  is,  all  the  worship,  praise  and  adoration 
of  the  universe.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  they  ascribe  all  these  things  to 
the  Lamb  because  he  was  slain,  for  it  was  through  his  sacrifice  for  sin  that 
he  reached  the  summit  of  his  mediatorial  honor.  It  was  true  of  him  as 
the  Saviour,  as  it  must  be  true  of  us,  first  the  suffering,  then  the  glory  that 
should  follow.  It  is  also  to  be  observed  that  there  is  a  marked  difierenoe 
between  the  doxology  of  the  church  and  the  doxology  of  the  angels.  The 
latter  ascribe  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and 
glory,  and  blessing  to  the  Lamb,  but  they  do  not  ascribe  their  redemption  to 
him,  for  the  sufficient  reason  that  they  were  never  redeemed.  No  angel 
can  say,  thou  hast  redeemed  me  by  thy  blood.  Thankful,  then,  as  the 
juDgels  should  be,  we  should  be  more  thankful.  Orand  as  is  the  doxology 
of  the  heavenly  host,  the  doxology  of  the  church  must  be  grander  still, 
for  the  latter  alone  can  speak  from  experience  of  redemption  through  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb.  And  shall  the  redeemed  from  the  kindreds  of  the  earth 
be  silent,  and  let  the  angels  ascribe  all  the  praise  ? 

III.  We  are  to  consider  th£  doxoloot  of  the  universe.  "  And 
every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth, 
and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them^  heard  I  saying,  Bless- 
ing, and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  be  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever."  When  the  song  of  the  angels 
was  finished,  the  whole  universe  took  up  the  strain  and  joined  in  the  wor- 
ship. The  worshipers  now  were  not  the  church  and  the  angels  only,  but 
every  creature.  All  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  lifted  up  their  voices  in 
song.  All  the  inhabitants  of  earth  added  their  tribute  of  praise.  All  those 
who  were  under  the  earth  in  the  regions  of  death,  and  all  the  living  ones 
whose  home-was  on  or  in  the  sea,  shouted  for  joy.  The  whole  universe 
joined  in  the  song  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  led.  In  psalm 
148,  the  creation  is  called  upon  to  praise  the  Lord ;  and  in  this 
passage  the  creation  is  described  as  praising  the  Lord.  It  is  pomething 
more  than  a  figure  to  speak  of  the  creation  as  praising  the  goodoess  of  its 
Creator.  Everything  praises  God  which  fulfills  the  end  for  which  it  was 
created.    The  mountains  and  hills,  the  plains  and  forests,  the  birds  of  the 


118  LECTUEE   XV, 

air,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  give  glory  to  the  hand  that  made  them  ;  so 
do  the  righteous — and  so  do  the  wicked,  for  a  tribut-e  of  praise  is  wrung 
even  from  their  unwilling  lips. 

But  the  song  which  the  universe  sings  is  not  the  song  of  redemption  ; 
it  is  a  song  similar  to  the  doxology  of  the  angels — a  song  which  ascribes 
blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power  equally  to  the  eternal  Sire  and 
his  eternal  Son  ;  for  no  questions  about  the  deity  of  the  Son  are  ever  raised 
by  those  who  stand  near  the  heavenly  throne.  No  discordant  note  is  ever 
heard  in  their  worship,  for  they  know  that  the  Lamb  is  God  over  all,  blessed 
forever. 

lY.  Finally,  we  have  the  response  of  the  church.  "  And  the 
four  beasts  said,  Amen.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down  and 
worshiped  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever."  On  this  response  we  need 
not  dwell.  It  was  fitting  that  those  who  began  the  worship  should  bring 
it  to  a  close.  Therefore,  when  the  doxology  of  the  universe  is  ended,  the 
four  living  creatures,  with  one  accord,  cry  "  amen,"  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  fall  on  their  faces  and  worship  in  profound  adoration.  The  church, 
the  angels  and  the  universe  are  waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  mysterious 
roll,  which  is  in  the  hand  of  Ood  ;  all  feel  an  interest  in  it ;  all  feel  that 
It  contains  the  secret  things  of  the  future,  which  are  known  only  to  the 
Most  High ;  all  feeL  that  there  is  only  one  who  is  worthy  to  open  this  vol- 
ume and  to  read  its  contents ;  and  feeling  all  this,  they  join  in  an  ascription 
of  praise  to  the  Lamb  who  was  slain.  When  this  universal  ascription  of 
praise  ends  with  the  amen  of  the  four  living  creatures  and  the  worship  of 
the  four  and  twenty  elders,  they  all  stand  in  most  profound  reverence, 
waiting  for  the  opening  of  the  book  and  the  revelation  of  the  great  mys- 
teries which  are  written  therein.  Let  us  join  that  waiting  congregation, 
and  with  thankful  hearts  and  deepest  adoration  watch  the  breaking  of  the 
seals  and  the  unfolding  of  the  purposes  of  heaven. 

In  the  conclusion  of  these  remarks  I  cannot  refrain  from  calling  atten- 
tion, with  shame  and  confusion  of  face,  to  the  hardness  of  our  hearts.  The 
glorified  saints,  the  holy  angels,  and  the  whole  created  universe  are  ever 
praising  Gk)d,  but  we  are  cold  and  indififerent  in  his  worship.  And  yet  we 
know  about  the  Lamb  slain  as  well  as  they;  we  have  the  same  story  of  re- 
demption which  kindles  their  gratitude.  As  we  listen  to  the  three-fold 
doxology  of  the  church,  of  the  angels,  and  of  the  universe,  let  us  join  ia 
their  worship  and  say  with  them,  ''Thou  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy 
blood  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation ;  and  hast 
made  us  unto  our  God  kings  and  priests." 


THE   FIRST    SEAL.  119 


LECTURE   XVI. 


THE  FIRST  SEAL. 

And  I  saw  when  the  Lamb  opened  one  of  the  seals;  and  I  heard  as  it  were  the 
noise  of  thunder,  one  of  the  four  beasts  sayine,  Gome  and  see.  And  I  saw,  and 
behold,  a-  white  horse :  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  bow ;  and  a  crown  was  given 
nnto  him;  and  he  went  forth  conquering,  and  to  conquer. — Rev.  0  :  1,  2. 

The  Lamb  has  now  taken  the  sealed  book  out  of  the  hand  of  him  that 
sat  upon  the  throne.  The  three  doxologies,  of  the  church,  of  the  angels, 
and  of  the  universe,  have  been  finished.  The  first  thrill  of  joy,  which  ran 
through  the  heavenly  oongr^ation  when  the  Lamb  showed  his  willingness 
to  take  and  read  the  book,  has  subsided.  All,  hushed  in  silent  expectation, 
wait  for  the  breaking  of  the  seals.  The  things  which  were  seen  and  heard 
in  heaven  at  the  breaking  of  the  seals  are  described  in  this  and  the  follow- 
ing chapters ;  for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  sounding  of  the  seven 
trumpets  is  included  under  the  seventh  seal ;  and  that  the  pouring  out  of  the 
seven  vials  is  included  under  the  seventh  trumpet.  I  need  hardly  remind 
joa  that  this  is  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  book  of  the  Revelation. 
Expositors  dififer  widely  in  their  opinions.  There  are  comparatively  few 
points  of  difierenoe  in  the  exposition  of  the  five  preceding  chapters,  but 
in  the  exposition  of  the  chapters  that  follow,  there  are  differences,  endless 
and  measureless.  These  differences  are  to  be  found,  not  in  describing  the 
symbols,  but  in  explaining  their  meaning.  In  my  lectures,  I  will  spend  but 
little  time  in  quoting  and  refuting  the  theories  which  I  believe  to  be  incor- 
rect ;  I  will  state  as  briefly  and  clearly  as  I  can  what  I  conceive  to  be  the 
truth.  In  explaining  the  sublime  visions  which  we  are  about  to  see,  I  will 
uniformly  pursue  this  method ;  I  will,  in  the  first  place,  describe  the  symbol, 
and  in  the  second  place,  I  will  show  its  meaning.  The  first  part  of  this  plan 
will  be  easy ;  the  second  part  will  be  beset  with  difficulties.  Though  we 
may  not  hope  always  to  reach  the  full  measure  of  the  truth,  yet  we  may 
hope,  through  the  assistance  of  the  promised  Spirit,  to  reach  the  blessing 
pronounced  upon  those  who  read  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book. 
Let  us,  then,  attend  to  the  opening  of  the  first  seal. 

I.  We  are  to  describe  and  explain  the  symbols  which  John  saw.  In 
order  to  understand  this  explanation,  we  must  remember  the  circumstances 
in  which  the  apostle  was  placed.  He  stood  before  the  throne  of  Ood, 
around  which  were  the  living  creatures  and  the  enthroned  elders.  At  a 
greater  distance  was  an  innumerable  company  of  angels.  Far  below  the 
celestial  plain,  on  which  the  throne  of  God  was  set,  was  our  world,  stretched 
out  like  a  map.     The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  had  taken  the  roll  from  the  hand 


120  LECTURE  XVI. 

of  heaven's  King.  When  he  had  broken  the  first  or  outermost  seal,  a  portion 
of  the  book  coald  be  unrolled.  In  the  roll  was  written,  I  suppose,  a  desorip- 
tion  of  the  visions  which  John  saw ;  that  is,  when  the  first  seal  was  broken, 
so  much  of  the  book  was  unrolled  as  described  the  things  which  John  saw 
at  that  time.  But  the  sacred  record  has  to  do  not  so  much  with  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  things  seen,  as  with  the  things  themselves.  For  I  do  not  think 
that  the  horses  and  riders  ^hich  John  saw,  were  pictures  or  engravings  on 
the  roll,  but  objects  of  vision  which  he  saw  far  down  on  the  plains  of  earth. 

When  the  Lamb  had  opened  the  first  seal,  one  of  the  four  beasts  cried  as 
with  a  voice  of  thunder,  '^  come" ;  for  all  the  best  critics  have  rejected  the 
last  two  words  of  this  verse  as  having  no  place  in  the  text.  The  living 
creature  did  not  address  himself  to  John,  who  was  standing  at  his  very  side, 
for  he  spake  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  He  addressed  himself  to  the  white 
horse  and  its  rider,  and  called  on  them  to  come  forth  in  the  presence  of  the 
apostle  and  the  heavenly  congregation.  Let  it  be  remembered,  not  only 
under  this  seal,  but  also  under  the  three  seals  which  follow,  that  the 
language  of  the  living  one  is  not,  *'  come  and  see*' ;  but  simply,  **  come,'*  and 
that  this  word  is  addressed,  not  to  John,  bat  to  the  symbolical  personages  who 
appear  in  vision.  We  are  not  left  at  a  loss  to  know  which  of  the  living 
creatures  was  the  first  speaker.  It  was  the  first  of  the  living  ones,  who 
was  like  a  lion,  for  we  are  told  under  the  following  seals,  that  each  one  of 
them  spake  in  his  order.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  and  remembrance  that, 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  Apocalypse,  when  any  of  the  living  creatures 
is  represented  as  speaking,  his  words  have  special  reference  to  the  earth, 
and  to  the  affairs  transpiring  on  the  earth ;  and  that  when  any  of  the  elders 
is  represented  as  speaking,  his  words  have  reference  to  heaven  and  to  things 
transpiring  in  heaven.  And  this  is  fitting,  for  the  four  living  ones  are  rep- 
resentatives of  the  church  on  earth,  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  are 
representatives  of  the  church  in  heaven. 

No  sooner  had  the  first  beast  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  than  John  saw  '^  a 
white  horse,'*  not  on  the  plain  of  heaven  where  the  heavenly  congregation 
was  gathered,  but  on  the  plains  of  earth.  On  this  horse  there  sat  a  rider; 
and  though  his  appearance  is  not  particularly  described,  we  must  believe, 
from  the  words  which  follow,  that  he  was  a  majestic  and  kingly  conqueror. 
In  his  hand  he  carried  a  bow.  A  crown  was  given  to  him,  not  a  crown  of 
gold,  but  a  garland  of  laurel,  for  this  is  plainly  the  meaning  of  the  original; 
and  a  laurel  crown  is  always  an  emblem  of  victory.  This  crowned  rider 
upon  the  white  horse  went  forth  conquering  and  to  cotiquer.  A  series  of 
continual  victories  attended  him,  so  that  all  his  enemies  were  subdued. 

This  was  what  John  saw  when  the  first  seal  was  broken .  And  the  things 
which  he  saw  were  symbols,  whose  meaning  is  universally  recognized.  The 
horse  is  a  symbol  of  power ;  white  is  a  symbol  of  prosperity ;  a  bow  is  a 
symbol  of  war,  and  the  crown  18  a  symbol  of  victory.  Whatever  theory 
of  interpretation  wc  may  adopt,  the  meaning  of  these  symbols  is  fixed. 


THE  FIRST  SEAL.  121 

II.  Before  entering  upon  a  ftill  explanation  of  THE  meaning  of  the 
horse  and  its  rider,  let  me  mention  a  few  things  which  we  must  take  for 
gratted.  In  the  first  place,  we  must  take  it  for  granted  that  these  symbols 
have  some  meaning.  They  are  not  such  pictures  as  a  man  might  see  in 
the  visions  of  the  nighty  pictures  grotesque  and  imaginary^  which  have  no 
foundation  save  in  imperfect  health  or  an  unquiet  brain.  They  were  in- 
spired by  the  Spirit  of  the  living  God ;  and  if  they  were  inspired  by  the 
Spirit,  they  must  have  been  intended  to  teach  the  apostle,  and  all  the  rest  of 
the  members  of  the  church,  some  important  lessons.  Whether  we  will  be 
able  to  discover  these  lessons  and  understand  the  meaning  of  the  symbols, 
is  another  question.  But  the  moment  we  grant  that  this  book  is  inspired, 
that  moment  we  must  grant  that  it  has  a  meaning  in  all  its  parts  and  in  all 
its  emblems. 

In  the  second  place,  we  must  take  it  for  granted  that  these  symbols  bear 
some  resemblance  to  the  things  which  they  shadow  forth.  Unless  they 
have  such  a  resemblance,  they  cannot  be  symbols.  And  as  they  are  symbols 
nsed  by  the  Holy  Ohost,  they  must  be  far  more  perfect  than  the  symbols 
used  by  fallible  men.  The  resemblance  of  the  inspired  symbols  is  founded 
sometimes  on  an  outward  likeness ;  for  example,  the  brazen  serpent  which 
was  lifted  up  on  a  pole  in  the  wilderness  was  a  symbol  of  Christ  who  was 
lifted  up  on  his  cross.  Sometimes  it  is  founded  on  a  universal  custom;  the 
lamb  is  a  symbol  of  Christ,  because  the  lamb  was  continually  offered  as  a 
sacrifice,  and  Christ  is  the  great  sacrifice.  Every  inspired  symbol  must  have 
some  resemblance  to  flie  thing  symbolized.  Therefore,  whatever  the  symbols 
we  are  to  consider  may  mean,  we  must  expect  to  find  a  resemblance  be- 
tween them  and  the  events  which  they  shadow  forth. 

In  the  third  place,  we  must  take  it  for  granted  that  these  symbols  point 
to  future  events.  Again  and  again  was  John  told  that  he  was  to  see  things 
which  were  to  be  thereafter.  These  future  events  would  begin  to  take  place 
immediately  afler  the  time  when  John  saw  his  vision,  for  in  the  opening 
words  of  this  book  it  is  described  as  a  revelation  of  '^  things  which  must 
shortly  come  to  pass*' ;  that  is,  the  events  predicted  made  a  long  series ;  and 
though  this  series  was  to  stretch  to  the  end  of  the  present  dispensation,  yet 
it  was  to  begin  *^  shortly "  after  the  time  when  the  apostle  saw  the  things 
which  are  here  described.  This  is  an  important  thought.  It  is  the  key 
note  of  the  explanations  which  are  to  follow.  Let  it  be  firmly  fixed  in 
memory.  To  help  in  this,  let  us  refer  again  to  chapter  1:19,  which  lays 
down  the  plan  of  the  entire  book.  "  Write  the  things  which  thou  hast 
seen,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things  which  shall  be  hereafter." 
The  first  and  second  of  these  commands,  the  apostle  has  already  obeyed, 
and  now  he  is  obeying  the  third.  Whatever,  then,  the  symbols  under  the 
first  seal  may  mean,  they  must  refer  to  events  not  long  subsequent  to  the 
time  of  John. 


122  LEOTURE  xyi. 

Bearing  these  three  things  in  mind,  viz.,  that  these  symbols  must  have 
a  meaning,  that  they  must  have  some  resemblance  to  the  events  shadowed 
forth,  and  that  the  events  shadowed  forth  must  begin  to  take  place  soon 
after  the  vision  was  seen,  we  are  prepared  to  enter  upon  the  explanation  of 
the  white  horse  and  its  rider.  These  symbols  must  describe  something  be- 
longing to  the  earth.  On  this  point  there  can  be  no  doubt.  As  they 
describe  things  belonging  to  the  earth,  they  must  describe  either  the  church 
or  the  nations  of  the  world,  for  in  these  two  organisations  all  men  are 
included.  Do  the  horse  and  its  rider  refer  to  the  church  of  Christ  on  the 
earth  ?  This  question  must  be  answered  in  the  negative.  The  church, 
especially  the  church  of  that  age,  is  not  properly  represented  by  a  war-horse 
and  a  victorious  king.  The  weapons  of  its  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but 
spiritual.  It  does  not  go  forth  with  armies  and  munitions  of  war.  It  has 
its  conquests,  but  they  are  the  conquests  of  peace.  It  may  therefore  be 
represented  by  a  sower  going  forth  to  sow  his  seed,  or  by  sheep  feeding  in 
green  pastures  and  resting  beside  quiet  waters.  In  the  time  of  John,  and 
during  the  century  which  followed,  it  might  be  represented  by  a  captive  in 
bondage  to  the  civil  government.  But  the  church  could  not  be  appropri- 
ately represented  by  a  horse  and  rider  going  forth  conquering  and  to  con- 
quer, for  then  there  would  be  no  resemblance  between  the  symbol  and  the 
thing  symbolized. 

And  if  the  horse  and  its  rider  are  not  symbols  of  the  church,  they  must 
be  Efymbols  of  some  of  the  nations  of  the  earth.  What  nation  could  they 
symbolize  ?  This  is  a  question  which  even  those  who  have  but  a  slight 
acquaintance  with  history  can  answer.  It  can  be  said  that  at  that  time 
there  was  but  one  nation.  The  Koman  empire  had  extended  its  boundaries 
over  all  the  known  world.  There  were  a  few  barbarian  tribes  that  as  yet 
paid  no  tribute  to  Rome,  but  their  freedom  was  the  result  of  their  weakness, 
and  not  of  their  strength.  They  had  not  been  conquered,  because  they 
were  so  poor  and  insignificant  that  Rome  did  not  think  it  worth  while  to 
conquer  them.  •  There  were  some  kingdoms  in  Africa  and  Asia  which  had 
not  acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  Rome,  but  they  were  so  far  distant 
that  they  were  almost  unknown  in  the  capital  of  the  world.  Besides  this, 
the  Roman  empire  was.  with  a  few  trifling  exceptions,  the  only  one  with 
which  the  church  was  brought  into  contact.  We  are  therefore  brought  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  white  horse  which  John  saw  must  be  a  symbol  of 
the  Roman  empire. 

But  does  this  symbol  appropriately  shadow  forth  the  Roman  government  ? 
The  horse  is  a  universally  recognized  symbol  of  power,  and  it  was  a  favorite 
emblem  of  the  Romans.  It  was  stamped  on  their  coins;  it  was  graven  on 
their  monuments ;  it  was  painted  in  their  pictures.  In  our  days  the  thistle 
is  the  emblem  of  Scotland,  the  lily  of  France,  and  the  eagle  of  our  own 
republic.     So  in  ancient  days  the  horse  was  recognized  as  the  emblem  of 


THE   FIRST  SEAL.  123 

Rome,  though  perhaps  not  to  the  same  extent  as  those  symbols  are  recog- 
nized to  which  I  have  just  referred.  The  white  color  of  the  horse,  which  is 
in  striking  contrast  with  the  color  of  the  horses  which  appear  under  the 
three  following  seals,  is  a  symbol  of  prosperity ;  the  bow  which  the  rider 
carried,  is  a  symbol  of  war ;  the  crown  which  was  given  him,  is  a  symbol 
of  yictoiy.     And  he  went  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer.     Are  these 
things  appropriate  symbols  of  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  ?     We 
know  that  the  empire  was  sometimes  prosperous,  and  sometimes  it  was 
humbled ;  sometimes  it  extended  its  boundaries  further  and  still  further 
from  the  centre  of  its  influence,  and  sometimes,  through  civil  strife  and 
the  struggles  of  ambitious  men  for  power,  it  seemed  as  if  it  was  about  to 
be  broken  into  fragments.     What  was  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire 
immediately  after  John's  vision  in  Patmos  ?     Was  it  a  time  of  prosperity 
and  victory  ?     If  it  was,  then  the  emblems  we  are  considering  are  appro- 
priate symbols  of  the  empire.  If  it  was  not  a  time  of  prosperity  and  victory, 
then  theiie  emblems  are  not  appropriate.  And  when  did  John  see  his  vision 
in  Patmos  ?     In  my  introductory  lecture  I  endeavored,  by  a  variety  of 
arguments,  to  fix  the  time  of  the  vision,  and  these  arguments  led  us  to  the 
conclusion  that  John  was  in  Patmos  about  the  years  95  or  96.  Now,  what 
was  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  at  this  time  and  from  this  time 
onward  ?  To  answer  this  question  we  must  turn  to  the  pages  of  secular 
history.     Many  writers  have  described  the  Roman  empire  at  this  time. 
Which  one  will  we  select  to  answer  our  question  ?  Will  we  select  one  who 
was  a  zealous  Christian,  and  whose  professed  object  was  to  show  the  ful- 
fillment of  prophecy  in  the  history  of  nations  ?  The  judgment  of  such  a 
one  might  be  biased;  his  testimony  might  have  to  be  received  with  cau- 
tion.    Let  us  rather  take  the  testimony  of  one  who  was  an  enemy  to 
Christianity,  and  who  embraced  every  opportunity  to  scoff  at  our  holy 
religion  and  its  founder.     I  refer  to  the  historian  Gibbon,  and  no  one  can 
accuse  him  of  partiality  toward  the  Bible  or  Christianity.   What  does  this 
historian  say  of  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  at  the  close  of  the 
first  century  ?     Before  quoting  the  language  of  the  historian,  let  me  recall 
to  mind  the  names  of  the  emperors  who  swayed  the  Roman  scepter  at  the 
time  of  which  I  speak.     The  reign  of  Trajan  extended  from  the  year  96 
to  the  year  117.    He  was  succeeded  by  Hadrian,  who  reigned  from  117  to 
138.     He  was  succeeded  by  the  two  Antonines,  who  reigned  from  138  to 
180,  and  were  succeeded  by  the  bloody  and  infamous  Commodus.     This 
is  the  period,  viz.,  from  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Trajan,  in  the  year 
96,  to  the  close  of  the  reign  of  the  Antonines,  in  the  year  180,  which  is 
supposed  to  be  included  under  the  first  seal. 

And  now  let  us  hear  what  the  infidel  historian  has  to  say  concerning 
this  portion  of  Roman  history.  With  regard  to  its  general  characteristics, 
he  says :  "  In  the  second  century  of  the  Christian  era,  the  empire  of  Rome 


124  LECTURE  XVI. 

comprebeDded  the  fairest  part  of  the  earth,  and  the  most  dviliied  portion 
of  mankind.  The  frontiers  of  that  extensive  monarchy  were  guarded  by 
ancient  renown  and  disciplined  valor.  The  gentle  bat  powerful  influence 
of  laws  and  manners  had  gradually  cemented  the  union  of  the  provinces. 
Their  peaceftil  inhabitants  enjoyed  and  abused  the  advantages  of  wealth 
and  luxury.  The  image  of  a  free  constitution  was  preserved  with  decent 
reverence ;  the  Roman  senate  appeared  to  possess  the  sovereign  authority, 
and  devolved  on  the  emperors  all  the  executive  powers  of  government. 
During  a  happy  period  of  more  than  fourscore  years  the  public  adminis- 
tration was  conducted  by  the  virtues  and  abilities  of  Nerva,  Trajan,  Hadrian, 
and  the  two  Antonines."  Gibbon's  Kome,  vol.  1,  p.  1.  With  regard  to 
the  first  of  the  emperors  mentioned  by  Oibbon,  nothing  need  be  said,  for 
he  died  very  soon  after  John  had  seen  his  vision.  With  regard  to  Trajan, 
the  historian  says :  '^  Trajan  was  ambitious  of  fame ;  and  as  long  as  man* 
kind  shall  continue  to  bestow  more  liberal  applause  on  their  destroyers  than 
on  their  benefactors,  the  thirst  of  military  glory  will  ever  be  the  vice  of 
the  most  exalted  characters.  The  praises  of  Alexander,  transmitted  by  a 
succession  of  poets  and  historians,  had  kindled  a  dangerous  emulation  in 
the  mind  of  Trajan.  *  *  ^  He  descended  the  river  Tigris  in  triumph, 
from  the  mountains  of  Armenia  to  the  Persian  gulf.  He  enjoyed  the  honor 
of  being  the  first,  as  he  was  the  last,  of  the  Roman  generals  who  ever 
navigated  that  remote  sea.  His  fleets  ravaged  the  coasts  of  Arabia;  and 
Trajan  vainly  flattered  himself  that  he  was  approaching  towards  the  con- 
fines of  India.  Every  day  the  astonished  senate  received  the  intelligenoe 
of  new  names  and  new  nations  that  acknowledged  his  sway."  Gibbon's 
Rome,  vol.  1 ,  p.  7.  With  regard  to  Hadrian,  the  historian  says :  '^His  life  was 
almost  a  perpetual  journey  ;  and  as  he  possessed  the  various  talents  of  the 
soldier,  the  statesman  and  the  scholar,  he  gratified  his  curiosity  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties.  Careless  of  the  difference  of  seasons  and  of  climates, 
he  marched  on  foot  and  bare  headed,  over  the  snows  of  Caledonia  and  the 
sultry  plains  of  the  upper  Egypt ;  nor  was  there  a- province  of  the  empire 
which,  in  the  course  of  his  reign,  was  not  honored  with  the  presence  of 
the  monarch."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  9.  Concerning  the  Antonines, 
the  same  historian  says :  ^'  The  two  Antonines  governed  the  Roman  worid 
forty-two  years  with  the  same  invariable  spirit  of  wisdom  and  virtue. 
*  *  *  Their  united  reigns  are  possibly  the  only  period  of  history  in 
which  the  happiness  of  a  great  people  was  the  sole  object  of  government." 
Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  93.  And  Gibbon  sums  up  this  portion  of  history 
in  these  remarkable  words :  "  If  a  man  were  called  to  fix  the  period  in 
the  history  of  the  world  during  which  the  condition  of  the  human  race 
was  most  happy  and  prosperous,  he  would  without  hesitation  name  that 
which  elapsed  from  the  death  of  Domitian  to  the  accession  of  Commodus. 
The  vast  cxt(?nt  of  the  Roman  empire  was  governed  by  absolute  power, 


THE  SECOND   AND  THIftD   SEALS.  125 

ander  the  gaidaace  of  virtae  and  wisdom.  The  armies  were  restrained  by 
the  firm  but  gentle  hand  of  four  successiye  emperors,  whose  characters  and 
authority  commanded  involuntary  respect.  The  forms  of  the  civil  admin- 
istration were  carefally  preserved  by  Nerva,  Trajan,  Hadrian,  and  the 
Antoninra,  who  delighted  in  the  image  of  liberty,  and  were  pleased  with 
considering  themselves  as  the  accountable  ministers  of  the  laws.  Such 
princes  deserved  the  honor  of  restoring  the  republic,  had  the  Romans  of 
their  days  been  capable  of  enjoying  a  rational  freedom."  Gibbon's  Rome, 
vol.  1,  p.  95. 

If  Gibbon  had  intended  to  prepare  a  commentary  on  the  symbols  which 
were  seen  when  the  first  seal  was  broken,  could  he  have  more  skillfully 
shaped  the  facts  in  his  history  ?  Could  John  have  chosen  a  more  expres- 
sive emblem  of  this  period  of  history  than  the  horseman  who  went  forth 
on  a  white  horse,  with  a  bow  in  his  hand  and  a  crown  on  his  head,  con- 
quering and  to  conquer  ? 

I  have  dwelt  upon  this  seal  at  considerable  length,  for  it  was  necessary 
to  establish  some  general  principles  and  to  fix  clearly  the  point  at  which 
this  history  of  the  future  b^ns.  These  principles  having  now  been  es- 
tablished, and  this  point  having  now  been  fixed,  we  may  make  more  rapid 
progress  in  explaining  the  verses  that  follow. 

But  before  we  turn  away  finally  from  the  first  seal,  let  us  fix  in  our 
minds  the  truth  which  the  Holy  Spirit  intended  to  convey  to  John  by 
this  vision.  He  showed  the  apostle  that  first  among  ^*  the  things  which 
were  to  be  thereafter,'*  the  Roman  empire,  with  wbich  the  church  was  so 
intimately  associated,  was  to  enjoy  a  season  of  prosperity,  of  conquest  and 
of  victory,  a  season  which  is  beautifully  symbolized  by  the  white  horse  and 
its  rider.  From  profane  history  we  learn  that  the  Roman  empire  did  en- 
joy such  a  season  of  prosperity  during  the  reigns  of  Trajan,  Hadrian  and 
the  two  Antonines.  We  therefore  conclude  that  the  first  seal  has  reference 
to  that  portion  of  history  which  is  included  between  the  years  96  and  180, 
and  that  the  events  described  under  the  second  seal  will  begin  at  the  latter 
date  and  stretch  down  through  the  succeeding  years. 


LECTURE     XVII. 


THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  SEALS. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  second  seal,  I  heard  the  second  beast  say,  Come 
and  see.  And  there  went  out  another  horse  that  was  red :  and  power  was  given 
to  him  that  sat  thereon  to  take  peace  from  the  earth,  and  that  they  should  kill 
one  another :  and  there  was  given  unto  him  a  great  sword.    And  when  he  had 


126  LECTURE   XVII. 

opened  the  third  Beal,  I  heard  the  third  beast  say,  Come  and  gee.  And  I  be- 
held, and  lo  a  black  horse ;  and  he  that  sat  on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his 
hand.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the  midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of 
wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny ;  and  see  thou 
hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine. — Rev.  6 :  3-6. 

The  first  seal  had  been  opened;  a  portion  of  the  book  had  'been  unrolled; 
the  first  living  creature  had  cried  with  a  loud  voice ;  and  John  had  seen 
the  first  horse  and  its  rider  go  forth  over  the  plains  of  earth,  conquering 
and  to  conquer.  When  these  things  were  done,  everything  in  the  heav- 
enly council  remained  as  it  was  before.  But  this  was  only  the  first'  scene 
in  the  panorama  of  the  ^ture.  Another  immediately  follows.  The  Lamb 
breaks  the  second  seal ;  another  portion  of  the  book  is  unrolled  ;  the  sec- 
ond living  creature  cries  with  a  loud  voice;  and  John  sees  another  horse 
going  out  over  the  plains  of  earth. 

Let  us  attend  to  the  opening  of  the  second  seal. 

I.  According  to  the  plan  already  laid  down,  we  will  in  the  first  place 
describe  the  symbols.     What  did  John  see  when  the  second  seal  was 
broken  ?     When  this  seal  was  broken,  the  second  of  the  living  ones,  who 
has  -nl ready  been  described  as  resembling  a  young  ox,'  cried  *'  come"  ;  for 
it  must  be  remembered  that  the  words  ^*  and  see  "  have  been  rejected  by 
Biblical  critics  as  having  no  place  in  the  text.     This  word  of  the  living 
one  was  addressed,  not  to  John,  who  was  walching  with  all  his  powers  the 
unfolding  of  the  heavenly  vision,  but  to  the  unknown  personage,  who  was 
to  come  forth  out  of  the  mysterious  regions  of  the  i^ture.     As  if  in  obe- 
dience to  this  cry  of  the  living  one,  another  horse  appeared  upon  the  plains 
of  earth,  irom  which  the  white  horse  of  the  first  seal  had  just  disappeared. 
This  horse  differed  in  color  from  the  horse  which  had  preceded  it,  and 
fi*om  those  which  were  to  follow ;  it  was  red;  and  this  color  is  the  almost 
universally  recognized  symbol  of  wrath,  and  war,  and  carnage.     That  there 
may  not  be  a  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  this  symbol,  a  iew  words  of  de- 
scription are  added.     The  rider  on  this  horse  had  great  power  given  to 
him,  but  it  was  not  power  to  give  joy  and  prosperity,  but  to  take  them 
away  ;  it  was  not  power  to  bless  men  with  peace,  but  to  remove  peace  from 
the  earth ;  it  was  not  power  to  make  men  love  one  another  and  to  dwell 
together  in  the  harmony  which  should  mark  brethren  of  a  common  family, 
but  to  make  them  kill  one  another.     The  rider  upon  this  horse  had  also 
given  unto  him  "  a  great  sword."     A  sword  is  the  symbol  of  war,  or  rather 
of  the  destruction  of  war ;  and  a  great  sword  would  be  a  symbol  of  wars 
in  which  there  would  be  an  unusual  destruction  of  human  life. 

This  was  the  vision  which  came  forth  at  the  call  of  the  second  living 
one.  A  red  horse  appeared  on  the  earth,  and  on  him  there  sat  one  who 
had  the  appearance  of  a  mighty  military  commander,  to  whom  were  given 
a  great  sword  and  power  to  banish  peace  from  the  homes  of  earth,  to  array 
men  and  nations  in  deadly  hostility,  and  to  fill  the  world  with  blood. 


THE   SECOND   AND  THIRD   SEAL.  127 

II.  Having  fixed  the  symbols  of  the  second  seal  in  our  minds,  we  are 
ready  to  attempt  their  explanation.  As  already  explained,  the  horse  is 
a  symbol  of  strength  ;  the  color  of  this  horse  is  the  symbol  of  carnage  ;  the 
great  swor4  is  the  symbol  of  wars  of  unusual  fierceness  and  destruction. 
This  explanation  of  these  symbols  is  greatly  strengthened  by  the  fact  that 
the  rider  on  this  horse  had  power  to  banish  peace  and  excite  bloodshed. 

If  these  symbols  are  to  be  applied  to  men  and  nations  on  the  earth,  what 
state  of  things  would  they  describe  ?  Manifestly  they  would  describe  a 
period  when  war  was  the  rule  and  peace  the  exception  ;  when  war  was  at- 
tended with  great  destruction  of  life ;  and  when  civil  strife,  the  worst  kind 
of  war,  led  neighbors  to  kill  each  other  with  the  sword.  If  such  a  state 
of  things  cannot  be  found  on  the  earth,  we  will  be  baffled  in  our  explana- 
tions, for  the  symbols  must  bear  some  reslbmblance  to  the  things  symbol- 
ised. Is  such  B  period  of  war  and  carnage  to  be  found  ?  To  answer  this 
question,  we  must  turn  to  the  pages  of  history.  But  to  what  part  of  his- 
tory shall  we  look  ?  If  we  made  no  mistake  in  explaining  the  symbols  of 
the  first  seal,  this  question  is  easily  answered.  Let  me  refer  for  a  moment 
to  that  explanation.  The  white  horse  and  his  rider  described  that  period 
of  pnx^erity  and  conquest  which  the  Roman  empire  enjoyed  for  about 
ninety  years  after  the  time  of  John's  exile  in  Patmos,  that  is,  from  the  year 
96  to  the  year  180.  Historians  tell  us  that  this  was  a  period  of  unparalleled 
prosperity.  Their  words  glow  with  enthusiasm  as  they  describe  the  virtues 
of  the  emperors,  the  greatness  of  their  victories  and  the  happiness  of  their 
subjects.  The  language  of  one  which  was  quoted  in  my  last  lecture,  is, 
''  if  a  man  was  called  upon  to  fix  a  period  in  the  history  of  the  worid,  dur- 
ing which  the  condition  of  the  human  race  was  most  happy  and  prosper- 
OQBf  he- would  without  hesitation  name  that  which  elapsed  from  the  death 
of  Domitian  to  the  accession  of  Gommodus.'' 

If  the  things  which  John  saw  in  his  sublime  vision  were  intended  to 
shadow  forth  a  cibnsecutive  history  of  human  affairs,  we  would  expect  to 
find  the  events  symbolized  under  the  second  seal  following  immediately 
after  those  symbolized  under  the  first  seal ;  in  other  words,  we  would  ex- 
pect to  find  the  events  symbolized  under  the  second  seal  in  that  portion  of 
history,  which  describes  the  Roman  empire  from  the  year  180  and  onwards. 
For  the  fulfillment  of  these  symbols  must  be  found  in  Roman  history. 
The  first  and  the  second  seals  are  closely  related ;  their  symbols  belong  to 
the  same  class.  And  if  the  white  horse  and  its  rider  describe  the  Roman 
empire,  as  we  showed  in  our  last  lecture,  then  the  red  horse  and  its  rider 
must  also  describe  the  same  empire,  though  in  a  different  phase  of  its 
history. 

What  was  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  during  the  period  refer- 
red to  ?  that  is,  from  the  year  180  onwards  ?  Was  it  a  period  of  prosperity 
and  victory,  like  that  which  preceded  the  year  180  ?     No  ;  it  was  a  time 


128  LIGTURE  XVII. 

of  war  and  bloodshed.  From  the  year  180,  for  about  60  jearSi  was  a  series 
of  civil  wars,  which  continiied  with  scarcely  an  interval.  This  half  cen- 
tury is  described  by  one  historian,  Sismondi^  as  ^'  the  most  calamitous  pe- 
riod of  Roman  history.  "  During  that  time,*'  he  tells  us,  **  thirty-two 
emperors  and  twenty-seven  pretenders  to  the  empire  buried  each  other  from 
the  throne  by  incessant  war&re."  A  foil  history  of  this  period  is  to  be 
found  on  the  pages  of  Oibbon,  and  he  is  certainly  a  competent  witness,  for 
he  wrote  with  no  intention  of  proving  that  the  words  of  revelation  had 
been  folfiUed.  I  would  like  to  quote  largely  from  his  history,  but  the  lim- 
its allotted  to  this  lecture  will  not  permit.  However,  a  few  passages  selected 
almost  at  random,  will  show  the  propriety  of  representing  the  Roman  em- 
pire at  that  time  by  the  symbol  of  a  red  horse,  and  of  describing  it  as  a 
period  when  peace  would  be  driven  from  the  earth  and  when  men  would 
kill  one  another  with  the  sword.  With  regard  to  Gommodus,  the  historian 
says,  ''  Gommodus  had  now  attained  the  height  of  vice  and  infamy.  *  "^ 
*  *  His  ferocious  spirit  was  irritated  by  the  consciousness  of  that  ha- 
tred, by  the  envy  of  every  kind  of  merit,  by  the  just  apprehension  of 
danger,  and  by  the  habit  of  slaughter,  which  he  contracted  in  his  daily 
amusements.  History  has  preserved  a  long  list  of  consular  senators  sacri- 
ficed to  his  wanton  suspicion,  which  sought  out,  with  peculiar  anxiety, 
those  unfortunate  persons  connected,  however  remotely,  with  the  family  of 
Antonines,  without  sparing  even  the  ministers  of  his  crimes  or  pleasures. 
His  cruelty  proved  at  last  fatal  to  himself.  He  had  shed  with  impunity 
the  noblest  blood  of  Rome;, he  perished  as  soon  as  he  was  dreaded  by  his 
own  domestics.'*  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  115.  The  successor  of  Gom- 
modus was  murdered  by  his  soldiers  after  having  reigned  eighty-six  days* 
Julian,  the  next  emperor,  reigned  sixty-six  days,  when  he  met  with  a  vio- 
lent death.  Of  his  short  reign,  the  historian  says,  ''he  had  reason  to 
tremble.  On  the  throne  of  the  world,  he  found  himself  without  a  friend 
and.  even  without  an  adherent.  *  *  *  The  people,  secure  in  their 
numbers  and  obscurity,  gave  a  free  vent  to  their  passions.  The  streets  and 
public  places  of  Rome  resounded  with  clamors  and  imprecations.  The 
public  discontent  was  soon  diffused  from  the  centre  to  the  frontiers  of  the 
empire."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  12^.  Under  the  next  «mperor  there 
was  revolt  after  revolt,  and  war  after  war.  And  as  if  the  bloodshed  in 
these  wars  was  not  sufficient^  he  treated  with  extreme  cruelty  those  whom 
he  had  defeated.  Thus  on  one  occasion  ^*  he  condemned  forty-one  senar 
tors,  whose  names  history  has  recorded  ;  their  wives,  children  and  clients 
attended  them  in  death,  and  the  noblest  provincials  in  Spain  and  Gaul 
were  involved  in  the  same  ruin.  Such  rigid  justice — for  so  he  termed  it 
— was,  in  the  opinion  of  Severus,  the  only  conduct  capable  of  insuring 
peace  to  the  people  or  stability  to  the  prince  ]  and  he  condescended  slight- 
ly to  lament  that  to  be  mild,  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  first  be  cruel," 


THE   SECOND    AND   THIRD    SEALS.  129 

GribboD*8  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  144.  The  next  emperor,  Caracalla,  who  is 
called  "  the  commoD  enemy  of  mankind,"  excelled  in  cnielty.  "  It  was 
oompnted  that,  under  the  vague  appellation  of  the  friends  of  Geta,  above 
twenty  thousand  persons  of  both  sexes  suffered  death.  *  *  *  When 
a  senator  was  accused  of  being  a  secret  enemy  to  the  government,  the  em- 
peror was  satisfied  with  the  general  proof  that  he  was  a  man  of  property 
and  virtue.  From  this  well>grounded  principle,  he  frequently  drew  the 
most  bloody  inferences.  *  *  *  jj^  the  midst  of  peace,  and  upon  the 
slightest  provocation,  he  issued  his  commands  at  Alexandria,  in  Egypt,  for 
a  general  massacre.  From  a  secure  post  in  the  temple  of  Serapis,  lie 
viewed  and  directed  the  slaughter  of  many  thousands  of  citizens,  as  well 
as  strangers,  without  distinguishing  either  the  number  or  the  crime  of  the 
sufferers ;  since,  as  he  cooly  informed  the  senate,  all  the  Alexandrians, 
those  who  had  perished  and  those  who  had  escaped,  were  alike  guilty." 
Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  pp.  158-160. 

Let  these  examples  suffice.  I  might  go  over  the  history  of  the  whole 
period  and  select  similar  examples  from  almost  every  page.  The  throne  of 
the  Roman  empire  was  often  bathed  in  blood.  Thousands  upon  thousands 
of  Romans  were  killed  in  war,  and  in  conspiracies,  and  to  gratify  the  revenge 
of  those  who  were  in  power.  If  this  is  a  true  picture  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire, could  John  have  chosen  a  better  symbol  to  describe  it  than  that  of 
^he  red  horse  ?  And  could  he  have  condensed  the  history  of  that  period 
in  fewer  words  than  these,  ''  power  was  given  to  take  peace  from  the  earth, 
and  that  they  should  kill  one  another"  ?  As  we  read  the  words  of  the 
historian  Gibbon,  it  would  seem,  if  we  did  not  know  better,  that  he  was 
endeavoring  to  show  that  the  vision  of  the  seer  of  Patmos  had  been  liter- 
ally fulfilled.  We  are  therefore  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  sym- 
bols of  the  second  seal  describe  this  bloody  portion  of  Roman  history,  which 
b^ns  with  the  reign  of  Gommodus  and  continues  for  about  sixty  years, 
that  is,  from  the  year  180  to  the  year  240  ;  and  that  the  events  described 
under  the  third  seal  b^n  at  the  latter  date  and  stretch  on  through  suc- 
ceeding years. 

Let  us  DOW  attend  to  the  opening  of  the  third  seal. 

When  the  Lamb  had  opened  the  third  seal,  the  third  living  creature, 
who  was  like  a  man,  cried  ^'  Come";  and  as  if  in  obedience  to  his  call, 
another  horse  and  rider  were  seen  going  forth  over  the  plains  of  earth. 

I.  We  are  to  describe  the  symbols  which  John  saw  when  this  seal 
was  broken.  As  has  already  been  said,  he  saw  a  third  horse,  but  this  horse 
differed  in  color  from  those  that  had  preceded  it.  It  was  black ;  and  black 
is  the  universally  recognized  symbol  of  distress.  If  the  white  horse  indi- 
cated a  time  of  prosperity,  and  the  red  horse  a  time  of  civil  war  and  blood - 

9 


130  LBOTUBE   XVII. 

shed,  the  black  horse  mast  indicate  a  time  of  distress.  The  particular 
source  from  which  this  distress  should  arise,  whether  from  pestilence,  or 
famine,  or  war,  or  oppression,  is  not  indicated  by  the  symbol.  This  must 
be  learned  from  other  parts  of  the  vision. 

He  that  sat  on  this  horse  did  not  carry  in  his  hand  a  bow  or  a  sword,  as 
did  the  riders  of  the  horses  already  described ;  he  carried  "  a  pair  of  bal- 
ances." A  pair  of  balances  is  often  a  symbol  of  justice;  and  if  it  stood 
alone,  we  might  conclude  that  it  shadowed  forth  a  time  when  even-handed 
justice  was  strictly  administered.  But  the  color  of  the  horse,  as  well  as 
tlie  description  which  follows,  forbids  this  conclusion.  A  pair  of  balances 
is  sometimes  the  symbol  of  great  scarcity,  for  then  everything  is  weighed 
with  the  greatest  exactness.  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  sjrmbol  here,  for 
John  heard  a  voice  from  the  midst  of  the  throne,  making  proclamation,  "  A 
measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three  measures  of  barley  for  a  penny ; 
and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine." 

Let  us  take  up  the  several  parts  of  this  proclamation  and  see  what  they 
mean.  The  measure  here  referred  to  is  about  equivalent  to  an  English 
quart,  and  it  was  the  usual  daily  allowance  for  one  man.  The  word  trans- 
lated "penny"  is  the  name  of  a  coin  which  was  equivalent  to  fourteen 
cents  of  our  money,  and  it  was  the  usual  price  paid  for  a  day's  labor. 
Therefore,  a  man's  labor  could  procure  only  enough  wheat  for  himself  alone, 
to  say  nothing  of  those  who  were  dependent  on  him,  or  of  other  food,  or 
clothing,  or  expenses.  When  a  measure  of  wheat  sold  for  a  penny,  it  must 
have  been  a  time  of  scarcity.  If  wheat  was  sold  at  the  same  rate  now, 
viz.,  $4.50  per  bushel,  there  would  be  great  distress,  and  yet  money,  measured 
by  the  price  of  labor,  and  this  is  the  only  true  standard,  la  much  cheaper 
now  than  it  was  then. 

The  next  part  of  the  proclamation  conveys  the  same  idea  of  scarcity,  for 
barley  is  a  cheaper  grain  than  wheat.  The  aver^  ratio  of  the  price  of 
the  two  kinds  of  grain  is  about  one  to  three.  The  last  part  of  the  proda- 
mation  conveys  the  same  idea.  "  See  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the  wine."  * 
Olive  oil  and  wine  were  among  the  necessities,  and  not  among  the  luxuries 
of  the  ancients.  In  a  time  of  scarcity  and  distress,  great  care  would  have 
to  be  taken  of  the  olive  tree  and  the  vine,  lest  their  production  would  be 
diminished. 

II.  Let  us  now  explain  the  meaning  of  these  symbols  in  their  appli- 
cation to  the  history  of  the  Roman  empire.  As  has  been  said,  the  black  horse, 
the  pair  of  balances,  and  the  proclamation,  all  indicated  a  time  of  scarcity 
and  distress.  Let  us  then  turn  to  the  pages  of  Roman  history  and  see  whether 
there  was  such  a  time  of  scarcity  and  distress,  following  the  civil  wars  which 
were  described  under  the  symbols  of  the  second  seal. 

Here  permit  me  to  make  an  observation,  which  perhaps  should  have  been 


THE  8B0OND  AND  THIRD   SEALS.  131 

made  before.  It  is  impossible  to  fix  to  the  very  year  the  beginning  and  the 
end  of  the  periods  described  under  the  seyeral  seals.  One  period  runs  into 
another.  The  period  of  prosperity  described  under  the  first  seal  did  not  at 
onoe  change  into  the  civil  wars  of  the  second  seal ;  and  the  civil  wars  de- 
scribed under  the  second  seal  did  not  at  once  change  into  the  distress  of  the 
third  seal.  Each  period  had  its  distinguishing  color,  but  one  color  shaded 
off  so  gradually  into  the  next,  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  say  just  where  one 
ends  and  the  next  begins.  Therefore,  I  said  that  the  period  of  prosperity 
ended  and  the  period  of  civil  war  began  about  the  year  180,  though  the 
causes  which  led  to  civil  war  can  easily  be  traced  before  that  date,  and 
though  the  empire  enjoyed  some  prosperity  afler  that  date.  And,  .therefore, 
I  said  that  the  period  of  civil  war  ended  and  the  period  of  distress  began 
about  the  year  240,  though  there  was  scarcity  before  and  civil  war  after 
that  date.  Bearing  these  observations  in  mind,  I  would  say  that  the  period 
described  under  the  third  seal  begins  about  the  year  240,  and  extends  on- 
ward for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

When  we  turn  to  the  pages  of  history,  we  find  a  remarkable  correspond- 
ence between  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  at  this  time,  and  the 
symbols  which  John  saw  in  his  vision.  It  was  a  time  of  great  distress. 
This  distress  arose  not  so  much  from  war,  or  from  pestilence,  or  from  famine, 
as  from  excessive  taxation.  Early  in  the  third  century,  about  the  year  210, 
while  the  rider  on  the  red  horse  of  the  second  seal  was  in  the  midst  of  his 
career,  the  emperors,  in  order  to  carry  on  the  wars  in  which  they  were  con- 
tinually engaged,  and  to  support  the  immense  armies  which  they  found 
necessary  to  maintain,  began  to  increase  largely  the  taxation  of  their  sub- 
jects. For  example,  during  the  reign  of  Caracalla,  one  of  the  most  cruel 
of  the  emperors  of  that  bloody  period  described  under  the  second  seal,  the 
inhabitants  of  all  the  provinces  were  made  full  Roman  citizens,  a  privil^e 
which  meant  simply  the  right  to  be  taxed.  Hitherto  they  had  been  re- 
quired to  pay  taxes  only  for  the  support  of  their  provincial  government ; 
now  they  had  to  be  taxed  for  the  support  of  the  imperial  government  as 
well.  Formerly  this  had  been  borne  by  the  inhabitants  of  Italy  alone.  The 
manner  in  which  these  taxes  were  levied  is  thus  described  by  the  historian : 
"  The  lands  were  measured  by  surveyors,  who  were  sent  into  the  provinces; 
their  nature,  whether  arable,  or  pasture,  or  vineyards,  or  woods,  was  distinctly 
reported :  and  an  estimate  was  made  of  their  common  value  from  the  aver- 
age produce  of  five  years.  The  numbers  of  slaves  and  of  cattle  constituted 
an  essential  part  of  the  report ;  an  oath  was  administered  to  the  proprietors, 
which  bound  them  to  disclose  the  true  state  of  their  affairs ;  and  their  at- 
tempts to  prevaricate  or  elude  the  intention  of  the  legislator,  were  severely 
watched  and  punished  as  a  capital  crime,  which  included  the  double  guilt 
of  treason  and  sacrilege.  A  large  portion  of  the  tribute  was  paid  in  money ; 
and  of  the  current  coin  of  the  empire,  gold  alone  could  be  legally  accepted. 


132  LECTURE  XVII. 

The  remainder  of  the  taxes,  according  to  the  proportions  determined  by  the 
annual  indication,  was  furnished  in  a  manner  still  more  direct,  and  still  more 
oppressive.  According  to  the  different  nature  of  lands,  their  real  produce 
in  the  various  articles  of  wine  or  oil,  corn  or  barley,  wood  or  iron,  was 
transported  by  the  labor,  or  at  the  expense  of  the  provincials,  to  the  imperial 
magazines,  ^m  whence  they  were  occasionally  distributed  for  the  use  of  the 
court,  of  the  army  and  of  the  two  capitals."     Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  2,  p.  143. 

The  distress  caused  by  this  system  of  excessive  taxation  may  be  imagined, 
but  we  are  not  left  to  imagination.  It  is  described  at  length.  I  might  read 
such  a  description  from  Gibbon's  "  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire." 
This  author  sees  one  great  cause  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  that  empire,  and 
no  one  can  doubt  the  correctness  of  his  opinion,  in  the  excessive  taxation 
which  has  been  referred  to.  But  another  historian  gives  a  more  graphic 
picture  of  the  distress  under  the  exactions  of  the  emperors,  and  I  prefer  to 
read  a  portion  of  what  he  says  on  this  point.  ''  Swarms  of  exactors  sent 
into  the  provinces  and  cities  filled  them  with  agitation  and  terror,  as  though 
a  conquering  enemy  were  leading  them  into  captivity.  The  fields  were  separ- 
ately measured,  the  trees  and  vines,  the  flocks  and  herds  numbered,  and 
an  examination  made  of  the  men.  In  the  cities,  the  cultivated  and  the 
rude  were  united  as  of  the  same  rank.  The  streets  were  crowded  with 
groups  of  families,  and  every  one  required  to  appear  with  his  children  and 
slaves.  Tortures  and  lashes  resounded  on  every  side.  Sons  were  gibbeted 
in  the  presence  of  their  parents,  and  the  most  confidential  servants  har- 
rafised  that  they  might  make  disclosures  against  their  masters,  and  wives 
that  they  might  testify  unfavorably  of  their  husbands.  If  there  were  a 
total  destitution  of  property,  they  were  still  tortured  to  make  acknowledg- 
ments against  themselves,  and  when  overcome  by  pain  inscribed  for  what 
they  did  not  possess.  Neither  age  nor  ill  health  was  admitted  as  an  excuse 
for  not  appearing.  The  sick  and  the  weak  were  borne  to  the  place  of  in- 
scription, and  reckoning  made  of  the  age  of  each,  and  years  added  to  the 
young  and  deducted  from  the  old,  in  order  to  subject  them  to  a  higher  tax- 
ation than  the  law  imposed.  The  whole  scene  was  filled  with  wailing  and 
sadness.  In  the  meantime  individuals  died,  and  the  herds  and  flocks  dimin- 
ished, yet  tribute  was  none  the  less  required  to  be  paid  for  the  dead,  so  that 
it  was  no  longer  allowed  either  to  live  or  die  without  a  tax.  Mendicants 
alone  escaped,  where  nothing  could  be  wrenched,  and  whom  misfortune  and 
misery  had  made  incapable  of  further  oppression.  These  the  impious  ¥rretoh, 
affecting  to  pity,  that  they  might  not  suffer  want,  ordered  to  be  assembled, 
borne  off  in  vessels  and  plunged  into  the  sea."  Lactantius,  quoted  by  Barnes. 

It  should  be  said  that  some  of  the  emperors  attempted  to  reduce  these 
great  burdens,  but  they  accomplished  little.  The  burdens  grew  greater  and 
greater.  During  the  years  described  under  the  third  seal,  the  people  be- 
came discouraged.    They  felt  that  there  was  no  use  in  cultivating  the  soil, 


THE  FOURTH  AND  FIFTH   SEALS.  133 

for  all  the  fruits  of  their  toil  were  swept  away  to  support  the  legions  of 
Rome,  and  to  supply  the  luxuries  of  the  emperors  and  their  subordinates. 
Therefore,  their  fields  went  to  waste,  and  their  homes  were  filled  with 
poverty  and  distress.  If  we  get  this  picture  firmly  fixed  in  our  minds, 
we  will  have  no  difliculty  in  seeing  the  appropriateness  of  the  emblems 
which  are  here  Used.  '^  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  black  horse ;  and  he  that  sat 
on  him  had  a  pair  of  balances  in  his  hand.  And  I  heard  a  voice  in  the 
midst  of  the  four  beasts  say,  A  measure  of  wheat  for  a  penny,  and  three 
measures  of  barley  for  a  penny :  and  see  thou  hurt  not  the  oil  and  the 
wine." 

Before  we  turn  away  from  the  third  seal,  let  us  see  what  progress  we 
have  made  in  tracing  the  history  of  "  the  things  which  were  to  be  there- 
after.*' The  Spirit  indicated  to  the  apostle  that  immediately  following  the 
time  of  his  vision  there  was  to  be  a  period  of  prosperity ;  that  this  was  to 
be  followed  by  a  period  of  civil  war,  and  that  this  was  to  be  followed  by  a 
period  of  distress.  We  have  learned  from  secular  history  that  there  were 
such  periods.  The  first  lasted  for  about  ninety  years,  the  second  for  about 
«izty,  and  the  third  for  about  twenty-five.  We  must  be  astonished  at  the 
resemblance  between  the  events  described  and  the  symbols  used  by  the 
Spirit  to  describe  them.  We  can  easily  recognize  the  white  horse  of  pros- 
perity, the  red  horse  of  civil  war,  and  the  black  horse  of  distress,  as  they 
go  forth  one  after  another  over  the  Roman  empire  during  the  first  250 
years  of  the  Christian  era. 


LECTURE    XVIII. 


THE    FOUKTH    AND    FIFTH    SEALS. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  fourth  seal,  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth 
beast  flay,  Come  and  see.  And  I  looked,  and  behold  a  pale  horse:  and  his 
name  that  sat  on  him  was  Death,  and  Hell  followed  with  him.   And  power  was 

fiven  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  to  kill  with  sword,  and  with 
unger,  and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the  earth.  And  when  he  had 
opened  the  fifth  seal,  I  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  were  slain 
for  the  word  of  Qod,  and  for  the  testimony  which  they  held :  and  they  cried 
with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  How  long,  O  lliord,  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not 
Judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  ?  And  white  robes 
were  given  unto  every  one  of  them ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them,  that  they  should 
rest  yet  for  a  little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants  also  and  their  brethren, 
that  should  be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be  fulfilled. — Rkv.  6  :  7-11. 

We  come  now  to  the  opening  of  the  fourth  seal,  which  shadowed  forth 
more  fearful  judgments  than  those  which  preceded  it.  In  discussing  this 
seal,  we  will  follow  the  method  which  we  have  followed  in  previous  lectures. 


134  LECTURE   XVIII. 

I.  What  did  John  see  when  the  fourth  seal  was  broken  ?  When 
the  Lamb  had  broken  this  seal  and  another  portion  of  the  book  had  been 
unrolled,  when  the  fourth  of  the  living  creatures  whose  countenance  was 
like  that  of  a  flying  eagle,  had  cried  '^  Come,"  and  when,  in  obedience  to 
his  cry,  the  fourth  vision  made  its  appearance,  John  saw  another  horse  go 
forth  over  the  plains  of  earth,  over  which  he  had  seen  passing  in  succession 
the  white  horse  of  prosperity,  the  red  horse  of  civil  war,  and  the  black 
horse  of  distress.  But  this  horse  differed  widely  in  its  color,  and  in  its 
rider,  and  in  its  surroundings  from  those  which  had  preceded  it.  It  was 
pale,  or  livid,  or  ghastly  green,  the  color  of  the  body  on  which  death  has 
set  its  seal,  and  in  which  corruption  has  begun  its  work.  This  color  is  the 
symbol  of  sickness,  mortality  and  death. 

That  there  may  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  proper  application  of  this  symbol, 
we  are  told  that  the  name  of  him  who  sat  upon  the  pale  horse  was  '^  Death." 
The  king  of  terrors  is  therefore  personified  here.  He  is  represented  as  a 
mighty  warrior,  riding  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer,  and  making  men 
bow  in  submission  to  his  authority.  His  appearance  b  not  described. 
Nothing  is  said  of  his  countenance  or  of  his  armor.  These  things  are  left 
to  the  imagination,  and  thus  the  vision  is  made  all  the  more  sublime ; 
for  true  sublimity  will  not  admit  of  too  minute  description.  It  must  always 
partake  more  or  less  of  the  mysterious  and  the  unknown.  This  symbol  of 
the  fourth  seal  has  taken  strong  hold  upon  the  imagination  of  men.  The 
pen  of  the  poet  and  the  brush  of  the  painter  have  described  it.  It  has 
become  so  familiar  that  little  children,  as  well  as  gray  haired  men,  speak  of 
"  Death  upon  the  pale  horse,"  without  thinking  that  they  are  using  a 
figure  of  speech. 

This  was  the  color  of  the  fourth  horse,  and  this  was  the  name  of  its 
rider.  Fearful  as  these  symbols  are,  other  particulars  are  to  be  added  to 
the  vision,  which  will  make  them  ten-fold  more  fearful.  Death  and  the  pale 
horse  were  not  alone.  They  were  followed  by  '^  Hadte."  This  is  a  word 
of  frequent  occurrence  in  the  New  Testament,  and  in  our  Bible  it  is  trans- 
lated "hell."  I  need  hardly  say  to  those  who  are  fiuniliar  with  the  Scriptures 
that  this  is  an  unfortunate  translation.  Hades  does  not  mean  the  place  of 
endless  punishment,  and  this  is  the  present  signification  of  the  word  ^^hell." 
It  describes  the  place  of  the  dead,  considered  as  an  abode  where  they  all, 
good  and  evil,  dwell  together.  It  is  therefore  almost  equivalent  to  the  word 
"grave."  This  should  be  remembered,  or  there  are  many  passages  in  the 
Bible  whose  meaning  we  will  not  be  able  to  understand.  It  was  not  hell, 
in  the  modem  signification  of  the  term,  but  the  grave,  which  followed  the 
pale  horse  and  its  rider.  You  will  at  once  perceive  that  the  grave  is  here 
personified.  It  is  described  as  a  great  monster  going  forth  after  death,  and 
devouring  with  open  jaws  the  victims  whom  death  has  slain.  This  is  a 
horrible  figure.     No  one  can  realize  it  without  a  shudder.     Death  goes 


THE  FOUETU  AND   FIFTH   SEALS.  135 

forth  slaying  his  thousands,  and  the  monster  of  the  grave,  with  open  mouth, 
follows  at  his  heels.  But  this  figure  is  not  peculiar  to  the  Apocalypse. 
Isaiah  uses  it,  and  his  language  is  even  more  startling  than  that  of  the 
seer  of  Patmos :  "  Therefore  hell  hath  enlarged  herself,  and  opened  her 
mouth  without  measure :  and  their  glory,  and*  their  multitude,  and  their 
pomp,  and  he  that  rejoioeth,  shaU  descend  into  it." 

To  death  and  the  grave  a  commission  was  given  to  smite  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  with  the  sword,  that  is,  with  war ;  and  with  hunger,  that  is, 
with  famine,  for  famine  generally  attends  the  devastations  of  war;  and 
with  death,  that  is,  with  pestilence,  for  pestilence,  especially  in  eastern 
lands,  was  generally  associated  with  war  and  famine ;  and  with  beasts  of 
the  earth,  that  is,  with  wild  beasts,  for  as  the  population  would  be  dimin- 
ished by  war,  and  famine,  and  pestilence,  wild  beasts  would  increase  in 
number  and  fierceness.  These  things  the  Lord,  in  the  prophecy  of  Ezekiel, 
calls  his  four  sore  judgments:  "  I  will  send  my  four  sore  judgments  upon 
Jerusalem,  the  sword,  and  the  famine,  and  the  noisome  beast,  and  the  pes- 
tilence." 

The  destruction  which  was  to  be  brought  by  death  and  the  grave  through 
these  four  instrumentalities  would  be  frightful.  Power  was  given  unto 
them  over  "  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth."  This  language  indicates  great 
mortality.  Great  multitudes  of  men  were  to  be  swept  away  into  the  grave 
by  war,  famine,  pestilence  and  wild  beasts.  It  seems  to  indicate  that  one- 
fourth  of  the  hujnan  race,  or  at  least  that  part  of  it  included  in  the  Roman 
empire,  would  be  involved  in  common  destruction. 

This  is  the  vision  which  John  saw  when  the  fourth  seal  was  opened  and 
the  fourth  beast  cried  with  a  loud  voice.  The  king  of  terrors  appeared  upon 
the  plains  of  earth  riding  upon  a  pale  horse,  and  followed  by  the  monster 
of  the  grave,  who  was  ready  with  open  mouth  to  devour  the  slain.  To 
them  was  given  power  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth  to  kill  with  the 
sword,  and  with  famine,  and  with  pestilence,  and  with  wild  beasts. 

n.  Let  us  now  see  whether  these  symbols  were  fulfilled  in  the 
liistory  of  the  Roman  empire ;  for  if  we  have  rightly  explained  the  mean- 
ing of  the  symbols  under  the  former  seals,  the  Mfillment  of  the  symbols 
of  the  fourth  seal  must,  without  question,  be  looked  for  in  the  Roman  em- 
pire. But  before  we  turn  to  the  history,  let  us  inquire  what  these  sym- 
bols would  lead  us  to  expect.  They  lead  us  to  expect  a  time  when  death 
would  make  unusual  ravages  in  the  homes  of  men.  If  the  white  horse 
and  its  rider  indicate  a  period  of  prosperity,  and  the  red  horse  and  its 
rider  a  period  of  civil  war,  and  the  black  horse  and  its  rider  a  period  of 
distress,  then  the  pale  horse  and  its  rider  must  indicate  a  period  of  mor- 
tality. We  would  also  expect  that  tliis  unusual  mortality  could  be  traced 
to  the  intimately  related  causes  of  war,  famine,  pestilence  and  wild  beasts. 


136  LSOTURE   XVIII. 

If  DO  such  period  of  mortality  can  be  found  in  history,  we  will  be  baffled 
in  our  explanations,  and  we  will  be  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  all  our 
previous  exposition  has  been  an  error,  and  that  we  have  been  looking  for 
an  explanation  of  the  meaning  of  the  seals  in  the  wrong  direction. 

In  what  period  of  Roman  history  would  we  expect  to  find  the  events 
described  by  the  symbols  of  the  fourth  seal  ?  If  we  have  located  the  other 
seab  with  any  degree  of  accuracy,  we  would  expect  this  to  follow  imme* 
diately  afler  the  period  of  distress  described  under  the  third  seal.  Here 
let  me  say  again,  what  should  be  remembered.  It  is  impossible  to  fix  to 
the  very  year  when  one  period  ends  and  the  next  begins.  These  periods 
run  into  each  other.  The  periods  of  prosperity  and  civil  war  overlap  each 
other,  but  the  dividing  line  between  them  is  about  the  year  180 ;  the  pe- 
riods of  civil  war  and  of  the  distress  caused  by  excessive  taxation  overlap 
each  other,  but  the  dividing  line  between  them  is  about  the  year  240.  So 
we  may  expect  the  periods  of  dbtress  and  mortality  to  overlap  each  other. 
I  have  already  fixed  the  period  of  the  third  seal  as  extending  from  about 
the  year  240  to  about  the  year  265  ;  and  I  believe  the  period  of  the  fourth 
seal  extends  from  about  the  year  265  to  about  the  year  800.  On  account 
of  these  periods  overlapping  each  other,  we  may  expect  to  find  unusual 
mortality,  caused  by  war,  famine  and  pestilence,  before  the  year  265 ;  but 
we  must  expect  to  find  that  mortality  greatly  increased  after  that  date, 
when  the  rider  on  the  pale  horse  is  in  the  midst  of  his  career.  Now  lot 
Mri  turn  to  the  pages  of  history,  and  see  whether  our  expectations  have 
any  foundation. 

As  we  turn  to  the  history ^of  that  period,  the  first  thing  which  claims 
our  attention  is,  that  this  was  a  time  when  the  barbarians  invaded  the  Ro- 
man empire.  Vast  hordes  of  these  barbarians,  Qoths,  Allemanni  and 
Franks  came  down  into  the  populous  and  cultivated  provinces  of  the  em- 
pire, sometimes  defeating  the  legions  of  Rome,  and  sometimes  being  de- 
feated; but  whether  victorious  or  vanquished,  thousands  upon  thousands 
were  slain.  In  addition  to  the  barbarian  invasions,  there  were  many  re- 
volts in  various  parts  of  the  empire,  which  were  quelled  only  by  the  shed- 
ding of  blood.  I  select  a  few  passages  from  Oibbon's  history,  which  will 
give  some  idea  of  the  destructiveness  of  the  wars  of  that  period.  Thus 
during  the  first  invasion  of  the  Gotbs,  which  occurred  a  few  years  before 
the  beginning  of  the  period  supposed  to  be  described  under  the  fourth 
seal,  he  tells  us,  ''  the  camp  of  the  Romans  was  surprised  and  pillaged, 
and  for  the  first  time  their  emperor  fled  in  disorder  before  a  troop  of  half 
armed  barbarians.  Afler  a  long  resistance,  Philippopolis,  destitute  of  suc- 
cor, was  taken  by  storm.  A  hundred  thousand  persons  are  reported  to 
have  been  massacred  in  the  sack  of  that  great  city.  Many  prisoners  of 
consequence  became  a  valuable  accession  to  the  spoil;  and  Priscus,  a  brother 
of  the  late  emperor  Philip,  blushed  not  to  assume  the  purple  under  the 


THE  FOURTH   AND  FIFTH   SEALS.  137 

protection  of  the  barbarous  enemies  of  Rome."  Gibbon's  Kome,  vol.  1, 
p.  291.  Again:  he  says  of  the  first  ten  years  of  this  period,  "but  the 
whole  period  was  one  uninterrupted  series  of  confusion  and  calamity.  As 
the  Roman  empire  was,  at  the  same  time,  and  on  every  side,  attacked  by  the 
blind  fury  of  foreign  invaders,  and  the  wild  ambition  of  domestic  usurp- 
ers, we  shall  consult  order  and  perspicuity  by  pursuing,  not  so  much 
the  doubtful  arrangement  of  dates,  as  the  more  natural  distribution  of 
subjects.  The  most  dangerous  enemies  of  Rome,  during  the  reigns  of 
Valerian  and  Gallienus,  were :  1,  the  Franks;  2,  the  AUemanni;  3,  the 
Ooths,  and  4,  the  Persians.  Under  these  general  appellations,  we  may 
comprehend  the  adventures  of  less  considerable  tribes,  whose  obscure  and 
uncouth  names  would  only  serve  to  oppress  the  memory  and  perplex  the 
attention  of  the  reader.''  Qibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  299.  Again  he  says, 
speaking  of  the  invasion  of  the  AUemanni,  about  the  year  270,  'Hhe  Ro- 
mans received  so  severe  a  blow,  that,  according  to  the  expression  of  a 
writer  extremely  partial  to  Aurelian,  the  immediate  dissolution  of  the  em- 
pire was  apprehended.  The  crafty  barbarians,  who  had  lined  the  Woods, 
suddenly  attacked  the  legions  in  the  dusk  of  the  evening,  and,  it  is  most 
probable,  after  the  fatigue  and  disorder  of  a  long  march.  The  fury  of  their 
charge  was  irresistible;  but  at  length,  after  a  dreadful  slaughter,  the 
patient  firmness  of  the  emperor  rallied  his  troops,  and  restored  in  some 
degree  the  honor  of  his  arms."     Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  345. 

Another  agent  of  destruction  was  famine.  And  there  was  such  a  famine 
during  the  period  which  is  supposed  to  be  described.  Of  this  famine. 
Gibbon  thus  speaks :  ''  our  habits  of  thinking  so  fondly  connect  the  order 
of  the  universe  with  the  fate  of  roan,  that  this  gloomy  period  of  history 
has  been  decorated  with  inundations,  earthquakes,  uncommon  meteors, 
preternatural  darkness,  and  a  crowd  of  prodigies,  fictitious  or  exaggerated. 
But  a  long  and  general  famine  was  a  calamity  of  a  more  serious  kind.  It 
was  the  inevitable  consequence  of  rapine  and  oppression,  which  extirpa- 
ted the  produce  of  the  present,  and  the  hope  of  future  harvests/'  Gib- 
bon's Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  328. 

Another  agent  of  destruction  was  pestilence.  And  there  was  such  a 
pestilence,  which  is  thus  described  by  the  same  historian :  *^  Famine  is 
almost  always  followed  by  epidemical  diseases,  the  effect  of  scanty  and  un- 
wholesome food.  Other  causes  must,  however,  have  contributed  to  the 
furious  plague  which,  from  the  year  250  to  the  year  265,  raged  without 
interruption  in  every  province,  every  city,  and  almost  every  family,  of  the 
Roman  empire.  During  some  time,  five  thousand  persons  died  daily  in 
Rome;  and  many  towns,  that  had  escaped  the  hands  of  the  barbarians, 
were  entirely  depopulated."     Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  329. 

Another  agent  of  destruction  was  wild  beasts.  Of  this  agent  Gibbon 
says  nothing,  but  other  historians  are  not  silent.     One  who  wrote  about 


188  LECTURE   XVIII. 

the  year  296  speaks  of  wild  beasts  in  such  away  as  to  show  that  they  were 
a  great  calamity.  We  also  know  from  histoiy,  that  the  destruction  arising 
from  wild  beasts  was  so  great,  that  it,  with  other  evils,  was  regarded  as  a 
judgment  of  heaven  upon  the  empire  because  Christians  were  not  put  to 
death.  Surely,  then,  during  this  period,  death  had  power  to  kill  with  the 
sword,  and  with  famine,  and  with  pestilence,  and  with  wild  beasts. 

What  does  history  say  with  regard  to  the  extent  of  the  destruction  of 
human  life  during  this  period  ?  Does  it  tell  that  one-fourth  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  Roman  empire  were  destroyed  ?  listen  to  the  testimony  of  Qib- 
bon  on  this  point :  ^'  We  have  the  knowledge  of  a  very  curious  circumstance, 
of  some  use,  perhaps,  in  the  melancholy  calculation  of  human  calamities.  An 
exact  register  was  kept  at  Alexandria  of  all  the  citizens  entitled  to  re- 
ceive  the  distribution  of  com.  It  was  found  that  the  ancient  number  of 
those  comprised  between  the  ages  of  forty  and  seventy  had  been  equal  to 
the  whole  sum  of  claimants,  from  fourteen  to  fourscore  years  of  age,  who 
remained  alive  after  the  reign  of  Gallienus.  Applying  this  authentic  fact 
to  the  most  correct  tables  of  mortality,  it  evidently  proves  that  above  half 
the  people  of  Alexandria  had  perished  ;  and  could  we  venture  to  extend 
the  analogy  to  the  other  provinces,  we  might  suspect  that  war,  pestilence 
and  &mine  had  consumed  in  a  few  years  the  moiety  of  the  human  spe- 
cies." Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  1,  p.  829.  Therefore,  according  to  Gibbon's 
statement,  it  is  probable  that  one-half  of  the  human  race  had,  during  the 
period  described,  perished  by  the  various  agents  mentioned. 

As  we  gather  up  in  our  minds  the  pictures  of  this  sad  period  when  the 
sword,  famine  and  pestilence  made  such  ravages,  we  must  be  astonished  at 
the  correspondence  between  the  events  of  history  and  the  symbols  of  John's 
vision.  How  can  the  last  half  of  the  third  century  be  better  described  than 
in  the  words  before  us?  *'And  I  looked,  and  behold,  a  pale  horse;  and 
his  name  that  sat  upon  him  was  death,  and  the  grave  followed  with  him. 
And  power  was  given  unto  them  over  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth,  to  kill 
with  sword,  and  with  hunger,  and  with  death,  and  with  the  beasts  of  the 
earth." 

We  come  now  to  the  opening  of  the  fifth  seal.  When  the 
Lamb  had  broken  this  seal,  another  portion  of  the  sealed  book  was  un- 
rolled ;  but  now  none  of  the  living  creatures  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  and 
neither  horse  nor  horseman  appeared  in  the  vision.  There  is  a  marked 
change,  not  only  in  this  regard,  but  also  in  the  place  where  the  vision  was 
seen.  The  symbols  which  John  had  seen  under  the  former  seals  had  been 
upon  the  plains  of  earth,  but  now  the  scene  is  transferred  from  the  plains 
of  earth  to  the  celestial  plain,  on  which  the  throne  of  God  was  set ;  and 
other  parts  of  the  heavenly  scenery  to  which  our  attention  has  not  yet  been 
called  are  now  brought  into  view.     There  is  a  heavenly  temple,  with  its 


THE   FOURTH   AND   FIFTH   SEALS.  189 

courts,  and  its  altars,  and  its  furniture,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
the  throne,  and  the  living  creatures,  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders.  To 
this  temple  we  will  often  be  called  in  subsequent  visions,  but  now  we  see 
it,  or  rather  its  altar,  for  the  first  time. 

I.  The  THINGS  WHICH  John  saw  claim  our  attention  in  the  first  place. 
These  things  may  be  arranged  under  four  particulars :  the  persons  he  saw ; 
their  position  ;  their  prayer;  and  their  comfort. 

1.  Those  whom  John  saw  are  described  as  ^^mosriyri'* ;  that  is,  those  who 
had  been  put  to  death  as  witnesses  for  the  truth.  It  was  not  the  bodies  of 
these  martyrs  which  John  saw,  for  their  bodies  were  resting  in  their  graves; 
it  was  their  "  souls/'  This  vision  shows  us  that  the  souls  of  the  saints  do 
immediately,  at  their  death,  pass  into  the  presence  of  God  and  enjoy  his 
favor.  The  reason  of  their  martyrdom  is  revealed.  It  was  **for  the  word 
of  Ood";  that  is,  on  account  of  their  faithful  adherence  to  the  Scriptures  ; 
and  ''for  the  testimony  which  they  held'';  that  is,  on  account  of  the  testi- 
mony which  they  bore  in  favor  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  men. 
Therefore,  these  men  were  true  martyrs,  for  it  is  not  death,  but  the  cause 
in  which  death  is  incurred,  which  makes  a  man  a  martyr. 

2.  The  position  of  these  martyred  souls  is  described  as  ^'  under  the  altar"; 
that  iBy  the  heavenly  altar  to  which  I  have  referred.  Of  course  this  does 
not  mean  that  the  altar  was  builded  upon  them,  but  that  they  were  close 
to  the  altar.  And  as  the  altar  in  the  earthly  temple  was  the  place  at  which 
God  was  worshiped,  their  position  implies,  that  though  they  were  in  heaven 
they  were  still  engaged  in  worship. 

3.  Their  toorship,  at  least  a  part  of  it,  consisted  in  prayer.  Their  prayer 
was  earnest,  for  "they  cried  with  a  loud  voice."  They  prayed  for  a  just 
punishment  to  fall  upon  those  who  had  shed  their  blood,  and  who  were  the 
enemies  of  the  cause  of  Christ  on  the  earth.  They  appealed  to  the  holi- 
ness of  Qod  and  to  his  truth.  As  he  was  one  who  could  not  look  upon  sin, 
and  in  whose  sight  the  persecution  of  his  saints  must  be  a  grievous  offence ; 
as  he  was  one  who  had  pledged  his  faithful  word  that  his  church  would  not 
be  destroyed ;  they  appealed  to  him  as  "holy  and  true"  to  vindicate  himself 
bj  judging  with  righteous  judgment  his  and  their  enemies.  Their  prayer 
also  implies  that  the  persecution  had  continued  long,  and  that  it  was  yet 
raging  on  the  earth.  It  also  implies  that  they  had  a  knowledge  of  what 
was  going  on  in  the  world.  They  knew  that  their  earthly  brethren  were 
being  persecuted ;  and  as  God  was  just,  they  prayed  him  to  manifest  his 
justice  and  his  holiness. 

4.  Their  prayer  was  answered,  not  by  giving  them  at  once  everything 
they  asked  for,  but  by  filling  their  souls  with  comfort.  "  White  robes  were 
given  unto  every  one  of  them,"  robes  which  were  emblems  of  purity  and 
innocence.     In  this  way  God  expressed  his  approval  of  their  lives,  and  gave 


140  LECTURE   XVIII. 

them  a  pledge  of  their  fature  happiness.  God  also  comforted  them  by  re- 
vealing to  them  something  of  his  future  plans.  "  They  should  rest  yet  for  a 
little  season,  until  their  fellow  servants  also  and  their  brethren,  that  should 
be  killed  as  they  were,  should  be  fulfilled.*'  Their  brethren  on  the  earth 
must  suffer  persecution  for  a  time,  till  the  glorious  number  of  the  martyrs 
was  filled.  Till  the  coming  of  that  time,  they  must  wait ;  and  when  it  came, 
their  prayer  would  be  fully  answered. 

This  was  what  John  saw  when  the  fifth  seal  was  opened.  He  saw  worship- 
ers around  the  heavenly  altar,  and  these  worshipers  were  the  souls  of  the 
martyred  dead.  He  heard  their  earnest  ciy  for  j  ust  punishment  to  be  visited 
upon  the  earthly  persecutors  of  the  bleeding  church.  He  saw  the  comfort 
which  they  received,  the  white  robes  which  were  given  to  them,  and  the 
blessed  assurance  that  after  a  little  season  the  number  of  the  martyrs  would 
be  filled,  and  the  just  punishment  of  heaven  would  be  inflicted  on  their 
enemies. 

II.  We  have  now  to  explain  the  symbols  which  John  saw.  Their 
meaning  is  so  plain,  that  we  can  have  but  little  difficulty i  They  must  rep- 
resent a  period  of  persecution,  when  the  enemies  of  the  church  exerted 
themselves  for  its  destruction,  when  there  was  great  suffering  among  the 
earthly  saints,  and  when  the  souls  of  the  martyred  dead  were  continually 
going  up  to  the  heavenly  altar,  and  crying  for  vengeance  upon  those  who 
were  bathing  their  hands  in  saintly  blood.  Was  there  such  a  time  of  cruelty 
and  bloody  persecution  ?  Of  course  there  had  been  many  persecutions  of  the 
church.  There  were  persecutions  before  John  was  exiled  to  Patmos.  It 
was  persecution  which  had  imprisoned  him  on  that  lonely  isle.  There  were 
persecutions  during  the  years  which  are  described  under  the  first  four  seals. 
But  these  persecutions  were  local.  If  we  have  correctly  fixed  the  time 
when  the  symbols  of  those  four  seals  were  fulfilled,  we  would  expect  the 
symbols  of  the  fifth  seal  to  be  ftdfilled  about  the  end  of  the  third  century, 
or  the  beginning  of  the  fourth.  Was  there  such  persecution  at  this  time  ? 
Let  us  turn  to  history  and  see.  Not  long  before  the  close  of  the  period  of 
mortality  described  by  the  pale  horse  of  the  fourth  seal,  the  Roman  empire 
began  to  recover  something  of  its  former  strength.  Diocletian  ascended 
the  throne  in  the  year  285.  Under  his  government  the  prosperity  of  Rome 
slowly  increased.  But  about  the  year  292,  he  began  a  series  of  persecutions, 
which,  however,  did  not  break  out  with  violence  till  the  year  303.  These 
persecutions  continued  during  the  rest  of  his  reign,  and  during  the  reign  of 
his  successors  till  the  year  311.  This  is  the  period  which  we  believe  to  be 
shadowed  forth  under  the  fifth  seal.  So  violent  were  the  persecutions  during 
this  period  that  it  is  known  in  history  as  the  '^  era  of  martyrs."  For  the 
particulars  of  this  period,  we  must  turn  to  the  pages  of  Gibbon.  And 
though  this  historian  attempts  to  show  that  the  number  of  martyrs  has  been 


THE   FOURTH   AND   FIFTH   SEALS.  141 

greatly  exaggerated,  yet  his  own  account  shows  that  the  persecution  was 
one  of  unusual  severity ,  and  that  it  was  a  determined  effort  on  the  part  of 
the  Roman  government  to  blot  out  the  Christian  religion  forever.  "After 
the  success  of  the  Persian  war  had  raised  the  hopes  and  the  reputation  of 
Oalerius,  he  passed  a  winter  with  Diocletian  in  t}\e  palace  of  Nicomedia  ; 
and  the  fate  of  Christianity  became  the  object  of  their  secret  consultations. 
The  experienced  emperor  was  still  inclined  to  pursue  measures  of  lenity  ; 
and  though  he  readily  consented  to  exclude  the  Christians  from  holding  any 
employments  in  the  household  or  the  army,  he  urged  in  the  strongest  terms 
the  danger,  as  well  as  the  cruelty,  of  shedding  the  blood  of  those  deluded 
fanatics.  Oalerius  at  length  extorted  from  him  the  permission  of  summon- 
ing a  council,  composed  of  a  few  persons,  the  most  distinguished  in  the  civil 
and  military  departments  of  the  state.  The  important  question  was  agitated 
in  their  presence,  and  those  ambitious  courtiers  easily  discerned  that  it  was 
incumbent  on  them  to  second,  by  their  eloquence,  the  importunate  violence 
of  the  Caesar.  It  may  be  presumed  that  they  insisted  on  every  topic 
which  might  interest  the  pride,  the  piety  or  the  fears  of  their  sovereign  in 
the  destruction  of  Christianity."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  2,  p.  61.  "  The 
next  day  the  general  edict  of  persecution  was  published ;  and  though  Dio- 
cletian, still  averse  to  the  effusion  of  blood,  had  moderated  the  fury  of 
Oalerius,  who  proposed  that  every  one  refusing  to  offer  sacrifice  should 
immediately  be  burnt  alive,  the  penalties  inflicted  on  the  obstinacy  of  the 
Christians  might  be  deemed  sufficiently  rigorous  and  effectual.  It  was 
enacted  that  their  churches,  in  all  the  provinces  of  the  empire,  should  be 
demolished  to  their  foundations ;  and  the  punishment  of  death  was  de- 
nounced against  all  who  should  presume  to  hold  any  secret  assemblies  for 
the  purpose  of  religious  worship."  Vol.  2,  p.  63.  "A  great  number  of 
persons,  distinguished  either  by  the  offices  they  had  filled,  or  by  the  favor 
they  had  enjoyed,  were  thrown  into  prison.  Every  mode  of  torture  was 
put  in  practice,  and  the  court,  as  well  as  the  city,  was  polluted  with  many 
bloody  persecutions."  Vol.  2,  p.  66.  *^  The  resentment  or  the  fear  of 
Diocletian  at  length  transported  him  beyond  the  bounds  of  moderation, 
which  he  had  hitherto  preserved,  and  he  declared,  in  a  series  of  cruel  edicts, 
his  intention  of  abolishing  the  Christian  name.  By  the  first  of  these  edicts, 
the  governors  of  the  provinces  were  directed  to  apprehend  all  persons  of 
the  ecclesiastical  order ;  and  the  prisons,  destined  for  the  vilest  criminals, 
were  soon  filled  with  a  multitude  of  bishops,  presbyt^,  deacons,  readers 
and  exorcists.  By  a  second  edict,  the  magistrates  were  commanded  to  em- 
ploy every  method  of  severity  which  might  reclaim  them  from  their  odious 
supcntition,  and  oblige  them  to  return  to  the  established  worship  of  the 
gods.  This  rigorous  order  was  extended,  by  a  subsequent  edict,  to  the 
whole  body  of  Christians,  who  were  exposed  to  a  violent  and  general  per- 
secution.   Instead  of  those  salutary  restraints  which  had  required  the  direct 


142  LECTURE   XVIII. 

and  solemn  testimony  of  an  accuser,  it  became  the  daty  as  well  as  the  inter- 
est of  the  imperial  officers  to  discover,  to  pursue,  and  to  torment  the  most 
obnoxious  among  the  faithful.  Heavy  penalties  were  denounced  against 
all  who  should  presume  to  save  a  proscribed  sectary  from  the  just  indig- 
nation of  the  gods  and  of  the  emperors.''  Vol.  2,  p.  69.  "In  this 
general  view  of  the  persecution  which  was  first  authorized  by  the  edicts  of 
Diocletian,  I  have  purposely  refrained  from  describing  the  particular  suffer- 
ings and  deaths  of  the  Christian  martyrs.  It  would  have  been  an  easy 
task,  from  the  history  of  Eusebius,  from  the  declamations  of  Lactantius,  and 
from  the  most  ancient  acts,  to  collect  a  long  series  of  horrid  and  disgustful 
pictures,  and  to  fill  many  pages  with  racks  and  scourges,  with  iron  hooks  and 
red-hot  beds,  and  with  all  the  variety  of  tortures  which  fire  and  steel,  savage 
beasts,  and  more  savage  executioners,  could  infiict  on  the  human  body." 
Vol.  2,  p.  79. 

But  in  the  year  311  the  emperor  Galerius,  who  was  then  dying,  and  who 
seemed  to  be  filled  with  remorse  for  the  blood  he  had  shed,  published  a 
decree  in  which  he  put  an  end  to  the  persecutions,  asked  for  the  prayers  of 
Christians,  and  gave  peace  to  the  church.  The  following  is  his  decree : 
"  Among  the  important  cares  which  have  occupied  our  mind  for  the  utility 
and  preservation  of  the  empire,  it  was  our  intention  to  correct  and  re-estab- 
lish all  things  according  to  the  ancient  laws  and  public  discipline  of  the 
Romans;  we  were  particularly  desirous  of  reclaiming  into  the  way  of  reason 
and  nature  the  deluded  Christians  who  had  renounced  the  religion  and 
ceremonies  instituted  by  their  fathers  ;  and  presumptuously  despising  the 
practice  of  antiquity,  had  invented  extravagant  laws  and  opinions,  accord- 
ing to  the  dictates  of  their  fancy,  and  had  collected  a  various  society  fh)m 
the  different  provinces  of  our  empire.  The  edicts  which  we  have  pub- 
lished to  enforce  the  worship  of  the  gods,  having  exposed  many  of  the 
Christians  to  danger  and  distress,  many  having  suffered  death,  and  many 
more,  who  still  persist  in  their  impious  folly,  being  left  destitute  of  any 
public  exercise  of  religion,  we  are  disposed  to  extend  to  those  unhappy 
men  the  effects  of  our  wonted  clemency.  We  permit  them,  therefore,  fireely 
to  profess  their  private  opinions,  and  to  assemble  in  their  conventicles  with- 
out fear  or  molestation ;  provided,  always,  that  they  preserve  a  due  respect  to 
the  established  laws  and  government.  By  another  rescript,  we  shall  signify 
our  intentions  to  the  judges  and  magistrates  ;  and  we  hope  that  our  indul- 
gence will  engage  the  Christians  to  offer  up  their  prayers  to  the  Deity  whom 
they  adore,  for  our  safety  and  prosperity,  for  their  own,  and  for  that  of  the 
republic."     Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  2,  p.  75. 

This  I  believe  to  be  the  period  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbols  of  the 
fiflh  seal,  a  period  which  extended  from  about  the  year  292  to  about  the 
year  311,  in  which  unnumbered  thousands  of  martyred  souls  went  up 


THE  SIXTH   SEAL.  143 

through  fire  and  blood  to  the  heavenly  altar,  and  cried  for  vengeance  npon 
those  who  were  straining  every  nerve  to  blot  out  the  name  of  Christ  from 
the  earth. 


LECTURE    XIX. 


THE  SIXTH  SEAL. 

And  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the  sixth  seal ;  and  lo,  there  was  a  great 
earthquake ;  and  the  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  moon  be- 
came as  blood ;  and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree 
casteth  her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind.  And  the  heaven 
departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together ;  and  every  mountain  and  island 
were  moved  out  of  their  places.  And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men, 
and  the  rich  men,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bond- 
man, and  every  free  man,  hid  themselves  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the 
mountains ;  and  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks,  Fall  on  us  and  hide  us,  from 
the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wraths  of  the  Lamb ; 
for  the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand  ? — Bsv. 
6 :  12-17. 

We  have  thos  far  been  able  to  trace,  not  donbtfhlly,  but  with  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  confidence,  the  visions  of  the  seer  of  Patmos,  as  they 
have  been  ftdfiUed  in  the  history  of  the  world.  We  have  seen  that  there 
was  a  period  of  prosparity,  shadowed  forth  by  the  white  horse  and  its 
rider ;  a  period  of  civil  war,  shadowed  forth  by  the  red  horse  and  its  rider ; 
a  period  of  distress,  shadowed  forth  by  the  black  horse  and  its  rider ; 
a  period  of  mortality,  shadowed  forth  by  the  pale  horse  and  its  rider ;  a 
period  of  martyrdom,  shadowed  forth  by  the  sonls  of  the  martyrs,  crying 
for  vengeance  beside  the  heavenly  altar.  We  come  now  to  the  opening  of 
the  sixth  seal,  and  if  I  mistake  not  we  will  find  its  symbols  dearly  fulfilled 
and  its  period  plainly  marked  in  the  history  of  the  Roman  empire. 

I.  Let  ns  notice,  one  by  one,  the  things  which  john  saw  when  the 
sixth  seal  was  opened.  When  the  Lamb  had  opened  this  seal,  another  por- 
tion of  the  sealed  book  was  unrolled  and  a  new  vision  presents  itself  before 
the  apostle.  The  scene  of  this  vision  was  not  on  the  celestial  plain,  as  the 
scene  of  the  previous  vision  had  been.  It  was  on  the  plains  of  earth,  over 
which  the  horses  of  the  first  four  seals  had  passed  in  succession.  We  must 
therefore  expect  that  this  seal  has  specially  to  do  with  earthly  affairs. 

1.  The  first  thing,  which  John  saw  when  the  sixth  seal  was  opened  and 
he  looked  from  his  place  beside  the  throne  of  God,  was  *' an  earthquake'' 
And  it  was  not  merely  an  earthquake,  but  a  "  great  earthquake."  With 
the  efifects  of  such  a  convulsion  of  nature  we  are  all  familiar,  not  from  our 


144  LECTURE  XIX. 

observation,  but  from  oar  reading.  Many  parts  of  our  world  have  been 
visited  by  earthquakes,  and  as  we  have  read  of  the  consternation  and  the 
devastation  which  they  wrought,  we  could  but  shudder.  But  these  earth- 
quakes were  limited  in  their  extent ;  the  one  which  John  saw  was  general, 
and  the  whole  world,  which  in  his  vision  was  stretched  out  like  a  map  before 
him,  was  shaken.  Let  us,  in  spirit;  place  ourselves  at  his  side  and  try  to 
see  what  he  saw.  The  earth  heaves  and  rolls  like  the  billows  of  the  sea  ; 
great  chasms  are  opening  on  every  side ;  plains  are  lifted  up  into  mountains, 
and  mountains  sink  beneath  the  waves ;  oceans  sweep  over  inhabited  lands  - 
temples  and  palaces  fall  into  shapeless  ruins,  and  men  and  beasts  are  in- 
volved in  the  common  destruction.  That  is  what  John  saw,  for  he  looked 
and  ^'  lo,  there  was  a  great  earthquake." 

2.  But  this  was  not  all  he  saw.  "  The  sun  became  black  as  sackcloth  of 
hair.''  Sackcloth  was  a  coarse  black  cloth,  commonly  made  of  hair.  It 
was  used  for  the  garments  of  mourners,  and  of  it  the  black  tents  of  the 
wandering  tribes  of  the  East  were  made.  In  the  vision  of  the  seer  the  sun 
withheld  its  light,  and  refused  to  till  the  earth  with  brightness.  It  clothed 
itself  in  mourning  garments,  and  became  as  black  as  the  desert  tents  of  the 
Bedouin.  A  deep  darkness  seemed  to  gather  over  the  face  of  nature. 

3.  *'  Tlie  moon  became  as  blood."  It  no  longer  looked  down  upon  the 
earth  with  its  accustomed  light ;  it  seemed  as  if  struggling  with  the  smoke 
of  a  burning  world,  or  as  if  washed  in  the  blood  of  nations. 

4.  ''And  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth,  even  as  a  fig-tree  casteth 
her  untimely  figs,  when  she  is  shaken  of  a  mighty  wind."  By  a  poetic 
figure  the  sky  is  here  represented  as  a  solid  concave,  in  which  the  stars  are 
set.  But  this  great  convulsion  of  nature  had  shaken  them  from  their  places,, 
and  they  fell  to  the  earth  as  blasted  fruit  falls  from  its  tree  when  the  tree 
is  shaken  by  a  violent  wind. 

5.  "  The  heaven  departed  as  a  scroll  when  it  is  rolled  together."  The 
sky  b  here  represented  as  a  parchment  spread  out;  and  it  is  represented  as 
disappearing  as  quickly  as  an  ancient  book  would  disappear  which  was 
suddenly  rolled  together  and  hidden  out  of  sight. 

6.  "And  every  mountain  and  island  were  moved  out  of  their  places." 
It  is  to  be  noticed  that  this,  and  all  the  other  particulars  we  have  mentioned, 
would  naturally  attend  an  earthquake. 

7.  AU  m,en,  of  all  classes,  were  seen  hiding  themselves  in  terror  and  cry- 
ing for  deliverance  from  approaching  wrath.  The  consternation  which 
prevailed  was  universal.  Kings  and  all  high  officials  in  the  state;  those 
whose  riches  placed  them  above  all  ordinary  calamities ;  great  generals  and 
those  who  had  distinguished  themselves  by  deeds  of  heroism ;  slaves  and 
freemen,  all  hid  themselves  in  caves  and  in  the  mountains,  and  cried  to 
the  rocks  to  cover  them  from  the  approaching  judgment ;  for  they  thought, 
as  many  have  always  thought  when  some  great  and  unusual  convulsion  of 


THE  SIXTH   SEAL.  145 

nature  has  shaken  the  earth,  that  the  day  of  judgment  had  oome.  They 
thought  that  the  Lamb  was  about  to  take  his  seat  upon  the  throne  and 
judge  the  world  ;  and  they  knew  that  they  were  not  able  to  abide  that  day 
of  wrath.  Of  course  the  day  of  judgment  had  not  come,  but  they  sup- 
posed it  bad ;  and  their  terror  and  their  anxiety  to  escape  were  as  great  as 
they  would  have  been  if  it  had  really  been  the  last  day  of  the  world's 
history. 

This  was  a  part  of  what  John  saw  when  the  sixth  seal  was  opened.  The 
description  of  the  other  parts  of  the  vision  which  are  recorded  in  chapter 
YII  must  be  postponed  till  we  have  explained  the  symbols  we  have  already 
described.  But  before  we  attempt  an  explanation,  let  us  get  a  clear  idea 
of  that  part  of  the  vision  to  which  our  attention  has  already  been  directed. 
John  saw  a  great  convulsion  of  nature.  The  earth  was  shaken  with  a  great 
earthquake,  so  that  every  mountain  and  every  island  of  the  sea  were  moved 
out  of  their  places.  The  great  luminaries  were  darkened ;  the  stars  fell 
fix)m  the  sky  ;  the  heavens  disappeared  as  an  ancient  book  when  it  was 
rolled  together ;  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  filled  with  consterna- 
tion, ran  wildly  here  and  there  to  find  a  place  of  refuge. 

II.  Having  reached  a  dear  conception  of  the  symbols,  let  us,  in  the 
second  place,  explain  their  meaning.  As  all  the  things  described  under 
the  former  seals  are  symbolical,  it  would  be  absurd  to  suppose  that  the 
thing?  described  under  this  seal  are  not  symbolical.  If  they  are  symbolical, 
what  do  they  symbolise  ?  In  other  words,  what  events  are  shadowed  forth 
by  the  phenomena  which  John  saw  in  vision  ?  An  earthquake  is  a  symbol 
of  great  commotions  and  overturnings  in  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The 
propriety  of  this  symbol  is  univereally  recognised.  In  the  word  of  Ood 
it  is  used  again  and  i^in  with  this  meaning.  Thus  it  is  said,  in  the  book 
of  Haggai,  2 : 6,  7,  "  Yet  once,  it  is  a  little  while,  and  I  will  Bhak«  the 
heavens,  and  the  earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  dry  land,  and  I  will  shake  all 
nations,  and  the  desire  of  all  nations  shall  come;  and  I  will  fill  this  house 
with  giory,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts."  Again,  in  Isaiah  24  :  20,  it  is 
said,  '*The  earth  shall  reel  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard,  and  shall  be  removed 
like  a  cottage."  The  darkened  sun  and  moon  are  symbols  of  great  calamity, 
but  the  particular  form  which  the  calamity  would  assume  is  not  indicated 
by  the  symbol  itself.  Stars  in  Scripture  language  are  symbols  of  princes 
and  rulers ;  and  therefore  the  falling  of  the  stars  from  the  sky  would  be  a 
symbol  that  princes  and  rulers  were  cast  down  from  their  thrones.  The 
heavens,  rolled  together  as  a  scroll,  would  be  a  symbol  that  mighty  changes 
were  to  occur  in  the  high  places  of  the  earth,  changes  as  great  as  if  the 
visible  sky  was  to  be  removed.  The  removal  of  the  mountains  and  the 
islands  would  be  a  symbol  of  great  changes,  in  which  things  long  and  ap- 
parently permanently  established  would  be  removed  out  of  their  places. 

10 


146  LEOTUBE  XIX. 

The  universal  consteraation  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  would  indicate 
that  the  effect  of  these  great  changes  would  be  to  fill  the  hearts  of  all  with 
terror. 

If  we  have  interpreted  these  symbols  rightly,  we  would  expect  to  find 
in  Boman  history  a  period  of  great  changes.  We  would  expect  to  find  the 
empire  convulsed  by  these  changes  from  centre  to  circumference;  the 
rulers  who  had  long  borne  the  scepter  hurled  from  their  thrones,  and  other 
rulers  of  an  entirely  different  character  taking  their  places;  and  that  the 
change  in  the  government  would  be  as  great  as  the  change  in  the  natural 
world  would  be  if  the  old  heavens  were  rolled  up  and  laid  away,  and  a 
new  heavens  were  spread  out  in  their  place.  We  would  expect  to  find 
these  changes  accompanied  with  war,  bloodshed  and  calamity,  for  the  sun 
was  dressed  in  mourning,  and  the  moon  was  bathed  in  blood.  We  would 
expect  to  find  a  period  of  general  uneasiness  and  terror. 

Was  there  such  a  period  as  this  ?  Before  we  can  answer  this  question, 
there  is  another  which  demands  our  attention ;  at  what  time  would  we  ex- 
pect this  period  to  occur  ?  If  the  seals  shadow  forth  a  consecutive  history, 
we  would  expect  to  find  the  fulfillment  of  the  sixth  seal  immediately 
after  the  era  of  the  martyrs,  which  was  described  under  the  fifth  seal.  In 
our  last  lecture,  we  fixed  this  era  as  extending  from  about  the  middle  of 
the  reign  of  Diocletian  to  the  year  811,  when  Oalerius  published  his  de- 
cree of  toleration,  which  gave  peace  to  the  church.  We  would  expect  to 
find  that  this  period  of  change  and  commotion  in  the  world,  which  is 
shadowed  forth  by  the  great  earthquake,  would  follow  soon  aft«r  the  year 
311.  With  these  expectations  in  our  mind,  let  us  turn  to  the  pages  of 
history  and  see  whether  our  expectations  have  any  foundation. 

Up  to  this  time  the  emperors  had  been  pagans.  They  had  been  wor- 
shipers of  the  gods  of  Rome.  They  had  tried  to  destroy  the  Christian  re- 
ligion. Thousands  upon  thousands  of  Christians  had  been  slain.  For  a 
man  to  avow  himself  to  be  a  Christian  was  to  cut  himself  off  from  all  hope 
of  political  distinction  and  to  open  the  door  for  a  speedy  death.  But  just 
at  this  period,  an  unexpected  and  marvelous  change  occurs.  A  Christian 
ascends  the  throne  ;  Christianity  becomes  tiie  popular  and  established  re- 
ligion of  the  empire ;  Christians  are  lifted  to  place  and  power ;  pagans  who 
had  long  held  the  reins  of  government  are  superseded,  and  the  temple  of 
Boman  mythology  are  destroyed  or  changed  into  temples  for  the  worship 
of  Christ 

In  the  year  306,  a  young  man,  Constantino  by  name,  whose  mother  is 
said  by  tradition  to  have  been  the  daughter  of  a  British  king,  succeeded  his 
fiither  in  Britain  as  CsBsar  of  the  western  province  of  the  Boman  empire. 
From  the  very  beginning,  he  was  kind  to  the  Christians,  and  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  era  of  the  martyrs  were  less  severe  in  his  province  than  they 
were  elsewhere  in  the  empire.     We  cannot  follow  step  by  step  the  won- 


THE  SIXTH   SEAL.  147 

derfU  career  of  this  man,  who  occupies  such  a  large  place  in  both  eccle- 
siastical and  secular  history,  and  who  was  for  the  scattered  and  strug^ing 
Christian  church  what  David  was  for  the  scattered  tribes  of  Israel,  though 
he  had  neither  the  piety  nor  the  ability  of  the  son  of  Jesse.  It  will  be 
sufficient  to  say,  that  he  slowly  advanced  toward  the  East.  Battle  after 
batde  was  fought,  army  after  army  was  defeated,  rival  after  rival  was  con- 
quered, until  at  last,  in  the  year  324,  his  last  rival  was  slain,  and  the  em- 
pire was  consolidated  with  Constantine  as  its  sole  emperor. 

Of  his  conversion  to  Christianity,  but  little  is  known  with  certainty. 
Histoiy  and  tradition  have  become  so  interwoven,  that  it  is  hard  to  sepa^ 
rate  the  true  from  the  imaginary.  We  know  that  for  some  years  he  man- 
ifested no  religious  principles  of  any  kind ;  but  about  the  year  313  he  em- 
braced Christianity,  in  consequence,  it  is  said,  of  a  vision  which  he  saw. 
The  story  of  his  vision  has  been  told  again  and  again  in  history  and  in 
song.  As  he  was  marching  towards  Bome,  he  saw  a  brilliant  cross  in  the 
sky,  on  which  was  inscribed  the  words,  ''by  this,  conquer."  This  amaz- 
ing object  astonished  the  whole  army  as  well  as  the  emperor  himself,  who 
was  as  yet  undetermined  in  the  choice  of  a  religion,  but  his  astonishment 
was  converted  into  faith  by  the  vision  of  the  following  night.  Christ  ap- 
peared to  him,  and  displaying  the  same  sign  of  the  cross,  commanded  him 
to  make  a  similar  standard,  and  assured  him  that  fighting  under  this  stand- 
ard he  would  gain  the  victory  over  all  his  enemies.  Into  the  discussion 
concerning  the  truth  of  this  story,  I  do  not  propose  to  enter.  It  was  told 
by  the  emperor  himself,  when  on  his  death-bed,  to  Eusebius,  who  baptized 
him,  and  it  is  preserved  in  some  writings  of  Eusebius  which  are  yet  ex- 
tant. But  this  is  the  sole  authority  on  which  it  rests.  Therefore  we  may 
say,  with  the  judicious  Mosheim,  who  expresses  the  commonly  received 
opinion,  "  this  vision  has  never  yet  been  placed  in  such  a  light  as  to  dispel 
all  doubts  and  difficulties." 

However,  the  manner  of  his  conversion  is  a  matter  of  little  importance. 
A  far  more  important  question  is,  was  his  conversion  real?  It  must  be 
confessed  that  his  life  and  actions  were  not  such  as  the  Christian  religion 
demands  from  those  who  profess  to  believe  its  sublime  doctrines.  It  is 
also  certain  that  from  the  time  of  his  conversion  till  near  the  end  of  his 
life,  he  continued  in  the  state  of  a  catecbumen,  or,  as  we  would  say,  a  pro- 
batiooer,  and  was  not  received  by  baptism  into  the  church  till  a  few  days 
before  his  death,  when  that  sacred  rite  was  administered  to  him  by  the 
bishop  of  Nicomedia.  But  these  things  are  not  sufficient  to  prove  that 
his  conversion  to  Christianity  was  not  sincere.  It  was  customary  with 
many  in  those  days  to  delay  baptism  to  the  very  last ;  and  his  life  will 
compare  favorably  with  that  of  many  Christians  in  more  recent  centuries, 
whose  imperfect  enlightenment  has  led  them  to  deeds  of  cruelty  and  su- 
perstition, but  whose  piety  is  unquestioned. 


148  LECTURE  XIX. 

But  Id  the  explanation  of  the  sixth  seal,  we  do  not  have  to  do  so  much 
with  the  conversion  of  Gonstantine,  as  with  the  effect  of  his  conversion  on 
the  Roman  empire.  This  effect  is  described  at  large  in  the  history  of  those 
times.  I  select,  as  in  my  former  lectures,  a  few  passages  from  Gibbon's 
'^  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire/'  passages  which  will  give  some 
idea  of  the  unparalleled  change  in  converting  pagan  Rome  to  Chris- 
tian Rome,  a  change  which  was  wrought  in  less  than  fifteen  years;  for 
in  the  year  310  Christians  were  everywhere  persecuted,  and  the 
Bouls  of  the  martyrs,  gathered  around  the  heavenly  altar,  cried  for 
vengeance,  while  in  the  year  325  Christianity  was  the  established  religion 
of  the  empire.  "  The  public  establishment  of  Christianity  may  be  con- 
sidered as  one  of  those  important  and  domestic  revolutions  which  excite 
the  most  lively  curiosity,  and  afford  the  most  valuable  instruction.  The 
victories  and  the  civil  policy  of  Constantino  no  longer  influence  the  state 
of  Europe ;  but  a  considerable  portion  of  the  globe  still  retains  the  im- 
pression which  it  received  from  the  conversion  of  that  monarch ;  and  the 
ecclesiastical  institutions  of  his  reign  are  still  connected  by  an  indissolu- 
ble chain  with  the  opinions,  the  passions  and  the  interest  of  the  present 
generation."     Vol.  2,  p.  248. 

Again:  the  historian  says,  when  narrating  the  fact  that  the  cross,  which 
had  been  an  object  of  horror,  was  suddenly  made  the  standard  of  the  em- 
pire, and  when  describing  the  terror  which  this  standard  wrought  in  the 
minds  of  men;  '^  An  instrument  of  the  tortures  which  were  inflicted  only 
on  slaves  and  sti angers,  became  an  object  of  horror  in  the  eyes  of  a  Ro- 
man citizen ;  and  the  ideas  of  guilt,  of  pain  and  of  ignominy,  were  closely 
united  with  the  idea  of  the  cross.  The  piety,  rather  than  the  humanity 
of  Constantine,  soon  abolished  in  his  dominions  the  punishment  which  the 
Saviour  of  mankind  had  condescended  to  suffer;  but  the  emperor  had  al- 
ready learned  to  despise  the  prejudices  of  his  education,  and  of  his  people, 
before  he  could  erect  in  the  midst  of  Rome  his  own  statue,  bearing  a  cross 
in  its  right  hand,  with  an  inscription  which  referred  to  the  victory  of  its  arms, 
and  the  deliverance  of  Rome,  to  the  virtue  of  that  salutary  sign,  the  true 
symbol  of  force  and  courage.  The  same  symbol  sanctified  the  arms  of  the 
soldiers  of  Constantine ;  the  cross  glittered  on  their  helmet,  was  engraved 
on  their  shields,  was  interwoven  into  their  banners ;  and  the  consecrated 
emblems  which  adorned  the  person  of  the  emperor  himself,  were  distin- 
guished only  by  richer  materials  and  more  exquisite  workmanship.  But 
the  principal  standard  which  displayed  the  triumph  of  the  cross  was  styled 
the  labarumf  an  obscure^  though  celebrated  name,  which  has  been  vainly 
derived  from  almost  all  the  languages  of  the  world.  It  is  described  as  a 
long  pike  intersected  by  a  transversal  beam.  The  silken  veil  which  hung 
down  from  the  beam,  was  curiously  inwrought  with  the  images  of  the 
reigning  monarch  and  his  children.     The  summit  of  the  pike  supported  a 


THE  SIXTH   SEAL.  149 

crown  of  gold  which  enclosed  the  mysterious  monogram,  at  once  expres- 
sive of  the  figure  of  the  cross,  and  the  initial  letters  of  the  name  of  Christ, 
The  safety  of  the  labamm  was  intrusted  to  fifty  guards,  of  approved  valor 
and  fidelity;  their  station  was  marked  by  honors  and  emoluments ;  and 
some  fortunate  accidents  soon  introduced  an  opinion,  that  as  long  as  the 
guards  of  the  labamm  were  engaged  in  the  execution  of  their  office,  they 
were  secure  and  invulnerable  amidst  the  darts  of  the  enemy.  In  the  sec- 
ond civil  war,  Licinius  felt  and  dreaded  the  power  of  this  consecrated  ban- 
ner, the  sight  of  which,  in  the  distress  of  battle,  animated  the  soldiers  of 
Gonstantine  with  an  invincible  enthusiasm,  and  scattered  dismay  through 
the  ranks  of  the  adverse  legions."     Vol.  2,  p.  260. 

In  the  following  language,  the  same  historian  describes  the  wonderiiil 
progress  of  Christianity  : .  ^^  If  the  parallel  be  confined  to  the  extent  and 
number  of  their  evangelic  victories,  the  success  of  Constantino  might  per- 
haps equal  that  of  the  apostles  themselves.  3y  the  edicts  of  toleration, 
he  removed  the  temporal  disadvantages  which  had  hitherto  retarded  the 
progress  of  Christianity ;  and  its  active  and  numerous  ministers  received  a 
free  penmasion,  a  liberal  encouragement,  to  recommend  the  salutaiy  truths 
of  revelation  by  every  argument  which  could  affect  the  reason  or  piety  of 
mankind.  The  exact  balance  of  the  two  religions  continued  but  a  moment ; 
and  the  piercing  eye  of  ambition  and  avarice  soon  discovered  that  the 
profession  of  Christianity  might  contribute  to  the  interests  of  the  present, 
as  well  as  of  a  future  life.  The  hopes  of  wealth  and  honors,  the  example 
of  an  emperor,  his  exhortations,  his  irresistible  smiles,  diffused  convic- 
tion among  the  venal  and  obsequious  crowds  which  usually  fill  the  apart- 
ments of  a  palace.  The  cities  which  signalized  a  forward  zeal  by  the 
voluntary  destruction  of  their  temples  were  distinguished  by  municipal 
privileges,  and  rewarded  with  popular  donatives;  and  the  new  capital  of 
the  East  gloried  in  the  singular  advantage  that  Constantinople  was  never 
profiined  by  the  worship  of  idols.  As  the  lower  ranks  of  society  are  gov- 
erned by  imitation,  the  conversion  of  those  who  possessed  any  eminence  of 
birth,  of  power,  or  of  riches,  was  soon  followed  by  dependent  multitudes. 
The  salvation  of  the  common  people  was  purchased  at  an  easy  rate,  if  it 
be  true  that,  in  one  year,  twelve  thousand  men  were  baptized  at  Rome, 
beside  a  proportionable  number  of  women  and  children,  and  that  a  white 
garment,  with  twenty  pieces  of  gold,  had  been  promised  by  the  emperor  to 
every  convert"     Vol.  2,  p.  273. 

And  this  marked  change  in  the  religion  of  the  state  was  not  accom- 
plished without  disaster  and  bloodshed.  Again  and  again  did  the  believers 
in  Roman  mythology  make  a  stand  against  the  armies  of  the  Christian 
emperor,  but  again  and  again  they  were  defeated.  One  heathen  governor 
after  another  was  hurled  from  his  throne,  and  his  place  given  to  a  Chris- 
tian    What  a  remarkable  correspondence  there  is  between  this  political 


150  LSOTUBE   XX. 

and  religious  revolation^  and  the  symbob  whioh  are  employed  to  deaoribe 
it  I  It  was  a  moral  earthquake.  Old  and  established  costpms  and  orders 
were  shaken  from  their  foundations.  Pagan  rulers  fell  from  their  place  in 
the  political  sky,  as  untimely  firuit  falls  from  a  shaken  tree.  Wars  and 
bloodshed  prevailed,  until  the  sun  and  moon,  in  sympathy,  coTered  their 
&ces  from  the  sight.  The  worshipers  of  Jupiter,  and  the  whole  retinue  of 
heathen  gods,  wei^e  in  consternation.  One  edict  after  another  went  forth 
against  them.  They  sought  refuge  in  the  deserts  and  the  mountains.  They 
thought  the  end  of  all  things  was  at  hand,  and  they  cried  for  deliverance 
from  the  approaching  doom. 

If  any  one  is  inclined  to  think  that  the  symbols,  which  were  seen  at  the 
opening  of  the  sixth  seal,  are  too  sublime  to  shadow  forth  the  period  which 
has  been  described,  let  him  remember  the  greatness  of  the  change  which 
was  wrought,  a  change  without  a  parallel  in  history ;  and  let  him  remem- 
ber the  effects  which  were  wrought  by  that  change,  effects  which  have  not 
yet  ceased  to  operate  in  Christendom,  and  which  will  not  cease  to  operate 
till  the  end  shall  come.  Even  we,  in  this  remote  period  of  time,  and  in 
this  distant  comer  of  the  earth,  have  reason  to  rejoice  that  Constantine 
was  raised  to  the  throne,  and  that  the  cross  of  Christ  became  the  recog- 
nised standard  of  the  empire.  RememberiDg  all  this,  we  will  see  that  the 
apostle's  vision  beautifully  prefigures  the  period  which  has  been  described, 
which  b^;an  about  the  year  312,  and  which  continued  during  the  reign  of 
Constantine  and  of  his  successors ;  ^'  I  beheld  when  he  had  opened  the 
sixth  seal,  and,  lo,  a  great  earthquake,"  and  the  appearance  of  the  heavens 
and  the  earth  was  changed,  and  there  was  universal  consternation  in  the 
hearts  and  homes  of  men. 


LECTURE   XX. 


GOD'S  SEALED  ONES. 

And  after  these  things  I  saw  four  angels  standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth,  holding  the  four  winds  of  the  earth,  that  the  wind  should  not  blow  on  the 
earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any  tree.  And  1  saw  another  aneel  ascending 
from  the  east,  having  the  seal  of  the  living  God :  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice 
to  the  four  angels,  to  whom  it  was  given  to  hurt  the  earth,  and  the  sea,  saying, 
Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants 
of  our  God  in  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  the  namher  of  them  which  were 
sealed :  and  there  were  sealed  a  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand  of  all  the 
tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel.  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda  were  sealed  twelve  thousand* 
Of  the  tribe  of  Reuben  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Gad  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Aser  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of 
the  tribe  of  Nephthalim  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.    Of  the  tribe  of  Manasset 


god's  sealxd  ones.  151 

were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  trihe  of  Simeon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Levi  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Issachar  were 
sealed  twelve  thousand.  Of  the  tribe  of  Zabulon  were  sealed  twelve  thousand. 
Of  the  tribe  of  Joseph  were  sealed  twelve  thousand.  .  Of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin 
were  sealed  twelve  tnousand.— Rev.  7 : 1-8. 

When  the  sixth  seal  was  opened,  the  first  thing  which  John  saw  was  a 
great  earthquake.  In  our  last  lecture,  we  showed  that  this  earthquake 
shadowed  forth  the  great  commotions  which  attended  and  followed  the 
ehange  fh)m  pagan  Rome  to  Christian  Rome.  Up  until  the  accession  of 
Oonstantine,  the  Roman  emperors  had  been  worshipers  of  heathen  gods, 
they  had  persecuted  the  followers  of  J^sus,  and  they  had  tried  to  blot  out 
the  Christian  religion  from  the  earth.  But  with  his  accession  there  was 
a  marvelous  change.  Constantine  himself  embraced  Christianity,  pagan 
rulers  were  hurled  from  their  plaoes  in  the  political  sky,  old  and  established 
orders  and  customs  were  removed,  heathen  temples  were  destroyed  or  changed 
into  temples  for  the  worship  of  Christ,  and  Christianity  became  the  estab- 
lished and  popular  religion  of  the  empire.  All  this  is  beautifully  symbolized 
by  the  quaking  earth,  the  falling  stars,  the  removing  of  the  mountains 
and  the  islands,  the  universal  consternation,  and  the  changed  appearance 
of  the  landscape  in  the  apostle's  vision.  But  this  was  not  all  John  saw 
when  the  sixth  seal  was  opened.  Two  other  visions,  the  vision  of  Ood's 
sealed  ones,  and  the  vision  of  the  palm-bearing  multitude,  intervene  before 
the  breaking  of  the  seventh  seal.  To  the  first  of  these  visions,  your  atten- 
tion is  invited  in  the  present  discourse. 

I.  We  must  DESCRIBE  THIS  VISION,  as  it  actually  presented  itself  be- 
fore the  seer  of  Patmos.  The  time  when  this  vision  appeared  is  clearly 
indicated.  It  was  ^' after  these  things";  that  is,  after  the  earthquake  and 
its  attending  circumstances,  which  are  described  in  the  concluding  verses 
of  the  previous  chapter.  The  soene  of  this  vision  was  on  the  plain  of  earth, 
which  had  just  been  shaken  by  the  great  convulsion  of  nature.  We  are 
therefore  to  suppose  that  after  the  earthquake  had  passed,  the  earthly 
landscape,  which  was  spread  out  far  beneath  the  apostle's  feet,  resumed  its 
former  appearance,  in  readiness  for  the  vision,  on  whose  description  we  are 
about  to  enter. 

The  first  thing  which  John  saw  in  his  present  vision,  was  ''four  angels, 
standing  on  the  four  corners  of  the  earth."  Let  me  remind  you  of  the 
position  of  the  apostle.  He  had  passed  through  the  open  door  of  heaven 
and  was  standing  on  the  celestial  plain  beside  the  throne  of  God.  Far 
below,  he  saw  the  earth,  over  which  all  the  visions  he  had  seen,  save  one, 
had  passed.  The  earth  which  he  saw  was,  according  to  the  received  opinion 
of  the  times,  a  vast  plain,  having  four  corners,  these  comers  being  towards 
the  four  points  of  the  compass.  At  each  of  these  corners,  a  mighty  angel 
stood,  but  not  in  idleness.     They  were  actively  engaged  in  restraining  the 


152  LEGTURB  XX. 

winds,  that  they  '*  should  not  blow  on  the  earth,  nor  on  the  sea,  nor  on  any 
tree."  The  winds  blow  in  every  direction,  but  it  is  convenient  to  speak  of 
them  as  coming  from  the  four  points  of  the  compass.  Therefore,  "  the 
four  winds  of  the  earth  "  would  include  every  wind  that  blows.  These 
winds  seem  to  be  represented  as  destroying  monsters,  eager  to  go  forth  and 
work  ruin  on  the  earth.  But  the  mighty  angels  held  them  in  check,  and 
would  not  suffer  them  to  injure  anything  on  the  sea  or  the  diy  land.  We 
are^  therefore,  to  picture  to  ourselves  the  landscape  which  John  saw  in  bis 
vbion,  and  which  had  recently  been  shaken  by  the  great  earthquake,  as 
reposing  in  deepest  calm.  Though  devastating  tempests  were  ready  to  burst 
upon  it,  they  were  held  back  by  supernatural  power.  The  sea  was  unruffled ; 
the  land  was  visited  by  no  destructive  hurricane  ;  the  leaves  upon  the  trees 
were  unstirred;  or  if  they  were  stirred  at  all,  it  was  with  the  gentlest  breeze ; 
for  the  angels  would  not  suffer  the  struggling  winds  to  inflict  injury  upon 
the  earth  or  its  inhabitants.  But  this  was  only  the  beginning  of  this  sub- 
lime vision.  The  seer  saw  another  angel  "ascending  from  the  east.'*  Why 
this  angel  is  represented  as  coming  from  the  east,  we  do  not  know,  unless  it 
is  because  the  east  is  the  place  where  the  sun  rises  and  the  morning  star 
appears.  The  east  may,  therefore,  by  a  poetical  figure,  be  regarded  as  the 
source  of  blessings,  especially  of  spiritual  blessings,  which  come  to  scatter 
the  darkness  of  nature's  night. 

This  angel  carried  in  his  hand  ^*  the  seal  of  the  living  Ood" ;  that  is, 
the  seal  which  God  had  appointed,  and  which  Ood  had  commissioned  him 
to  use.  Of  the  form  of  this  seal,  nothing  is  said  ;  but  as  it  was  customary 
for  the  kings  of  the  east  to  have  their  own  names  engraved  on  their  seals, 
it  is  most  natural  to  suppose,  that  on  the  seal  which  the  angel  carried  was 
the  name  of  God.  The  design  of  this  seal  is  clearly  brought  out  in  the 
following  verses.  It  was  to  be  used  for  setting  a  mark  on  certain  men,  that 
they  might  be  distingaiBhed  from  all  others,  and  recognized  as  the  servants 
of  God.  This  seal-bearing  angel  cried  to  his  four  brethren,  who 'were  hold- 
ing back  the  tempests  which  were  threatening  the  earth,  and  said,  '*  Hurt 
not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have  sealed  the  servants 
of  oar  God  in  their  foreheads."  Here  we  have  the  reasons  why  the  winds 
were  to  be  restrained.  It  was  that  the  servants  of  God  might  be  sealed. 
We  have  the  duration  of  the  restraint.  It  was  till  the  sealing  of  the  ser- 
vants of  God  was  completed.  We  have  the  persons  to  be  sealed.  They 
were  the  servants  of  Gt)d.  We  have  the  place  in  which  they  were  to  be 
sealed.  It  was  on  their  foreheads.  We  have  the  person  by  whom  the 
sealing  was  to  be  accomplished.  It  was  the  angel,  though  the  use  of  the 
plural  ^^  we"  seems  to  indicate  that  he  would  not  do  it  alone ;  but  no  intima- 
tion is  made  as  to  whether  he  was  to  have  the  assistance  of  men  or  of  angels. 
We  are  to  understand  from  the  words  of  the  seal-bearing  angel,  that  he  was 
to  go  forth  and  set  a  mark  upon  some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  by 
wliich  they  were  to  be  recognized  as  the  servants  of  God. 


G0B*8  SBALE]>  ONES.  153 

This  angd  fulfilled  his  mission.  He  sealed  all  those  who  were  truly  God's 
senrauts.  John  did  not  see  this  done,  or  at  least  he  does  not  say  that  he 
saw  it  done,  but  after  it  was  aocompliahed,  he  heard  the  announcement 
made  that  the  number  of  the  sealed  was  "one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  Qf  all  the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel."  Let  it  be  remembered 
that,  according  to  Scripture  language,  Israel  is  the  name  of  the  church  of 
Ood.  Examples  of  this  are  so  common  in  the  Bible,  and  of  so  frequent 
use  in  the  present  day,  that  men  employ  the  phrase,  "  the  Israel  of  Ood," 
to  describe  the  church,  without  thinking  that  they  are  employing  a  figure 
of  speech.  It  appears,  from  the  announcement  which  John  heard,  that  all 
the  members  of  the  church  were  not  to  be  sealed.  Only  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand  of  them  were  honored  with  this  honor.  This  was  a 
oomparatiTcly  small  proportion.  The  children  of  Israel,  during  the  reigns 
of  David  and  Solomon,  numbered  six  or  seven  millions ;  and  though  they 
were  widely  scattered  at  the  beginning  of  the  Ghiistian  era,  there  is  no 
reason  to  believe  that  their  number  was  lessened.  The  one  hundred  and 
forty-four  thousand,  therefore,  indicates  that  only  a  small  proportion  were 
sealed.  But  the  sealed  ones  were  chosen  from  all  the  tribes,  twelve  thou- 
sand being  chosen  from  each  tribe.  The  catalogue  of  the  tribes,  which  is 
contained  in  verses  6-8,  is  in  several  particulars  a  peculiar  one.  In  the 
first-place,  Levi  is  reckoned  among  the  tribes.  This  is  not  usually  the  case. 
As  Levi  received  no  territorial  inheritance  in  Canaan,  and  as  the  Levites 
were  scattered  through  the  whole  land,  they  are  not  generally  counted  to 
make  up  the  number  of  (he  twelve  tribes.  But  as  Levi  was  the  priestly 
tribe,  and  as  it  may  be  regarded  as  the  symbol  of  the  gospel  ministry,  the 
fact  that  only  twelve  thousand  were  sealed  out  of  this  tribe  may  indicate 
that  the  church,  at  the  period  referred  to,  was  so  corrupt  that  no  more  true 
servants  of  Ood  were  found  among  the  ministers  than  among  any  other 
class  of  professing  Christians.  In  the  second  place,  the  tribe  of  Ephraim 
is  here  called  the  tribe  of  Joseph.  But  this  is  not  surprising.  Though 
Ephiaim  was  the  younger  of  the  sons  of  Joseph,  yet  he  received  special 
blessings,  and  his  tribe  was  far  more  numerous  than  that  of  Manasseh. 
Therefore  it  is  not  strange  that  his  tribe  should  be  regarded  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  the  house  of  his  father,  and  that  it  should  be  called  by  Joseph's 
Dame.  In  the  third  place,  and  this  is  the  strangest  peculiarity  of  the  cata- 
logue, the  tribe  of  Dan  is  omitted.  No  satisfactory  reason  for  this  omission 
has  been  assigned.  We  know  that  in  other  catalogues  the  names  of  some 
of  the  tribes  are  omitted.  For  example,  in  the  blessing  which  Moses  pro- 
nounced upon  the  tribes,  the  name  of  Simeon  is  omitted.  In  the  genealogy 
of  the  tribes,  the  names  of  both  Zebulon  and  Dan  are  omitted.  For  these 
omissions  no  good  reason  has  been  assigned.  The  omission  of  the  name 
of  Dan  in  the  present  instance  may  be  owing,  as  some  have  supposed,  to  the 
fact  that  this  tribe  early  fell  into  idolatry,  and  was  notorious  for  its  idol 


154  LEOTURB   XX. 

woiship  through  the  whole  of  its  histoiy.  So  great  was  its  sin,  that  it  hardly 
deserved  a  place  in  the  visihle  church  of  Gt>d«  The  omission  of  this  tribe 
may  indicate  that  at  the  period  shadowed  forth  by  this  vision,  a  portion 
of  the  Christian  church  would  be  so  corrupt  that  in  it  none  of  the  sealed 
servants  of  God  would  be  found. 

This  was  the  vision  which  John  saw.  The  symbols  are  so  plainly  de- 
scribed that  there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion  concerning  them,  though 
there  is  a  great  differenoe  of  opinion  with  regard  to  the  events  which  they 
symbolise.  Devastating  tempests  were  ready  to  burst  upon  the  earth,  but 
they  were  held  back  by  the  angels  of  God,  until  another  divine  agent  could 
go  forth  through  the  church  on  the  earth  and  draw  a  line  of  separation 
between  true  Christians  and  false,  between  the  true  servants  of  God  and 
those  who  were  his  servants  only  by  profession.  Upon  the  former  some 
mark  was  set  by  which  they  could  be  distinguished  from  all  others.  These 
sealed  ones  were  few  in  number  when  compared  with  the  entire  church,  for 
there  were  but  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  out  of  all  the  millions 
of  Israel.  They  were  found,  not  in  one  particular  locality  or  section  of  the 
church ;  they  were  chosen  out  of  all  the  tribes.  These  things  John  saw 
and  heard  as  he  looked  down  upon  the  plains  of  earth :  He  saw  the  four 
angels  holding  back  the  struggling  winds ;  he  saw  another  angel  going  forth 
with  the  seal  of  God  to  seal  the  servants  of  God ;  and  he  heard  the  number 
of  the  sealed,  twelve  thousand  from  each  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

II.  We  are  now  ready  to  enter  upon  the  consideration  of  thb  fulfill- 
ment OF  THESE  STMBOLS.  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  things  are 
symbols.  Many  expositors  strangely  regard  a  part  of  this  vision  as  literal. 
They  think  that  the  tribes  here  referred  to  are  the  literal  tribes  of  ancient 
Israel,  and  that  at  the  time  which  is  here  prefigured  God  would  choose  out 
of  Israel  a  definite  number  to  be  his  servants.  But  how  can  this  be  ?  Long 
before  John  was  in  Patmos  the  ten  tribes  had  been  scattered  through  the 
world;  and  if  the  tribes  themselves  had  not  been  lost,  all  distinction 
between  them  had  been  blotted  out.  Besides  this,  a  part  of  the  vision  is 
without  question  symbolical ;  and  if  a  part  of  the  vision  is  symbolical,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  that  it  is  all  symbolical.  We  are  brought  to  the  same 
coneluaion,  if  we  compare  this  vision  with .  the  former  ones.  If  they  are 
symbols,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  this  is  a  symbol.  Then  let  it  be 
remembered  that  the  things  described  in  this  vision  are  symbob.  They 
were  not  literal  winds,  or  literal  angels,  or  literal  tribes  of  Israel,  or  a  literal 
seal,  which  passed  before  the  eyes  of  the  apostle. 

If  these  things  are  symbols,  what  do  they  symbolize  ?  The  winds  are 
the  recognised  symbols  of  war  and  its  attending  desolations.  Again  and 
again  is  this  symbol  used  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  its  meaning  cannot  be 
questioned.     Thus  Daniel  in  his  vision  saw  the  four  winds  striving  upon 


OOD'S   8EALBD   ONI8.  155 

Uie  great  sea.  Thus  God  says :  "  Upon  Elam  will  I  bring  the  four  winds 
from  the  four  qaaiters  of  the  heaven,  and  will  scatter  them."  Again  he 
says:  "I  will  raise  up  against  Babylon  the  destroying  wind."  And  the 
angels  holding  back  the  winds  is  a  symbol  that  Ood  would,  through  his 
appointed  agents,  restrain  for  a  time  the  threatening  calamities,  brad, 
as  I  have  said,  is  a  symbol  of  the  Christian  church.  The  sealing  of  a 
portion  of  Israel  is  a  symbol  that  God  would  take  out  of  the  visible  church 
some  to  be  his  peculiar  servants,  and  that  he  would  distinguish  them  by 
some  conspicuous  sign,  which  would  be  a  badge  of  safety.  That  this  is  the 
meaning  of  the  sealing  is  evident  from  the  parallel  passage,  Esekiel  9 : 1--6. 
The  number  of  the  sealed,  viz.«  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  of 
aU  the  tribes  of  Inuel,  is  a  symbol  that  only  a  few,  comparatively  speaking, 
of  the  members  of  the  church  during  the  period  described,  would  be 
worthy  to  be  called  the  servants  of  God. 

Let  it  also  be  remembered  that  if  our  theory  of  interpretation  is  correct, 
the  fxilfillment  of  these  symbols  will  follow  soon  after  the  events  symbolized 
by  the  great  earthquake  of  the  previous  vision.  In  our  last  lecture  it  was 
shown  that  thatearthquake  shadowed  forth  the  marvelous  confusion  by  which 
pagan  Bome  was  changed  into  Christian  Rome  at  the  time  of  Constantine's 
aooeasion  to  the  throne.  And  if  the  visions  of  John  were  designed  to 
reveal  a  consecutive  history,  we  must  expect  to  find  the  events  symbolized 
by  the  restraining  of  the  threatened  tempests  and  the  sealing  of  God's 
servants  soon  after  Constantine  became  sole  ruler  of  Bome,  and  Christianity 
became  the  established  religion  of  the  empire.  Are  there  any  important 
events  in  this  period  of  history  which  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  symbols 
employed  in  the  vision,  and  which  have  been  described  ? 

Before  attempting  to  answer  this  question,  let  us  inquire,  without  being 
influenced  by  any  preconceived  theory  of  interpretation,  what  the  symbols 
of  this  vision  would  lead  us  to  expect.  We  would  expect  to  find  some 
great  calamity  threatening  the  stability  and  the  veiy  existence  of  the 
Roman  empire.  We  would  expect  to  find  this  threatened  calamity  sti-angely 
sad  mysteriously  delayed  for  a  time.  We  would  expect  to  find  the  Christian 
ehureh  including  great  multitudes  within  its  pale.  We  would  expect  to 
find  that  only  a  small  number  out  of  this  great  multitude  were  sincere 
Christians  and  the  true  servants  of  God.  We  would  expect  to  find  that 
these  true  servants  of  God  were  in  some  way,  perhaps  by  the  doctrines 
which  they  held  or  by  the  life  which  they  led,  distinguished  from  all  other 
men.  We  would  expect  to  find  this  mark  as  conspicuous  as  if  they  had 
been  sealed  in  their  foreheads.  We  would  expect  to  find  these  true  servants 
of  God  in  all  parts  of  the  church,  for  they  were  chosen  from  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel.  We  would  expect  the  sealed  ones  to  include  all  the  true  servants 
of  God,  for  twelve  is  one  of  the  numbers  of  perfection,  and  the  sealed  ones 
were  twelve  times  twelve  thousand. 


n 


154  LIOTURB  XX. 

worship  tbroogb  the  whole  of  its  history.  So  great  was  its  sin,  that  it  hardly 
deserved  a  place  in  the  Tisible  church  of  Gt)d«  The  omission  of  this  tribe 
may  indicate  that  at  the  period  shadowed  forth  by  this  vision,  a  portion 
of  the  Christian  church  would  be  so  oorrapt  that  in  it  none  of  the  sealed 
servants  of  Qod  would  be  found. 

This  was  the  vision  which  John  saw.  The  symbols  are  so  plainly  de- 
scribed that  there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion  concerning  them,  though 
there  is  a  great  difference  of  opinion  with  r^ard  to  the  events  which  they 
symbolise.  Devastating  tempests  were  ready  to  burst  upon  the  earth,  but 
they  were  held  back  by  the  angels  of  God,  until  another  divine  agent  could 
go  forth  through  the  church  on  the  earth  and  draw  a  line  of  separation 
between  true  Christians  and  false,  between  the  true  servants  of  Qod  and 
those  who  were  his  servants  only  by  profession.  Upon  the  former  some 
mark  was  set  by  which  they  could  be  distinguished  from  all  others.  These 
sealed  ones  were  few  in  number  when  compared  with  the  entire  church,  for 
there  were  but  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  out  of  all  the  millions 
of  Israel.  They  were  found,  not  in  one  particular  locality  or  section  of  the 
church ;  they  were  chosen  out  of  all  the  tribes.  These  things  John  saw 
and  heard  as  he  looked  down  upon  the  plains  of  earth :  He  saw  the  four 
angels  holding  back  the  struggling  winds ;  he  saw  another  angel  going  forth 
with  the  seal  of  God  to  seal  the  servants  of  God ;  and  he  heard  the  number 
of  the  sealed,  twelve  thousand  from  each  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

II.  We  are  now  ready  to  enter  upon  the  consideration  of  the  fulfill- 
ment OF  THESE  SYMBOLS.  Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  these  things  are 
symbols.  Many  expositors  strangely  regard  a  part  of  this  vision  as  literal. 
They  think  that  the  tribes  here  referred  to  are  the  literal  tribes  of  ancient 
Israel,  and  that  at  the  time  which  is  here  prefigured  God  would  choose  out 
of  Israel  a  definite  number  to  be  his  servants.  But  how  can  this  be  ?  Long 
before  John  was  in  Patmos  the  ten  tribes  had  been  scattered  through  the 
world;  and  if  the  tribes  themselves  had  not  been  lost,  all  distinction 
between  them  had  been  blotted  out.  Besides  this,  a  part  of  the  vision  is 
without  question  symbolical ;  and  if  a  part  of  the  vision  is  symbolical,  it  is 
natural  to  suppose  that  it  is  all  symbolical.  We  are  brought  to  the  same 
conclusion,  if  we  compare  this  vision  with .  the  fbrmer  ones.  If  they  are 
symbols,  it  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that  this  is  a  symbol.  Then  let  it  be 
remembered  that  the  things  described  in  this  vision  are  symbols.  They 
were  not  literal  winds,  or  literal  angels,  or  literal  tribes  of  Israel,  or  a  literal 
seal,  which  passed  before  the  eyes  of  the  apostle.' 

If  these  things  are  symbols,  what  do  they  symbolise  ?  The  winds  are 
the  recognised  symbols  of  war  and  its  attending  desolations.  Agun  and 
again  is  this  symbol  used  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  its  meaning  cannot  be 
questioned.     Thus  Daniel  in  his  vision  saw  the  four  winds  striving  upon 


god's   8EALBD   0NI8.  155 

the  gnat  sea.  Thus  God  says :  "  Upon  Elam  will  I  bring  the  four  winds 
from  the  four  quarters  of  the  heaven,  and  will  scatter  them.''  Again  he 
njs:  "I  will  raise  up  against  Babylon  the  destroying  wind."  And  the 
angels  holding  back  the  winds  is  a  symbol  that  Ood  would,  through  his 
^ypointed  agents,  restrain  for  a  time  the  threatening  calamities,  brad, 
18  I  have  said,  is  a  symbol  of  the  Christian  church.  The  sealing  of  a 
portion  of  Israel  is  a  eymbol  that  Ood  would  take  out  of  the  visible  church 
some  to  be  his  peculiar  servants,  and  that  he  would  distinguish  them  by 
Bome  ooospiouous  sign,  which  would  be  a  badge  of  safety.  That  this  is  the 
meaning  of  the  sealing  is  evident  from  the  parallel  passage,  Ezekiel  9 : 1--6. 
Tlw  number  of  the  sealed,  viz.,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  of 
all  the  tribes  of  Israel,  is  a  symbol  that  only  a  few,  comparatively  speaking, 
of  the  members  of  the  church  during  the  period  described,  would  be 
worthy  to  be  called  the  servants  of  God. 

Let  it  also  be  remembered  that  if  our  theory  of  interpretation  is  correct, 
the  fulfillment  of  these  symbols  will  follow  soon  after  the  events  symbolized 
by  the  great  earthquake  of  the  previous  vision.  In  our  last  lecture  it  was 
shown  that  thatearthquake  shadowed  forth  the  marvelous  confusion  by  which 
pagan  Bome  was  changed  into  Christian  Rome  at  the  time  of  Constantine's 
aeoesBion  to  the  throne.  And  if  the  visions  of  John  were  designed  to 
reveal  a  consecutive  history,  we  must  expect  to  find  the  events  symbolized 
hj  the  restraining  of  the  threatened  tempests  and  the  sealing  of  God's 
servants  soon  after  Constantine  became  sole  ruler  of  Rome,  and  Christianity 
became  the  established  religion  of  the  empire.  Are  there  any  important 
events  in  this  period  of  history  which  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  symbols 
employed  in  the  vision,  and  which  have  been  described  ? 

Before  attempting  to  answer  this  question,  let  us  inquire,  without  being 
influeoced  by  any  preconceived  theory  of  interpretation,  what  the  symbols 
of  this  vision  would  lead  us  to  expect.  We  would  expect  to  find  some 
great  calamity  threatening  the  stability  and  the  very  existence  of  the 
Boman  empire.  We  would  expect  to  find  this  threatened  calamity  strangely 
and  mysteriously  delayed  for  a  time.  We  would  expect  to  find  the  Christian 
ehureh  including  great  multitudes  within  its  pale.  We  would  expect  to 
find  that  only  a  small  number  out  of  this  great  multitude  were  sincere 
Christians  and  the  true  servants  of  Gk>d.  We  would  expect  to  find  that 
these  true  servants  of  God  were  in  some  way,  perhaps  by  the  doctrines 
which  they  held  or  by  the  life  which  they  led,  diatinguished  fVom  all  other 
men.  We  would  expect  to  find  this  mark  as  conspicuous  as  if  they  had 
been  sealed  in  their  foreheads.  We  would  expect  to  find  these  true  servants 
of  Ood  in  all  parts  of  the  church,  for  they  were  chosen  from  all  the  tribes 
of  Israel.  We  would  expect  the  sealed  ones  to  include  all  the  true  servants 
of  Ood,  for  twelve  is  one  of  the  numbers  of  perfection,  and  the  sealed  ones 
were  twelve  times  twelve  thousand. 


156  LECT0RB  XX. 

Now  let  us  tarn  to  tbe  pages  of  history  and  see  whether  these  ezpeota- 
tions  are  realized.  Was  there  any  calamity  which  threatened  the  Koman 
empire  at  this  time  ?  Eveiy  one  acquainted  with  Roman  history  must  be 
ready  to  answer  this  question  in  the  affirmative.  The  hordes  of  Goths,  and 
Vandals,  and  Huns,  and  other  barbarians,  were  gathering  upon  the  frontiers 
of  the  empire  and  threatening  its  destruction.  Again  and  again  they  filled 
the  whole  kingdom  with  terror ;  again  and  again  they  made  partial  inroads 
ioto  tbe  provinces,  but  still  they  were  strangely  restrained.  They  did  not 
successfully  invade  any  considerable  extent  of  territoiy  until  about  the 
year  395.  Then  victory  began  to  crown  their  arms.  Province  after  province 
fell.  Eome  itself  was  three  times  besieged,  until  at  last,  in  the  year  410, 
it  was  taken  and  pillaged.  The  ravages  of  these  barbarians  are  supposed 
to  be  described  in  Revelation  Y  III,  when  the  trumpet  angels  begin  to  sound. 
But  from  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Constantino  they  were  strangely 
restrained,  as  if  the  angels  of  Gk)d  were  holding  them  back.  The  empire 
was  generally  at  peace.  This  p3riod  is  described  by  Gibbon  in  the  follow- 
ing language ;  and  if  we  did  not  know  better,  we  would  think  that  he  was 
writing  an  explanation  of  the  symbols  of  the  first  part  of  this  vbion — that 
he  was  telling  us  what  was  the  meaning  of  the  profound  calm  while  the 
four  angels  were  holding  the  tempests :  "The  impartial  historian,  who  ac- 
knowledges the  justice  of  their  complaints,  will  observe  some  favorable 
circumstances  which  tended  to  alleviate  the  misery  of  their  condition.  The 
threatening  tempest  of  barbarians,  which  so  soon  subverted  the  foundations 
of  Roman  greatness,  was  still  repelled  or  suspended  on  the  frontiers.  The 
arts  of  luxury  and  literature  were  cultivated,  and  the  elegant  pleasures  of 
society  were  enjoyed  by  the  inhabitants  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
globe.  The  forms,  the  pomp  and  the  expense  of  the  civil  administration 
contributed  to  restrain  the  irregular  license  of  the  soldiers ;  and  althou^ 
the  laws  were  violated  by  power  or  perverted  by  subtlety,  the  sage  princi- 
ples of  the  Roman  jurisprudence  preserved  a  sense  of  order  and  equity, 
unknown  to  the  despotic  governments  of  the  East.  The  rights  of  mankind 
might  derive  some  protection  from  religion  and  philosophy ;  and  the  name 
of  freedom,  which  could  no  longer  alarm,  might  sometimes  admonish  the 
successors  of  Augustas  that  they  did  not  reign  over  a  nation  of  slaves  or 
barbvians."     Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  2,  p.  151. 

But  why  was  it  that,  in  the  languid  of  Gibbon,  "the  threatenfid 
tempest  of  barbarians,  which  so  soon  subverted  the  foundations  of  Bomaa 
greatness,  was  still  repelled  or  suspended  on  the  frontiers*'?  It  was  that 
God  might  set  a  mark  upon  his  true  servants  to  distinguish  them  firom 
mere  nominal  members  of  the  church.  What,  then,  was  the  condition  of 
the  church  at  this  time  ?  We  know  enough  of  human  nature  to  believe 
fbat  when  Christianity  became  popular,  multitudes  would  embrace  it  from 
unworthy  motives.     That  this  was  the  case,  we  learn  from  Gibbon  ;  "  The 


god's  sbaled  ones.  157 

hopes  of  wealth  and  hoDors,  the  example  of  an  emperor,  his  exhortatioos, 
his  irrepressible  smiles,  diffused  conTictioa  among  the  venal  and  obsequious 
erowds  which  usually  fill  the  apartments  of  a  palace.  The  cities  which 
sigDalixed  a  forward  zeal  by  the  voluntary  destruction  of  their  temples, 
vere  distinguished  by  municipal  privileges,  and  rewarded  with  popular 
donatives ;  and  the  new  capital  of  the  East  gloried  in  the  singular  advan- 
tage that  Constantinople  was  never  profaned  by  the  worship  of  idols.  As 
the  lower  ranks  of  society  are  governed  by  imitation,  the  conversion  of 
those  who  possessed  any  eminence  of  birth,  of  power,  or  of  riches,  was 
soon  followed  by  dependent  multitudes.  The  salvation  of  the  oommon 
people  was  purchased  at  an  easy  rate,  if  it  be  true  that,  in  one  year,  twelve 
thousand  men  were  baptised  at  Rome,  besides  a  proportionable  number  of 
women  and  children,  and  that  a  white  garment,  with  twenty  pieces  of  gold, 
had  been  promised  by  the  emperor  to  every  convert."  Gibbon's  Rome, 
YoL  2,  p.  274. 

While  the  Christian  church  was  peisecuted,  it  remained  comparatively 
pure;  but  it  could  not  withstand  the  smiles  of  prosperity.  Though  its 
members  largely  increased,  its  purity  diminished.  It  became  very  corrupt, 
as  we  would  expect,  if  we  have  not  been  indifferent  readers  of  ecclesiasti- 
cal history.  In  fact,  Christianity,  both  in  its  outward  form  and  in  its  in- 
ward life,  was  little  better  than  paganism.  Listen  to  some  extracts  from 
Mosheim's  Church  History,  which  will  give  a  correct  idea  of  the  corruption 
of  the  church  during  this  period.  ''An  enormous  train  of  different  super- 
sdtions  were  -  gradually  substituted  for  true  religion  and  genuine  piety. 
This  odious  revolution  proceeded  from  a  variety  of  causes.  A  ridiculous 
precipitation  in  receiving  new  opinions,  a  preposterous  desire  of  imitating 
the  pagan  rites,  and  of  blending  them  with  the  Christian  worship,  and  that 
idle  propensity,  which  the  generality  of  mankind  have  towards  a  gaudy  and 
ostentatious  religion,  all  contributed  to  establish  the  reign  of  superstition 
upon  the  ruins  of  Christianity.  Accordingly  frequent  pilgrimages  were 
Qndertaken  to  Palestine  and  to  the  tombs  of  the  martyrs,  as  if  there  alone 
the  sacred  principles  of  virtue  and  the  certain  hope  of  salvation  were  to 
be  acquired.  The  reins  being  once  let  loose  to  superstition,  which  knows 
no  bounds,  absurd  notions  and  idle  ceremonies  multiplied  almost  every  day. 
Qoantities  of  earth  and  dust  brought  irom  Palestine,  and  other  places  re- 
markable for  their  supposed  sanctity,  were  handed  about  as  the  most  pow- 
erful remedies  against  the  violence  of  wicked  spirits,  and  were  sold  and 
bought  everywhere  at  enormous  prices.  The  public  processions  and  sup- 
I^ications  by  which  the  pagans  endeavored  to  appease  their  gods,  were  now 
adopted  into  Christian  worship,  and  celebrated  in  many  places  with  great 
pomp  and  magnificence.  The  virtues  which  had  formerly  been  ascribed 
to  the  heathen  temples,  to  their  lustrations,  to  the  statues  of  their  gods 
ftod  heroes,  were  now  attributed  to  CKristian  churches,  to  water  consecra- 


i 


158  LECTURI  XX. 

ted  by  oeitain  forma  of  prayer,  and  to  the  images  of  holy  men.  And  the 
same  privileges  that  the  former  enjoyed  under  the  darkness  of  paganism 
were  conferred  upon  the  latter  under  the  light  of  the  gospel,  or  rather, 
under  that  doud  of  superstition  which  was  obscuring  its  glory.  It  is  true, 
that  as  yet,  images  were  not  very  common ;  nor  were  there  any  statues  at  all. 
But  it  iS|  at  the  same  time,  as  undoubtedly  certain  as  it  is  extravagant  and 
monstrous,  that  the  worship  of  the  martyrs  was  modeled  by  degrees; 
according  to  the  religious  services  that  were  paid  to  the  gods  before  the 
coming  of  Christ.''     Mosheim's  Church  History,  vol.  1,  p.  111. 

"  While  the  Roman  emperors  were  studious  to  promote  the  honor  of 
Christianity  by  the  auspicious  protection  they  afforded  to  the  church,  and 
to  advance  its  interests  by  their  most  zealous  efforts,  the  inconsiderate  and 
ill  directed  piety  of  the  bishops  cast  a  cloud  over  the  beauty  and  sim- 
plicity of  the  gospel,  by  the  prodigious  number  of  rites  and  ceremonies  which 
they  had  invented  to  embellish  it.  And  here  we  may  apply  that  well 
known  saying  of  Augustine,  that  *  the  yoke  under  which  the  Jews  for- 
merly groaned  was  more  tolerable  than  that  imposed  upon  many  CbristiaDS 
in  his  time.'  The  rites  and  institutions,  by  which  the  Greeks,  Romans 
and  other  nations  had  formerly  testified  their  religious  veneration  for  ficti- 
tious deities,  were  now  adopted,  with  some  slight  alterations,  by  Christian 
bishops,  and  employed  in  the  service  of  the  true  Gt)d.  *  *  ^  These 
fervent  heralds  of  the  gospel,  whose  zeal  outran  their  candor  and  integrity, 
imagined  that  the  nations  would  receive  Christianity  with  more  faoilityi 
when  they  saw  the  rites  and  ceremonies  to  which  they  were  accustomed, 
adopted  in  the  church,  and  the  same  worship  paid  to  Christ  and  his  martyrs, 
which  they  had  formerly  offered  to  their  idol  deities.  Hence  it  happened 
that,  in  these  times,  the  religion  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans  differed  very 
little,  in  its  external  appearance,  from  that  of  the  Christians.  They  had 
both  a  most  pompous  and  splendid  ritual.  Gorgeous  robes,  mitres,  tiaras, 
wax  tapers,  crosiers,  processions,  lustrations,  images,  gold  and  silver  vases, 
and  many  such  circumstances  of  pageantry,  were  equally  to  be  seen  in  the 
heathen  temples  and  in  the  Christian  churches."  Mosheim's  Church  His- 
tory, vol.  1,  p.  119. 

But  though  the  church  of  this  period  was  so  corrupt,  God  did  not  leave 
himself  without  witnesses.  He  raised  up  distinguished  men  who  taught 
the  true  doctrines  of  grace.  Some  of  these  men  are  yet  celebrated  for 
their  evangelical  teaching.  Let  me  mention  the  names  of  a  few,  as  they 
are  recorded  in  the  history  of  the  church :  ''  Athanasins,  Patriarch  of 
Alexandria,  is  celebrated  on  account  of  his  learned  and  pious  labors,  and 
particularly  famous  for  his  warm  and  vigorous  opposition  to  the  Arians. 
Basil,  sumamed  the  great^  bishop  of  Caesarea,  in  point  of  genius,  contro- 
versial skill,  and  a  rich  and  flowing  eloquence,  was  surpassed  by  very  few 
in  this  century,     i"     "f     *     John,  sumamed  Chrysostom,  on   account  of 


GOD^S  8EALBD  ONES.  159 

luB  extraordinary  eloquence,  a  man  of  noble  genius,  governed  succeasivelj 
the  churches  of  Antioch  and  Constantinople,  and  left  several  monuments 
of  his  profound  and  extensive  erudition.  *  *  *  Gr^ory  Nazianaen  and 
Gregory  of  Nyssa  have  obtained  a  very  honorable  place  among  the  theo- 
logical and  polemic  writers  of  this  century,  and  not  without  foundation,  as 
their  works  sufficiently  testify.  *  *  *  Jerome,  a  monk  of  Palestine,  ren- 
dered by  his  learned  and  zealous  labors  such  eminent  services  to  the  Chris-  ^ 
tiai^  cause,  as  will  hand  down  his  name  with  honor  to  the  latest  posterity. 
*  ^  *  The  fame  of  Augustine,  bishop  of  Hippo,  in  Africa,  filled  the 
whole  Christian  world  ;  and  not  without  reason,  as  a  variety  of  great  and 
shiDing  qualities  were  united  in  the  character  of  that  illustrious  man.  A 
snblime  genius,  an  uninterrupted  and  zealous  pursuit  of  truth,  an  indefati- 
gable application,  an  invincible  patience,  a  sincere  piety,  and  a  subtle  and 
lively  wit^  conspired  to  establish  his  fame  upon  the  most  lasting  founda- 
tiona."    Mosheim's  Church  History,  vol.  1,  pp.  109, 110. 

The  influence  of  these  teachers  is  easily  traced  in  history.  They  in- 
stilled their  doctrines  into  the  minds  of  their  disciples,  until  their  disci- 
ples were  easily  distinguished,  not  only  by  their  more  scriptural  belief,  but 
also  by  their  more  holy  life,  from  the  great  mass  of  professing  Christians 
by  whom  they  were  surrounded.  These  men  went  through  the  church, 
and  by  their  instructions  drew  a  line  between  the  true  and  the  false,  so 
that  there  was  a  church  within  the  church,  an  Israel  chosen  out  of  Israel 
Thnr  work  is  beautifully  described  by  the  symbol  of  the  vision,  for  they 
set  a  seal  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  servants  of  Ood,  so  that  by  life  and 
doctrine  the  servants  of  Ood  could  be  distinguished  from  mere  nominal 
Christians.  But  the  number  of  true  Christians  was  small  when  compared 
with  the  number  of  professors.  It  was  indeed  as  if  the  number  of  the 
sealed  was  but  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  out  of  all  the  millions 
of  the  tribes  of  Israel. 

These  I  believe  to  bo  the  things  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbols  of  this 
Tiaion,  viz.,  the  barbarian  tempest  restrained  on  the  frontier  of  the  empire; 
the  general  corruption  of  the  church,  and  the  separation  of  Ood's  few  and 
faithful  servants  from  the  many  unfaithful  ones  by  the  instruction  of  his 
nuDisten,  whom  he  raised  up  for  this  very  purpose ;  things  which  are  dis- 
tinctly seen  in  the  history  of  the  Roman  empire  and  church  from  the  days 
of  OonstantiDe  to  about  the  year  395,  when,  at  the  sounding  of  the  trum- 
pets of  the  seventh  seal,  the  barbarian  tempest  was  let  loose,  and  terrible 
woes  filled  the  earth  with  misery. 

A  practical  thought  presents  itself  here.     The  process  of  sealing  the 

Bervants  of  God  is  yet  in  progress.     God  still  draws  a  line  of  distinction  j 

between  his  people  and  other  men,  and  he  distinguishes  the  former  by  set-  I 

ting  his  seal  upon  them.     Thus  it  is  said,  "  God  has  sealed  us  and  given  I 


160  LBGTURE  XXI. 

UB  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts."  ^<  Grieve  not  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  God,  whereby  ye  are  sealed  nnto  the  day  of  redemption."  Are  you 
sealed  by  this  seal,  which  is  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 


LECTURE     XXI. 


THE  PALM-BEARING   MULTITUDE. 

After  this  I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  could  number, 
of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  tlie  throne, 
and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands ;  and 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  Salvation  to  our  God  which  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb.  And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne, 
and  about  the  elders  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne  on  their 
faces,  and  worshipped  God,  saying,  Amen :  blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom, 
and  thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our  God  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen.  And  one  of  the  elders  answered,  saying  unto  me.  What  are 
these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes  ?  and  whence  came  they  ?  And  I  said 
unto  him.  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  to  me,  These  are  they  which  came 
out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Therefore  are  they  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve 
him  day  and  ni&^t  in  his  temple :  and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell 
among  them.  They  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more ;  neither 
shall  the  sun  light  on  them,  nor  any  heat.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne  shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of 
waters :  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes. — Be  v.  7 : 9-17. 

There  are  three  distinct  visions  under  the  sixth  seal.  The  first  is  the 
vision  of  the  great  earthqaake,  which  has  been  explained  as  shadowing 
forth  the  moral  and  political  oonvalsions  which  attended  the  aocession  of 
Constantino  to  the  throne,  and  the  recognition  of  Christianity  as  the  estab- 
lished religion  of  the  empire.  The  second  b  the  vision  of  God's  sealed 
ones,  which  has  been  explained  as  shadowing  forth  the  general  oomiption 
of  the  church  during  the  fourth  century,  and  the  gathering  out  of  it  a 
few  &ithful  ones  to  be  the  true  servants  of  Qod.  The  third  is  the  vision 
of  the  palm-bearing  multitude,  upon  whose  consideration  we  now  enter. 
Every  one  must  see  at  a  glance  that  the  vision  is  a  peculiar  one,  differing 
in  many  respects  from  those  which  have  preceded  it.  If  we  can  get  a  dear 
idea  of  the  impressions  which  were  produced  upon  the  apostle's  mind  by 
the  visions  which  he  had  already  seen  and  by  those  he  was  yet  to  see,  we 
will  probably  discover  the  key  which  will  unlock  the  meaning  of  the  vision 
of  the  palm-beariog  multitude. 

The  visioos  which  John  had  seen  were  generally  of  the  most  discourag- 
ing kind.  There  was  to  be  a  period  of  civil  war ;  then  a  period  of  black 
distress ;  then  a  period  of  great  mortality ;  then  a  period  of  persecution, 
during  which  multitudes  of  martyred  souls  would  gather  around  the 


THE   PALM-BEARINQ   MULTITUDE.  161 

beavenlj  altar ;  then,  after  a  time  of  triumph,  there  was  to  be  a  period  of 
iinfaithfiilne68,  when  only  a  few  out  of  the  thousands  of  professing  Chris- 
tians would  be  worthy  of  the  name  of  the  servants  of  the  living  Qod.  All 
this  must  have  had  a  depressing  influence  upon  the  mind  of  the  apostle. 
This  depressing  influence  would  be  increased  by  the  visions  he  was  yet  to 
see.  When  the  trumpet  angels  began  to  sound,  woe  after  woe  would  be 
let  loose  upon  the  world.  After  seeing  all  these  things,  the  apostle  might 
think  that  the  Christian  church  was  a  failure.  He  might  think  that  the 
troubles  through  which  it  had  to  pass  were  so  great  that  only  a  few  would 
be  brought  home  to  glory  through  its  instrumentality.  It  was  therefore 
neeessary  to  comfort  the  apostle,  in  view  of  what  he  had  already  seen,  and 
to  strengthen  him  for  the  still  more  gloomy  visions  which  were  yet  to  be 
revealed.  How  could  this  comfort  and  strength  be  best  imparted  ?  By 
permitting  him  to  have  glimpses  of  the  final  glory  of  the  church ;  to  see 
that  the  great  tribulations  of  time  were  the  necessary  preparation  for 
heaven,  and  to  witness  the  great  gathering  of  the  redeemed  and  their 
iafinite  and  eternal  blessedness  in  heaven.  Therefore,  in  this  comforting 
vision  of  the  palm-bearing  multitude,  he  is  carried  beyond  the  years  of 
time  and  beyond  the  day  of  judgment,  and  he  is  enabled  to  see  the  num- 
ber and  the  happiness  of  the  glorified  ones,  when  our  Ood  has  brought  them 
all  to  their  heavenly  home  and  filled  their  hearts  with  the  unutterable  joy 
of  perfect  redemption. 

Then  let  it  be  remembered  that  this  vision  of  the  palm-bearing  multitude 
does  not  shadow  forth  the  events  of  earthly  history.  We  are  not  to  look 
for  its  fulfillment  in  the  annals  of  nations.  It  points  to  a  time  when  earthly 
history  shall  be  ended.  This  is  indicated  by  the  scene  of  the  vision.  It 
is  not  on  the  plains  of  earth — it  is  on  the  celestial  plain,  where  the  throne 
of  God  was  set,  over  which  the  arching  rainbow  was  stretched,  and  around 
which  the  four  beasts  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  were  gathered.  It 
is  still  further  indicated  by  the  sublime  description,  a  description  too  sublime 
for  present  fulfillment.  The  number  of  the  saved  is  too  great,  and  their 
happiness  too  perfect  for  any  period  in  the  history  of  the  earthly  church. 
Lei  it  then  be  remembered  that  this  vision  has  reference  to  heaven ;  not  to 
heaven  as  it  now  exists,  but  to  heaven  as  it  shall  exist  when  all  the  re- 
deemed shall  be  gathered  home ;  that  heaven  to  which  the  eyes  of  the 
dwellers  in  this  vale  of  tears  so  often  turn  for  comfort.  Bearing  this  in 
mmd,  read  with  wonder  and  awe  the  description  of  the  vision  which  was 
Toacbsafed  to  the  seer  of  Patmos,  and  which  he  was  moved  to  record  for 
strengthening  the  faith  of  believers  to  the  end  of  the  world.  In  this  de- 
scription, there  are  three  points  which  are  prominently  brought  out,  and 
to  which  I  invite  your  attention,  viz :  1.  The  redeemed  multitude.  2.  The 
Tejoioing  angels.     3.  The  blessedness  of  heaven. 

11 


162  LSOTURE  XXI. 

I.  We  have  a  description  of  the  redeemed  multitude.  ''After  this 
I  beheld,  and  lo,  a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number,  of  all 
nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues,  stood  before  the  throne, 
and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  with  white  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands ; 
and  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying.  Salvation  to  our  God  which  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb." 

1.  The  number  of  the  redeemed  whom  John  saw,  gathering  about  the 
throne  of  God  on. that  celestial  plain  which  was  like  a  crystal  sea,  clear  as 
glass,  is  not  given.  They  were  a  multitude — a  great  multitude — a  great 
multitude  which  no  man  could  number.  This  fact  in  itself  shows  that  the 
present  vision  points  to  the  glorious  eternity  of  the  future.  In  any  past 
age  the  number  of  the  redeemed  on  the  earth  has  been  comparatively  small. 
Many  have  been  called,  but  few  have  been  chosen.  Even  in  the  days  of 
Constantino,  when  the  whole  world  was  nominally  Christian,  there  were 
only  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  sealed  ones.  Even  in  our  own 
days,  when  the  banner  of  the  cross  has  been  lifted  in  every  nation,  and 
when  professing  Christians  are  in  number  like  the  sand  upon  the  sea  shore, 
true  believers  in  Christ  are  not  too  many  for  the  human  mind  to  number. 
But  when  all  the  saints,  from  all  the  ages  and  from  all  the  lands,  shall  be 
brought  home  to  glory,  who  can  count  them?  Abel,  first  among  the  saved, 
will  be  there.  Patriarchs,  and  prophets,  and  priests,  will  stand  at  his  side. 
Apostles  and  teachers,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Barbarians  and  Scythians,  bond 
and  free,  will  help  to  swell  the  throng.  Who  can  tell  the  number  ?  Who 
can  count  the  multitude?  In  spite  of  all  the  persecutions  which  have 
smitten  the  church ;  in  spite  of  all  the  triab  through  which  it  has  passed; 
in  spite  of  the  uncounted  host  which  have  followed  the  lead  of  Satan  down 
to  the  regions  of  endless  death;  when  God  shall  gather  his  many  saints  about 
his  throne  at  last,  ihey  will  be  a  great  multitude  which  no  man  can 
number. 

2.  This  great  multitude  of  the  redeemed  toas  chosen  ''out  of  all  nations, 
and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues."  Some  were  taken  from  all  clasBes 
of  men,  whether  divided  by  the  governments  under  which  they  lived,  or 
by  the  ancestry  from  which  they  descended,  or  by  the  communities  in 
which  they  were  gathered,  or  by  the  languages  which  they  spoke.  The 
gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  is  not  for  one  nation  alone.  All  nations,  ''  from 
Greenland's  icy  mountains  to  India's  coral  strand,"  are  invited  to  partici- 
pate in  its  salvation,  and  this  invitation  will  be  accepted  by  those  who  will 
be  saved.  The  final  gathering  will  be  composed  of  a  more  mixed  multitude 
than  that  which  listened  to  the  apostles  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Lands  of 
which  the  apostles  never  heard  will  be  represented.  Redeemed  from  China's 
teeming  cities  will  be  there ;  redeemed  from  the  banks  of  the  sacred  Ganges 
will  stand  beside  the  holier  river  of  the  water  of  life ;  redeemed  from  be- 
neath the  shadow  of  Egypt's  pyramids  will  wonder  at  the  eternal  buildings 


THE  PALM-BEARING   MULTITUDE.  163 

of  the  golden  city ;  redeemed  irom  the  mountains  of  Switzerland  will  shout 
for  joy  on  Mount  Zion ;  redeemed  from  the  forests  of  our  own  wild  West 
will  stand  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  tree  of  life ;  redeemed  from  every 
nation  will  join  in  that  heavenly  worship,  and,  forgetting  the  dialects  of 
earth,  will  speak  only  the  language  of  heaven.  The  great  multitude  will  be 
''  of  all  nations,  and  kindreds,  and  people,  and  tongues." 

3.  We  have  the  position  of  this  multitude  of  the  redeemed.  They  are 
described  as  standing  "before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb."  While 
they  were  here  on  the  earth,  they  were  in  one  sense  far  from  Gk>d.  They 
saw  through  a  glass  darkly.  Though  they  longed  for  intimate  communion, 
they  were  held  back  by  the  infirmities  of  the  flesh.  But  when  the  day  of 
the  heavenly  glory  shall  come,  they  will  stand  before  the  throne  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  Lamb  with  nothing  to  interrupt  their  worship  or  to  mar 
the  sweetness  of  their  intercourse. 

4.  We  have  their  cUtire.  They  were  clothed  "  in  white  robes,"  and 
carried  '<  palms  in  their  hands.*'  The  white  robes  were  symbols  of  purity ; 
the  palm  branches  were  symbols  of  victory.  It  should  be  remarked  that 
the  language  used  to  describe  this  vision  reminds  us  in  several  places  of 
the  feast  of  the  tabernacles.  This  was  the  most  joyous  gathering  required 
hy  the  ceremonial  law.  It  was  celebrated  when  the  crops  of  the  summer 
had  been  harvested  and  when  the  labor  of  the  year  was  ended.  The  peo- 
ple assembled  at  Jerusalem,  and  with  mingled  joy  and  worship  kept  their 
harvest  home.  So  that  gathering  which  John  saw  in  heaven  is  the  great 
harvest  home  after  the  illness  of  the  world  has  been  reaped.  The  work 
of  the  saints  will  all  be  done ;  their  battles  will  all  be  fought ;  their  ene- 
mies will  all  be  overcome  ;  they  will  put  on  their  white  robes  ;  they  wiU 
lift  up  their  emblems  of  victory,  and,  while  not  forgetting  the  work  they 
have  done  or  the  struggles  through  which  they  have  passed,  they  will  enter 
into  the  full  enjoyment  of  God  *'in  the  rest  that  remaineth." 

i  5.  We  have  the  song  of  the  redeemed.  '^  Salvation  to  our  God  which 
ritteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb."  I  need  hardly  say  that  they 
do  not  express  a  desire  that  God  should  be  saved.  Such  a  thought  would 
be  absurd  and  blasphemous.  In  their  song,  they  ascribe  their  own  salva- 
tion, and  all  that  is  included  in  it,  to  God  alone.  Salvation  will  be  the 
great  theme  of  praise  in  the  upper  sanctuary.  All  other  sources  of  thanks- 
giving will  be  forgotten.  If  it  is  ever  our  privilege  to  rea6h  the  city  of 
the  crystal  sea,  it  will  be  to  us  a  never  ending  wonder  that  during  our 
Ci^hly  pilgrimage,  we  thought  so  little  of  the  everlasting  salvation. 

Let  it  be  noted  that  the  redeemed  in  heaven  ascribe  the  glory  of  their 
salvataon  equally  to  the  Father  and  the  Son.  They  do  not  exalt  him  that 
sitteth  upon  the  throne  before  the  Lamb.  Certainly,  then,  the  Saviour 
must  be  more  than  a  man,  more  than  an  angel;  for  those  who  have  reached 
the  full  enlightenment  of  heaven  would  not  give  equal  worship  to  the 


164  LECTURE  XXI. 

Creator  and  a  creatuire.  In  heaven  all  doubts  as  to  the  deity  of  the  Lamb 
will  be  forgotten,  and  the  glory  of  salvation  will  be  alike  ascribed  to  the 
Lamb  and  to  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne. 

Such  are  the  redeemed  in  heaven.  In  number,  they  are  innumerable  ; 
in  origin,  they  are  chosen  out  of  all  nations ;  in  position,  they  are  near 
the  throne ;  in  attire,  they  wear  the  emblems  of  purity  and  the  badges  of 
victory ;  and  in  worship,  they  ascribe  all  glory  to  the  eternal  Sire  and  his 
eternal  Son. 

n.  The  second  thing  in  this  vision  which  claims  our  attention  is  the 
REJOIOINO  ANGELS.  "And  all  the  angels  stood  round  about  the  throne, 
and  about  the  elders,  and  the  four  beasts,  and  fell  before  the  throne  on 
their  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  sajring,  Amen  :  Blessing,  and  glory,  and 
wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our 
God  for  ever  and  ever.     Amen." 

1.  Note  the  position  of  the  angels.  They  were  "round  about  the 
throne,"  but  they  did  not  occupy  the  nearest  place.  The  innumerable 
multitude  of  the  redeemed,  the  four  living  ones,  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders  were  immediately  before  the  throne ;  but  this  great  congregation  was 
fringed  by  an  outer  circle  of  angel  worshipers.  Here  is  one  of  the  won* 
ders  of  redemption.  The  angels,  who  never  transgressed  a  single  command- 
ment of  their  God,  worship  at  the  greatest  distance  from  the  central 
throne,  while  the  saints,  redeemed  fVom  the  earth,  who  were  once  polluted 
and  rebellious,  occupy  the  place  of  honor  at  the  very  side  of  God.  Why  is 
this?  Why  are  the  redeemed  honored  before  the  unfallen?  We  can 
answer  only  this :  "  Even  so.  Father,  &r  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight.*' 

2.  Note  the  posture  of  the  angels.  They  "  fell  before  the  throne  on 
their  ^ices,"  in  token  of  deepest  adoration,  while  the  redeemed  stood.  In 
answer  to  the  question,  why  is  this  ?  we  can  only  say  as  before,  "  even  8o> 
Father,  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight" 

3.  Note  the  song  of  the  angels.  It  begins  and  ends  with  "  amen,"  a 
word  which  expresses  the  heartiest  assent  to  the  truth  uttered.  They 
ascribe  blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and 
power,  and  might  to  Gt)d.  There  is  no  need  of  explaining  these  words, 
for  their  meaning  is  obvious.  The  general  idea  is  that  all  praise  is  due  to 
God;  every  excellent  attribute  of  character  is  found  in  him,  and  every 
blessing  comes  from  him.  It  is,  however,  to  be  observed  that  they  do  not 
speak  of  salvation,  for  the  very  obvious  reason  that  this  is  a  blessing  which 
they  never  have  enjoyed.  Whatever  other  favors  they  have  had  fh>m 
God,  they  have  not  known  how  sweet  a  thing  it  is  to  be  pardoned. 

We  need  not  be  surprised  at  the  joy  of  the  angels,  for  they  are  intensely 
interested  in  the  success  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  though  they  have  no 
personal  interest  in  it.     We  are  told  that  even  now,  while  this  plan  is 


THE  PALM-BEABINO   MULTITUDE.  165 

being  wrought  out  od  the  earth,  there  k  joy  in  heaven  among  the  angels  of 
Ood  over  every  sinner  that  repenteth.  And  if  they  joy  over  the  repent- 
ance of  every  sinner,  how  much  greater  will  be  their  joy,  when  at  last  ail 
of  God's  saved  ones  will  be  brought  safely  to  their  heavenly  home?  We 
may,  therefore,  expect  that  the  sweet  notes  of  the  unfallen  angels  will 
4dwayB  have  a  place  in  the  unending  anthems  of  eternal  praise. 

III.  The  third  thing  in  this  vision  which  claims  our  attention  b  the 
BLESSEDNESS  OF  HEAVEN.  "And  one  of  the  elders  answered,  saying  unto 
me,  What  are  these  which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence  came 
they?  And  I  said  unto  him.  Sir,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  to  me, 
These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have  washed  their 
robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Therefore  are 
tbey  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple : 
and  he  that  sitteth  on  the  throne  shall  dwell  among  them.  They  shall 
haoger  no  more,  neither  thirst  any  more;  neither  shall  the  sun  light  on 
them,  nor  any  heat.  For  the  Lamb  which  is  in  the  midst  of  the  throne 
shall  feed  them,  and  shall  lead  them  unto  living  fountains  of  waters :  and 
God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes."  The  poet  Bums  said  he 
eottld  never  read  these  verses  without  tears ;  and  our  hearts  must  be  callous 
if  we  can  listen  to  them  unmoved. 

1.  Who  are  they  who  are  to  enjoy  this  hlenedneuf  This  is  an  import- 
ant question ;  and  to  it  our  attention,  as  weU  as  the  attention  of  the  apostle, 
is  especially  called.  One  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  represent- 
atives of  the  glorified  church,  came  to  him  and  asked  him  who  the  mem- 
bers of  this  white  robed  multitude  were,  and  whence  they  came.  John 
modestly  asserted  his  ignorance  and  expressed  his  belief  that  his  questioner 
was  in  possession  of  the  knowledge.  And  he  was  not  mistaken.  The 
elder  knew  who  they  were  and  whence  they  came.  They  were  those  who 
had  oome  up  out  of  great  tribulation.  This  points  to  their  earthly  origin, 
and  to  the  trials  which  formed  a  necessary  part  of  their  sanctification.  It 
also  points  to  the  fact  that  their  sanctification  was  complete  and  that  their 
trials  were  ended.  The  world,  and  its  sorrows  and  its  sufferings,  had  been 
left  behind. 

But  this  is  not  sufiioient  to  describe  this  white  robed  multitude.  Though 
trial  is  the  road  through  which  they  entered  glory,  trial  is  not  peculiar  to 
them.  Tribulation,  of  one  kind  or  another,  is  the  common  heritage  of  man. 
Unbelievers,  as  well  as  believers,  have  their  sorrows  and  their  tears.  There- 
fore, the  elder  tells  the  apostle  that  the  worshipers  whom  he  saw  were 
those  who  had  ^'  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb*';  and  by  this  they  are  distinguished  from  all  others  who  have  lived 
and  died  on  the  earth.  There  seems  to  be  some  incongruity  in  saying  they 
had  made  their  robes  white  by  washing  them  in  blood.     But  let  it  be  re- 


166  LECTURE  XXI. 

membered  that  there  is  a  reference  to  the  Mosaic  ritual,  according  to  which 
the  tabernacle  and  its  furniture  were  made  ceremonially  dean  by  sprink- 
ling them  with  blood.  And  the  robes  of  the  heavenly  congregation  were 
made  dean,  not  by  the  tribulation  through  which  they  had  passed,  but  by 
the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  the  great  sacrifice.  It  was  not  their  sorrows 
and  sufferings  and  tears  which  had  made  them  holy,  but  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb  which  had  been  shed.  Surely,  if  this  was  the  case,  Jesus  was  put 
to  death,  not  as  a  martyr  or  as  an  example,  but  as  a  vicarious  sacrifice. 

Here,  then,  we  have  clearly  described  those  who  shall  enjoy  the  blessed- 
ness of  heaven.  They  are  those  who  have  been  redeemed  by  the  blood  of 
Christ  and  brought  up  out  of  great  tribulation.  No  others  have  any  right 
to  look  forward  to  this  blessedness  in  hopes  of  enjoying  it.  Are  we  thus 
redeemed — thus  washed  in  the  blood  of  Christ  ?  If  so,  we  may  know  that 
our  place  among  the  white  robed  multitude  is  sure.  If  we  are  not  thus 
redeemed  and  washed  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  we  have  no  present  founda- 
tion on  which  to  build  the  hope  of  immortality.  If  we  die  without  re- 
demption and  washing,  our  voices  will  never  join  in  the  praises  of  the 
blessed. 

2.  The  elder  not  only  tells  us  who  are  to  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  heaven ; 
he  also  tells  us,  in  few  and  graphic  words,  in  what  that  bleaedness 
consisU.  This  blessedness,  whatever  it  is,  depends  on  their  washing  in 
the  blood  of  Christ,  and  not  on  the  great  tribulations  through  which  they 
had  passed.  This  is  evident  from  the  word  "  therefore,"  which  binds  the 
blessedness  of  heaven  to  the  atonement  of  Christ  in  a  bond  which  can 
never  be  broken.  "They  have  washed  their  robes,  there/ore  are  they  before 
the  throne  of  Ood.''  The  blessedness  of  the  saints  consists  partly  in  their 
nearness  to  God.  They  ore  "  before  the  throne."  In  one  sense  they  are 
near  to  him  in  the  present  life.  Bis  presence  goes  with  them  wherever 
they  go,  and  abides  with  them  wherever  they  abide.  But  this  nearness  i» 
not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  nearness  of  the  hereafteri  for  then, 
without  a  shadow  or  a  cloud  to  intervene;  they  stand  before  the  throne 
forever. 

Their  blessedness  consisto  also  in  uninterrupted  and  unwearying  worship. 
They  "serve  him  day  and  night  in  his  temple."  Heaven  is  not  a  place  of 
idleness.  There  Gk>d  is  to  be  served  as  well  as  here.  Here  our  service 
is  suspended  by  the  return  of  night ;  but  there  no  night  ever  calls  the 
worshiper  to  repose,  or  wraps  him  in  forgetfulneas.  Here  our  servioe  is 
suspended  by  weariness,  for  our  weak  humanity  must  have  its  hours  of 
rest;  but  the  worshipers  in  the  heavenly  temple  will  know  no  fatigue. 
Their  praise  will  ever  continue  without  pause  and  without  end. 

Their  blessedness  also  consists  in  intimate  communion  with  Qod.  "  He 
shall  dwell  among  them."  As  the  tabernacle  ever  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
tribes  of  Israel,  so  GK>d's  dwelling  place  will  ever  stand  in  the  midst  of 
redeemed  Israel.     He  will  be  forever  their  nearest  neighbor. 


THE  PALH-BEABINQ   MULTITUDE.  167 

Their  blessedness  will  also  consist  in  entire  freedom  from  all  such  calami- 
ties as  they  experienced  on  the  earth.  They  will  never  know  the  pangs  of 
hunger }  their  tongues  will  never  be  parched  by  thirst ;  they  will  never  be 
smitten  by  burning  heat  or  scorching  sun ;  they  will  eat  of  the  heavenly 
food ;  they  will  drink  of  the  water  of  life  ;  they  will  find  shelter  beneath 
the  shadow  of  the  Almighty.  Such  a  description  of  heaven  would  appeal 
powerliilly  to  the  dwellers  in  those  sultry  lands  in  which  the  Christian 
rel^on  was  cradled.  They  knew,  better  than  we  can  know,  what  is  meant 
by  famine,  and  thirst,  and  burning  heat.  Therefore  the  prophet  Isaiah 
describes  heaven  in  the  very  language  which  John  was  moved  to  employ : 
''They  shall  not  hunger  nor  thirst,  neither  shall  the  heat  nor  sun  smite 
them."  And  the  reason  for  their  entire  freedom  from  all  such  calamities 
as  they  knew  on  earth  is  because  the  Lamb  shall  be  their  shepherd. 

In  this,  another  part  of  their  blessedness  consists :  The  Lamb  shall  feed 
them,  and  guard  them,  and  watch  over  them,  and  lead  them  to  the  ever- 
flowing  fountains,  where  every  want  will  be  supplied  and  every  desire 
gratified. 

Their  blessedness  also  consists  partly  in  this,  that  God  will  *'  wipe  away 
all  tears  from  their  eyes.*'  This  world  of  ours  is  a  vale  of  tears^  and  men 
go  weeping  through  it  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  Who  has  not  wept 
at  the  death  of  friends  ?  At  his  own  losses  and  disappointments  ?  At  the 
treatment  he  has  received  from  others  ?  At  the  sins  he  has  committed,  and 
at  the  &nlts  of  others?  If  our  spiritual  hearing  was  only  sharpened,  we 
could  hear  the  patter  of  tears  falling  unoeasingly  from  the  eyes  of  our  fel- 
low pilgrims,  as  the  rain  sometimes  patters  against  the  windows.  What  a 
world  ours  would  be,  if  in  the  foture  not  a  tear  would  bo  shed,  and  no 
head  would  be  bowed  in  grief !  And  this  will  be  in  heaven.  Not  another 
hope  will  be  disappointed.  Not  another  sin  will  be  committed.  Not  another 
^  friend  will  toss  in  dreadful  agony  upon  a  bed  of  sickness.  Not  another 
grave  will  be  opened.  Ood  will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  all  eyes.  What 
blessed  words  are  these  1  Let  us  bind  them  to  our  aching  hearts ;  words 
which  Isaiah  first  uttered,  and  which  John  was  moved  to  record  a  second 
time — words  which  contain  one  of  the  sweetest  as  well  as  one  of  the  briefest 
descriptions  of  our  heavenly  home :  "  Ood  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from 
our  eyes." 

What  an  effect  this  vision  must  have  had  on  John !  How  it  must  have 
strengthened  him  for  the  sights  he  was  yet  to  see  !  It  should  have  a  similar 
effect  on  us,  inspiring  us  to  faithfulness  in  all  the  duties  of  our  pilgrimage. 
Just  here  this  one  question  presents  itself  for  an  answer :  Are  we  among 
the  persons  who  shall  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  heaven  ? — ^among  those  who 
have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  whit3  ia  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ? 


168  LECTURE  XXII. 


LECTURE    XXII. 


THE   SEVENTH   SEAL    AND  THE   FIRST   TRUMPET. 

And  when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in  heaven  about 
the  space  of  half  an  hour.  And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  which  stood  before  (Jod ; 
and  to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets.  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  at 
the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer ;  and  there  was  given  unto  him  much  incense, 
that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints  upon  the  golden  altar  which 
was  before  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of  the  incense,  which  came  with  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  before  God  out  of  the  angel's  hand.  And  the 
angel  took  the  censer,  and  fllled  it  with  fire  of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  into  the 
earth:  and  there  were  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake. 
And  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to 
sound.  The  first  angel  sounded,  and  there  followea  hail  and  fire  mingled  with 
blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth :  and  the  third  part  of  trees  was  burnt 
up,  and  all  green  grass  was  Durnt  up. — Rev.  8: 1-7. 

It  may  be  well  to  review  the  progress  we  have  already  made  in  our  ex- 
position. Jobn  had  been  carried  in  vision  to  the  celestial  plain  and  placed 
before  the  throne  of  Qod.  He  saw  the  representatives  of  the  church,  the 
holy  angels,  the  multitude  of  the  redeemed,  the  heavenly  temple  and  its 
furniture,  and  the  New  Jerusalem  and  its  jeweled  walls.  The  earth,  which 
was  the  scene  of  the  battles  and  triumphs  of  the  church  militant,  waa  spread 
out  like  a  map  far  beneath  his  feet.  The  book,  sealed  with  seven  seals,  was 
placed  in  the  hands  of  "the  Lamb  of  God/'  and  as  he  broke  these  seals, 
one  afler  another,  successive  symbols  appeared,  which  shadowed  forth  to 
the  apostle  things  which  were  to  be  thereafter.  When  the  first  seal  was 
broken,  there  appeared  a  white  horse  with  its  rider,  shadowing  forth  a 
period  of  great  prosperity  in  the  Roman  empire,  a  period  which  began 
about  the  time  of  the  apostle's  vision,  and  continued  for  nearly  a  century. 
When  the  second  seal  was  broken,  there  appeared  a  red  horse  with  its 
rider,  shadowing  forth  a  period  of  civil  war  and  bloodshed.  When  the 
third  seal  was  opened,  there  appeared  a  black  horse  with  its  rider,  shadow- 
ing forth  a  period  of  famine.  When  the  fourth  seal  was  opened,  there 
appeared  a  pale  horse  with  its  rider,  shadowing  forth  a  period  of  great 
mortality.  When  the  fifth  seal  was  opened,  there  appeared  martyred  souls 
under  the  heavenly  altar,  shadowing  forth  that  period  of  persecution  through 
which  the  church  passed  about  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  century.  When 
the  sixth  seal  was  opened,  there  appeared  marvelous  changes  in  the  earthly 
landscape,  shadowing  forth  the  revolution  by  which  pagan  Rome  became 
Christian  Rome  under  the  emperor  Gonstantine.  And  then,  before  the 
opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  there  appeared  two  separate  and  independent 
visions,  which  were  designed  to  prepare  the  apostle  for  what  he  was  about 
to  see.  The  first  was  the  vision  of  the  four  angels  who  stood  at  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth,  restraining  the  four  winds  till  the  servants  of  God 


'    THE  SEVENTH   SEAL  AND   THE   FIRST   TRUMPET.  169 

were  sealed  in  their  foreheads.  This  vision  we  Lave  explained  as  shadow- 
ing forth  that  period  daring  which  God  mysteriously  restrained  the  har- 
harians  who  were  threatening  the  destruction  of  the  Roman  empire,  until^ 
through  the  preaching  of  his  faithful  ministers,  there  was  a  separation 
between  mere  professing  Christians  and  true  Christians.  The  second  was 
the  vision  of  the  inhabitants  and  worship  of  heaven,  which  is  contained  in 
the  concluding  verses  of  chapter  VII,  and  which  gives  us  the  sublimest  de- 
scription of  the  glory  of  the  redeemed  to  be  found  in  the  word  of  God ; 
a  vision  which  might  well  strengthen  the  apostle's  faith  by  assuring  him 
that,  though  the  church  would  have  to  pass  through  unparalleled  trials  and 
persecutions,  yet  in  the  end  a  great  multitude  which  no  man  could  number  . 
would  stand  before  the  throne  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed  in  white  robes 
and  palnas  of  victory  in  their  hands. 

Thus  far  we  have  progressed  in  our  exposition  which  has  brought  us  down 
almost  to  the  close  of  the  fourth  century,  to  the  year  395.  Just  at  this 
point,  the  vision  which  is  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture  b^ns.  In  these 
verses  there  are  the  following  points,  which  will  be  noticed  in  their  order: 
.  the  breaking  of  the  seventh  seal ;  the  trumpet  angeh^ ;  the  unavailing  pray- 
ers; the  preparation  for  sounding  the  trumpets;  and  the  first  trumpet. 

I.  We  are  to  consider  the  breaking  of  the  seventh  seal.  **And 
when  he  had  opened  the  seventh  seal,  there  was  silence  in  heaven  about  the 
space  of  half  an  hour."  All  the  seals  of  the  mysterious  volume  had  been 
broken  save  one.  This  one  is  now  broken  by  the  same  hand  which  had 
broken  the  others,  even  by  the  hand  of  the  Lamb  who  stood  in  the  midst 
of  the  throne.  As  one  seal  after  another  was  opened,  and  one  symbol  after 
another  appeared,  our  interest  in  the  unfolding  history  of  the  church  and 
the  world  increases;  and  we  would  expect  that  when  the  Lamb  had  opened 
the  seventh  saal,  some  symbol,  unparalleled  by  any  which  had  preceded  it, 
would  appear.  In  this  expectation,  we  are  for  a  time  disappointed.  No 
horses  are  seen  galloping  over  the  landscape ;  the  cry  of  no  martyred  souls 
is  heard  ;  no  convulsion  of  nature  darkens  the  sun  and  moon,  and  makes 
the  mountains  to  shake.  There  was  an  awftil  stillness.  Heaven  waited 
with  reTerence,  and  all  its  inhabitants  held  their  breath  through  fear.  The 
living  creatures  and  the  elders,  the  angels  and  the  redeemed  watched  and 
wondered. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  this  impressive  silence  ?  It  could  not  have  been 
caused  by  the  fear  of  the  woes  to  come,  for  these  woes  had  not  yet  been 
revealed,  and  therefore  they  must  have  been  unknown  even  in  heaven.  But 
the  preceding  visions  were  of  such  a  character  as  to  lead  all  lookers  on  to 
expect  some  unusual  visitation.  The  plot  had  been  deepening;  greater 
dangers  were  impending.  Under  the  last  seal,  the  mighty  angels  of  God 
were  seen  holding  back  the  destroying  tempests  until  the  saints  of  God  could 


170  LECTURE   XXII. 

be  sealed  and  separated  from  the  millions  of  false  professors.  Surely  all 
spectators  might  well  believe  that  when  that  sealing  was  completed,  and 
that  restraint  was  removed,  there  would  be  calamities  without  an  equal  and 
without  a  parallel  in  all  the  past.  Therefore,  there  was  silence  in  heaven, 
a  sUenoe  of  dread  suspense.  But  this  silence  was  not  of  long  duration. 
It  continued  ^'  about  the  space  of  half  an  hour/'  The  apostle  does  not  say 
that  it  was  exactly  half  an  hour,  but  that  it  was  about  half  an  hour,  or  that 
it  seemed  to  him  to  be  half  an  hour.  This  brief  silence  was  calculated  to 
prepare  him  and  to  prepare  us  for  the  wonderful  symbols  which  were  about 
to  be  revealed.  It  is  a  silence  which  must  fill  the  mind  with  awe  and  kindle 
expectation.  The  redeemed  cease  their  songs  of  gratitude  and  of  love. 
The  harpers  no  longer  touch  the  strings  of  their  golden  harps.  The  angels 
stand  speechless  and  motionless.  All  heaven  is  waiting  to  see  what  woes 
the  breaking  of  the  seventh  and  last  seal  will  let  loose  upon  the  world. 

II.  But  John  and  his  fellow  spectators  did  not  have  to  wait  long.  The 
awe-inspiring  silence  soon  came  to  an  end,  and  the  seven  trumpet  angels 
made  their  appearance.  '^And  I  saw  the  seven  angels  which  stood  before 
God ;  and  to  them  were  given  seven  trumpets."  It  would  seem,  from  the 
language  of  this  verse,  that  these  seven  angels  were  of  high  rank.  They 
are  called  ''  the  seven  angels  which  stood  in  the  presence  of  God."  This 
expression  reminds  us  of  the  words  of  Gabriel,  when  he  appeard  to  Zacharias, 
the  father  of  the  Baptist ;  "  I  am  Gabriel,  that  stand  in  the  presence  of  God." 
In  both  instances  the  language  seems  to  indicate  that  the  angels  mentioned 
were  called  to  special  honor.  They  stood  in  the  presence  of  G^d ;  they 
were  the  confidential  servants  and  messengers  of  the  King  of  kings  and 
the  Lord  of  lords.  The  work  of  human  salvation  and  happiness  is  so  near 
the  divine  heart,  that  he  commissions  the  highest  of  all  the  heavenly  host 
to  advance  it.  This  would  indeed  be  a  manifestation  of  great  love;  but  it 
pales  before  the  fact  that  God  gave  his  only  b^otten  and  well  beloved  Son, 
that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life. 

To  the  seven  angels  of  the  divine  presence,  seven  trumpets  were  given ; 
that  is,  one  trumpet  was  given  to  each  angel.  By  whom  they  were  giveq, 
we  are  not  informed,  nor  is  it  necessary  for  us  to  know ;  but  we  may  suppose 
they  were  given  by  him  who  sat  upon  the  throne,  and  who  had  in  a  former 
instance  put  the  sealed  book  into  the  hands  of  the  Lamb. 

It  will  throw  some  light  upon  the  imagery  of  the  trumpets  if  we  remember 
the  uses  to  which  these  instruments  were  applied  in  the  Jewish  economy,  for 
it  is  from  the  Jewish  economy  that  the  figures  of  the  Apocalypse  are  largely 
drawn.  The  trumpets  were  blown  on  the  Sabbaths,  at  the  new  moons,  and 
on  the  various  feast  days,  to  indicate  the  progress  of  advancing  time,  and  to 
call  the  people  of  God  to  their  divinely  appointed  worship.     Trumpets  were 


THE   SEVENTH   SEAL  AND  THE   FIRST   TRUMPET.  171 

also  blown  in  seasons  of  danger,  to  proclaim  war  against  the  enemies  of  Israel. 
Here  they  are  used  for  substantially  the  same  purposes.  They  were  blown 
to  proclaim  great  eras  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  to  call  the  church  to 
the  worship  of  its  Qod.  They  were  blown  as  a  signal  of  battle,  which  might 
well  carry  terror  to  the  enemies  of  the  Lord.  As  we  hear  these  trumpets 
blown,  we  must  remember  Jericho.  As  that  city  fell,  so  must  every  city, 
whose  walls  are  defended  by  the  enemies  of  God,  fell  before  the  trumpet 
blasts  of  the  mighty  angels. 

III.  We  come  now  to  the  third  point  contained  in  the  subject  of  the 
present  lecture,  yiz.,  unavailinq  prayers.  "And  another  angel  came 
and  stood  at  the  altar,  having  a  golden  censer;  and  there  was  given  unto 
him  much  incense,  that  he  should  offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  saints 
upon  the  golden  altar  which  was  before  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of 
the  incense,  which  came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  ascended  up  be- 
fore God  out  of  the  angel's  hand.  And  the  angel  took  the  censer,  and 
filled  it  with  fire  of  the  altar,  and  cast  it  into  the  earth :  and  there  were 
voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake."  Before  the 
trumpets  b^an  to  sound,  the  apostle  saw  another  vision,  which  deserves 
our  serious  consideration,  for  it  prepares  the  way  for  the  things  which 
are  hereafler  to  be  revealed.  The  scene  of  this  vision  was  the  heavenly 
temple,  which,  as  has  been  said,  John  saw  on  the  celestial  plain,  not  far 
from  the  throne  of  God.  He  was  so  situated  that  he  could  look  into  its 
court  and  into  the  holy  place.  He  saw  an  angel  standing  before  the  altar 
of  incense  with  a  golden  censer  in  his  hand,  offering  incense  with  the 
prayers  of  the  saints.  In  the  old  economy,  incense  was  the  emblem  of 
prayer.  The  meaning,  then,  of  the  vision  which  the  apostle  saw,  was  this : 
the  saints  pf  God,  that  is,  the  sealed  ones  who  are  described  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  are  earnestly  engaged  in  prayer,  and  the  angel  offers  their 
prayers  mingled  with  incense  to  him  who  sits  upon  the  throne. 

But. who  was  this  incense  angel  ?  He  had  the  golden  censer,  which  be- 
longed to  the  High  Priest;  he  offered  incense  therewith,  a  duty  which 
belonged  to  the  High  Priest  alone.  But  the  High  Priest  was  a  type  of 
Christ  Therefore,  we  must  believe  that  this  incense  angel  was  the  angel 
of  the  everlasting  covenant,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Great  Apostle  and  High 
Priest  of  our  profession,  even  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  This  conclusion  is 
strengthened  by  the  &ct  that  none  but  Jesus,  who  is  both  God  and  man, 
could  have  received  and  offered  up  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  and  have  made 
them  acceptable  through  his  intercession.  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an 
advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  righteous."  *' There  is  but 
one  mediator  between  God  and  man,  the  man  Christ  Jesus."  The  apostle, 
then,  saw  the  Saviour  offering  the  prayers  of  the  saints  before  the  throne. 
He  saw  the  smoke  of  the  incense  ascending  in  the  presence  of  God.     Ho 


172  '  LECTUBE   XXII. 

does  not  tell  U3  for  what  the  saints  were  praying,  bat  surely  we  caQDOt 
fall  into  error  on  this  point.  Great  calamities  were  impending.  All  the 
signs  of  the  times  pointed  to  their  speedy  coming.  The  saints  on  the  earth, 
if  they  were  not  blind  to  the  plainest  indications  of  the  divine  purpose, 
must  have  known  that  trials  greater  than  any  they  had  yet  experienced 
were  soon  to  begin.  And  without  controversy,  they  would  make  these  im- 
pending calamities  the  subject  of  earnest  prayer.  They  would  pray  that 
these  calamities  might  be  averted ;  that  God  would  interpose  his  almighty 
power,  that  they  and  their  fellow-men  might  be  delivered  from  threatened 
woes.  These  were  the  prayers  which  the  saints  were  offering,  and  which 
the  incense  angel  was  presenting  to  God. 

We  would  think  that  such  prayers  as  these  would  be  answered,  and  that 
the  impending  calamities  would  be  turned  away.  But  no ;  the  wickedness 
of  the  ungodly  was  too  great.  Dire  punishment  must  be  inflicted.  Though 
the  prayers  of  the  saints  are  heard,  and  though  a  blessing  is  vouchsafed  to 
their  suppliant  souls,  yet  the  thing  they  prayed  for  is  not  given*  Their 
prayers,  mighty  though  they  are,  did  not  avail  to  avert  impending  calami- 
ties from  the  earth.  All  this  Is  shown  to  the  apostle  by  the  symbols  of  the 
same  vision.  The  incense  angel,  after  having  offered  the  prayers  of  the 
saints,  came  out  of  the  holy  place  and  stood  at  the  brazen  altar  of  burnt 
offering  in  the  court.  He  filled  the  golden  censer,  which  he  still  held 
in  his  hand,  with  burning  coals  from  the  brazen  altar,  and  cast  it,  with  its 
flaming  contents,  upon  the  earth.  Now  mercy  is  changed  into  judgment. 
The  apostle,  following  with  his  eye  the  censer  as  it  fell  from  the  angeVs 
hand  upon  the  earthly  landscape,  which  was  spread  out  far  beneath  him, 
saw  great  commotions  where  all  had  been  quietness  before.  There  were 
''  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and  an  earthquake."  These  signs 
indicated  that  terrible  destruction  was  about  to  come.  The  prayers  of  the 
saiots  could  not  prevail  to  avert  it.  The  justice  of  God  must  go  forth 
against  the  ungodly  world,  and  the  ungodly  church,  in  which  there  were 
but  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  worthy  to  carry  the  seal  of  their 
God  in  their  foreheads.  This  vision  of  the  incense  angel,  who  offered  his 
incense  without  avail,  and  who  then  cast  his  golden  censer  fiill  of  burning 
coals  upon  the  earth,  should  prepare  us  for  revelations  of  tenible  wrath. 

IV .  After  this  preliminary  vision  is  ended,  final  preparation  is  made 
FOR  fiOONDiNO  THE  TRUMPETS.  "And  the  seveu  angels  which  had  the 
seven  trumpets  prepared  themselves  to  sound."  It  is  likely  that  they  pre- 
pared themselves  by  ranging  themselves  before  the  throne  in  the  order  in 
which  they  were  to  sound.  And  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  sounding 
of  the  seven  trumpets  is  included  in  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal.  If 
we  have  been  correct  in  our  exposition  of  the  symbols  of  the  seals,  we  may 
'expect  that  the  events  shadowed  forth  by  the  trumpets  will  lollow  in  ohron- 


THE   SEVENTH    SEAL   AND   THE  FIRST   TRUMPET.  173 

ologioal  erder.  We  are,  therefore,  to  turn  over  the  pages  of  history  subso' 
quent  to  the  days  of  Constantine,  or  rather  to  the  time  when  the  hordes  of 
the  harbarians  were  held  back  upon  the  frontiers  of  the  Roman  empire,  as  if 
waiting  for  the  sealing  of  the  sainte  of  God,  and  see  if  there  are  any  historical 
facts  which  bear  any  resemblance  to  the  symbols  which  John  saw  and  heard 
as  one  trumpet  after  another  was  blown. 

Now  all  things  are  ready  for  the  trumpet  angels  to  sound  the  alarm  upon 
the  trumpets  which  had  been  given  to  them.  The  seventh  seal  has  been 
opened.  The  inhabitants  of  heaven  stand  in  silent  suspense.  The  anxious 
saints  have  offered  their  unavailing  prayers  to  avert  the  impending  calamities. 
The  censer  of  burning  coals  has  been  cast  upon  the  earth,  to  indicate  that  the 
judgments  of  the  Lord  are  about  to  begin. 

y.  Then  '<the  first  anqel  sounded,  and  there  followed  hail  and 
fire  mingled  with  blood,  and  they  were  cast  upon  the  earth ;  and  the  third 
pirt  of  trees  was  burnt  up,  and  all  green  grass  was  burnt  up."  The  sym- 
bols which  the  apostle  saw  at  the  blast  of  the  first  trumpet  are  plainly 
described.  As  he  looked  down  from  his  high  stand- point  upon  the  plains 
of  earth,  he  saw  a  mighty  tempest.  There  was  a  storm  of  hail,  accom- 
panied by  vivid  lightning.  It  was  like  that  plague  of  Egypt^  when  "  the 
Lord  sent  thunder  and  hail,  and  the  fire  ran  along  the  ground,  and  the 
Lord  rained  hail  upon  the  land  of  Egypt."  This  hail  storm  seemed  to  be 
mingled  with  blood.  The  haO-stones,  lighted  up  by  the  lurid  lightning, 
seemed  to  be  tinged  with  red.  This  feariul  tempest,  as  it  went  forth  over 
the  earth,  wrought  great  destruction.  While  some  of  the  sturdiest  trees  of 
the  forest  were  able  to  stand  the  shock,  one-third  part  of  the  trees  was 
blown  down  and  burned;  and  all  the  green  and  tender  grass,  which  is 
destroyed  more  easily  than  the  oaks  of  the  mountain,  was  burnt  up.  Before 
the  tempest,  there  was  an  Eden ;  after  the  tempest  had  spent  its  ftiry,  there 
was  desolation.  Uprooted  trees,  and  blackened  stumps,  and  withered  grass 
told  of  the  power  and  marked  the  course  of  the  storm  of  hail  and  lightning. 

This  is  what  John  saw;  and  the  symbols  are  so  common  and  so  plain 
that  we  cannot  be  at  any  loss  to  discover  their  meaning.  A  storm  is  a 
symbol  of  destruction.  A  hail  storm,  whose  destructiveness  is  peculiarly 
great,  must  be  the  symbol  of  great  destruction.  Such  a  storm,  accompanied 
with  lightning,  would  add  intensity  to  the  symbol.  And  while  the  storm 
might  be  the  symbol  of  destruction  arising  from  any  cause^  yet  the  fact  that 
this  hail  was  mingled  with  blood,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  this  destruc- 
tion would  be  accomplished  by  the  ravages  of  war.  And  the  destruction 
was  great.  One-third  part  of  the  trees,  the  symbols  of  the  great  ones  of 
the  earth,  and  all  the  grass,  the  symbol  of  the  common  people,  would  fall 
before  it. 

These  are  the  symbols,  and  these  are  the  events  which,  according  to  the 


174  LBOTURE   XXII. 

■ 

la¥rs  of  symbolical  iDterpretation,  must  be  prefigured  by  them.  Are  there 
any  such  eyents  ?  Before  we  can  answer  this  question,  there  is  another 
which  claims  our  attention,  viz.,  at  what  period  of  the  world's  history  are 
we  to  look  forthe  events  in  which  these  symbols  are  fulfilled  ?  It  has  been 
stated  again  and  again,  that  this  book  is  believed  to  be  a  history  of  the 
things  which  were  to  be  after  the  days  of  John.  We  have  seen,  in  previous 
lectures,  how  well  this  theory  is  sustained.  We  have  traced  the  surpriong 
resemblance  between  the  symbols  and  the  prominent  events  in  the  history 
of  the  Roman  empire.  We  discovered  the  fulfillment  of  the  sixth  seal,  in 
which  the  four  mighty  angels  were  seen  holding  back  the  winds  that  they 
should  do  no  harm  tOl  the  saints  of  God  were  sealed  in  their  foreheads,  in 
the  wonderful  restraint  by  which  the  hordes  of  the  barbarians  were,  accord- 
ing to  the  language  of  the  historian  Gibbon,  ^'  suspended  or  repelled  upon 
the  fit>ntiers"  of  the  empire,  until,  by  the  preaching  of  the  fiiithful  servants 
of  God,  a  separation  was  effected  between  the  true  church  and  the  false. 
This  was  about  A.  D.  395. 

If  our  expositions  thus  far  have  been  correct,  and  if  the  seven  trumpets 
are  to  follow  the  seven  seals  in  chronological  order,  we  must  look  for  the 
events  shadowed  forth  under  the  first  trumpet  about  A.  D.  400.  Is  there 
any  event  occurring  at  that  time  which  is  a  fulfillment  of  the  stonn  of  hail 
and  lightning?  Let  us  turn  to  the  pages  of  history  and  see.  The  tempest 
of  barbarians,  which  up  to  this  time  was  suspended  or  repelled  upon  the 
frontiers  of  the  empire,  was  now  let  loose.  Alaric,  king  of  the  Visigoths, 
at  the'head  of  his  victorious  armies,  overran  a  very  large  part  of  the  Roman 
territory.  One  city  after  another  was  taken ;  one  province  after  another 
submitted  to  his  authority.  The  Roman  senate  fled  before  him.  Three 
times  he  besieged  Rome,  until,  in  the  year  410,  that  city  was  given  up  to 
the  fury  of  the  tribes  of  Scythia.  The  historian  Gibbon,  who  devotes  one 
hundred  pages  of  his  history  to  the  first  Gothic  invasion,  describes  the  events 
of  this  period  in  such  a  way,  that  we  can  see  how  appropriate  the  symbols 
are.  As  the  whole  description  cannot  be  quoted,  a  few  extracts  must  suffice. 
"  Theodosius  *  *  *  *  died  in  the  month  of  January,  A.  D.  395 ; 
and  before  the  end  of  the  winter  of  the  same  year,  the  Gothic  nation  was 
in  arms.  *  *  *  *  The  barriers  of  the  Danube  were  thrown  open  ; 
the  savage  warriors  of  Scythia  issued  from  their  forests ;  and  the  uncom- 
mon severity  of  the  winter  allowed  the  poet  to  remark,  *  that  they  rolled 
their  ponderous  wagons  over  the  broad  and  icy  back  of  the  indignant  river.' 
The  unhappy  natives  of  the  provinces  to  the  south  of  the  Danube  submitted 
to  the  calamities,  which,  in  the  course  of  twenty  years,  were  almost  grown 
familiar  to  their  imagination ;  and  the  various  troops  of  barbarians,  who 
gloried  in  the  Gothic  name,  were  irregularly  spread  from  the  woody  shores 
of  Dalmatia  to  the  walls  of  Constantinople.  ^  *  *  *  Alaric  disdained 
to  trample  any  longer  on  the  prostrate  and  ruined  countries  of  Thraoe  and 


THE  SEYSNTH   SEAL  AND  THE  FIRST  TRUMPET.  175 

Dacia,  and  he  reaolyed  to  seek  a  plentiful  harvest  of  &me  and  riches  in  a 
province  which  had  hitherto  escaped  the  ravages  of  war."  Gibbon's  Rome, 
vol.  3,  p.  100.  "  The  apprehensions  of  each  individual  were  increased  in 
just  proportion  to  the  measure  of  his  fortune ;  and  the  most  timid,  who 
had  already  embarked  their  most  valuable  effects,  meditated  their  escape  to 
the  island  of  Sicily,  or  the  African  coast.  The  public  distress  was  aggravated 
by  the  fears  and  reproaches  of  superstition.  Every  hour  produced  some 
horrid  tale  of  strange  and  portentous  accidents ;  the  pagans  deplored  the 
neglect  of  omens,  and  the  interruption  of  sacrifices ;  but  the  Christians 
still  derived  some  comfort  from  the  powerful  intercession  of  the  saints  and 
martyrs."  p.  201.  "The  subjects  of  Rome,  unconscious  of  their  approach- 
ing calamities,  enjoyed  the  state  of  quiet  and  prosperity,  which  had  seldom 
blessed  the  frontiers  of  Oaul.  Their  flocks  and  herds  were  permitted 
to  graae  in  the  pastures  of  the  barbarians;  their  huntsmen  penetrated, 
without  fear  or  danger,  into  the  darkest  recesses  of  the  Hercynian  wood. 
The  banks  of  the  Rhine  were  crowned,  like  those  of  the  Tiber,  with 
elegant  houses  and  well  cultivated  fiurms;  and  if  a  poet  descended  the 
river,  he  might  express  his  doubt,  on  which  side  was  situated  the  ter- 
ritory of  the  Romans.  This  scene  of  peace  and  plenty  was  suddenly 
changed  into  a  desert;  and  the  prospect  of  the  smoking  ruins  could 
alone  distinguish  the  solitude  of  nature  from  the  desolation  of  man. 
The  flourishing  city  of  Mentz  was  surprised  and  destroyed;  and  many 
thousand  Christians  were  inhumanly  massacred  in  the  church.  Worms 
perished  after  a  long  and  obstinate  siege;  Strasburg,  Spires,  Rheims, 
Toumay,  Arras,  Amiens,  experienced  the  cruel  oppression  of  the  German 
yoke ;  and  the  consuming  flames  of  war  spread  from  the  banks  of  the  Rhine 
over  the  greatest  part  of  the  seventeen  provinces  of  Oaul.  That  rich  and 
extensive  countiy,  as  far  as  the  ocean,  the  Alps  and  the  Pyrenees,  was 
delivered  to  the  barbarians,  who  drove  before  them,  in  a  promiscuous  crowd, 
the  bishop,  the  senator  and  the  vii^n,  laden  with  the  spoils  of  their  houses 
and  alters."  p.  223.  "  While  they  expected  in  sullen  silence  that  the  bar- 
barians should  evacuate  the  confines  of  Italy,  Alaric,  with  bold  and  sudden 
marches,  passed  the  Alps  and  the  Po;  hastily  pillaged  the  cities  of  Aquileia, 
Altinum,  Concordia  and  Cremona,  which  yielded  to  his  arms;  increased 
bis  forces  by  the  acquisition  of  thirty  thousand  auxiliaries,  and  without 
meeting  a  single  enemy  in  the  field,  advanced  as  far  as  the  edge  of  the 
morass  which  protected  the  impregnable  residence  of  the  emperor  of  the 
West.  Instead  of  attempting  the  hopeless  siege  of  Ravenna,  the  prudent 
leader  of  the  Goths  proceeded  to  Rimini,  stretched  his  ravages  along  the 
sea  coast  of  the  Adriatic,  and  meditated  the  conquest  of  the  ancient 
mistress  of  the  world.  ■  An  Italian  hermit,  whose  zeal  and  sanctity  were 
respected  by  the  barbarians  themselves,  encountered  the  victorious  monarch 
and  boldly  denounced  the  indignation  of  heaven  against  the  oppressors  of 


176  LECTURE  XXII. 

the  earth ;  but  the  saint  was  himself  coDfounded  by  the  solemn  asseveratioii 
of  Alaric  that  he  felt  a  secret  and  prastematural  impulse  which  directed, 
and  even  compelled  his  march  to  the  gates  of  Rome."  p.  243.  '^  By  a 
skillful  disposition  of  his  numerous  forces,  who  impatiently  watched  the 
moment  of  an  assault,  Alaric  encompassed  the  walls,  commanded  the  twelve 
principal  gates,  intercepted  all  communication  with  the  adjacent  country, 
and  vigilantly  guarded  the  navigation  of  the  Tiber,  from  which  the  Eomans 
derived  the  surest  and  most  plentiful  supply  of  provisions.  The  first  emo- 
tions of  the  nobles  and  the  people  were  those  of  surprise  and  indignation 
that  a  vile  barbarian  should  dare  to  insult  the  capital  of  the  world ;  but 
their  arrogance  was  soon  humbled  by  misfortune.  *  *  *  That  unfor- 
tunate city  gradually  experienced  the  distress  of  scarcity;  and  at  length  the 
horrid  calamities  of  famine.  The  daily  allowance  of  three  pounds  of  bread 
was  reduced  to  one-half,  to  one-third,  to  nothing;  and  the  price  of  com 
still  continued  to  rise  in  a  rapid  and  extravagant  proportion.  The  poorer 
citizens,  who  were  unable  to  purchase  the  necessaries  of  life,  solicited  the 
precarious  charity  of  the  rich  ]  and  for  a  while  the  public  misery  was  alle- 
viated by  the  humanity  of  Laeta,  the  widow  of  the  emperor  Qratian,  who 
had  fixed  her  residence  at  Rome,  and  consecrated  to  the  use  of  the  indigent 
the  princely  revenue  which  she^annually  received  from  the  grated  suc- 
cessors of  her  husband.  But  these  private  and  temporary  donatives  were 
insufficient  to  appease  the  hunger  of  a  numerous  people ;  and  the  progress  of 
famine  invaded  the  marble  palaces  of  the  senators  themselves.  The  persons 
of  both  sexes,  who  had  been  educated  in  the  enjoyment  of  ease  and  luxury, 
discovered  how  little  is  necessary  to  supply  the  demands  of  nature,  and 
lavished  the  unavailing  treasures  of  gold  and  silver  to  obtain  the  coarse  and 
scanty  sustenance  which  they  would  formerly  have  rejected  with  disdain. 
The  food  the  most  repugnant  to  sense  or  imagination,  the  aliments  the 
most  unwholesome  and  pernicious  to  the  constitution,  were  eagerly  devoured 
and  fiercely  disputed  by  the  rage  of  the  hungry.  A  dark  suspicion  wa» 
entertained  that  some  desperate  wretches  fed  on  the  bodies  of  their  fellow 
creatures,  whom  they  had  secretly  murdered ;  and  even  mothers — such  was 
the  horrid  conflict  of  the  two  most  powerful  instincts  implanted  by  nature 
in  the  human  breast — even  mothers  are  said  to  have  tasted  the  flesh  of 
their  slaughtered  infanta.  Many  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  of  Rome 
expired  in  their  houses  or  in  the  streets  for  want  of  sustenance ;  and  as 
the  public  sepulchers  without  the  walls  were  in  the  power  of  the  enemy,  the 
stench  which  arose  from  so  many  putrid  and  unburied  carcasses  infected  the 
air ;  and  the  miseries  of  famine  were  succeeded  and  aggravated  by  the  conta- 
gion of  a  pestilential  disease.*'  p.  269.  ''The  Roman  port  insensibly  swelled 
to  the  size  of  an  episcopal  city,  where  the  com  of  Africa  was  deposited  in  spa- 
cious granaries  for  the  use  of  the  capital.  As  soon  as  Alaric  was  in  poflsession 
of  that  important  place,  he  summoned  the  city  to  surrender  at  discretion  \ 


THE  SECOND,  THIRD  AND  FOURTH  TRUMPETS.  177 

and  his  demands  were  enforced  by  the  positive  declaration  that  a  refiisal, 
or  even  a  delay,  shoold  be  instantly  followed  by  the  destruction  of  the 
magasines,  on  which  the  life  of  the  Roman  people  depended.  The  clamors 
of  that  people  and  the  terrors  of  famine  subdued  the  pride  of  the  senate ; 
they  listened  without  reluctance  to  the  proposal  of  placing  a  new  emperor 
on  the  throne  of  the  unworthy  Honorius."  p.  278.  ^^  The  king  of  the 
Goths,  who  no  longer  dissembled  his  appetite  for  plunder  and  reyenge, 
appeared  (for  the  third  time)  in  arms  under  the  walls  of  the  capital ;  and 
the  trembling  senate,  without  any  hopes  of  relief,  prepared,  by  a  desperate 
resistance,  to  delay  the  ruin  of  their  country.  But  they  were  unable  to 
gnard  against  the  secret  conspiracy  of  the  slaves  and  domestics,  who  either 
firom  birth  or  interest  were  attached  to  the  cause  of  the  enemy.  At  the 
hoar  of  midnight  the  Salarian  gate  was  silently  opened,  and  the  inhabitants 
were  awakened  by  the  tremendous  sound  of  the  Oothic  trumpet.  EUeven 
hundred  and  sixty-three  years  after  the  foundation  of  Rome,  the  imperial 
city,  which  had  subdued  and  civilized  so  considerable  a  part  of  mankind, 
was  delivered  to  the  licentious  fury  of  the  tribes  of  Germany  and  Scythia." 
p.  282. 


LECTURE   XXIII. 


THE  SECOND,   THIRD  AND  FOURTH  TRUMPETS. 

And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain  burning  with 
fire  was  cast  into  the  sea :  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood  ,*  and  the 
third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and  had  life,  died  ;  and  the 
third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed.  And  the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there 
fell  a  great  star  from  heaven,  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  fell  upon  the 
third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the  fountains  of  waters :  and  the  name  of 
the  star  ia  called  Wormwood:  and  the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  worm- 
wood ;  and  many  men  died  of  the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter.  And 
the  foarth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  the 
third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the  stars ;  so  as  the  third  part  of 
them  was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it,  and  the  night 
likewise.  And  I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heaven, 
saying  with  a  loud  voice,  "Woe,  woe,  woe,  to  the  inhaoiters  of  the  earth,  by 
reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels,  which  are  yet  to 
sound  I— Ret.  8:S-18. 

The  first  angel  had  sounded,  and  John  saw  a  destmctiye  tempest  sweep 
over  the  earthly  landscape.  That  tempest  has  been  explained  as  prefigaring 
the  Gothic  inyasion  under  the  leadership  of  Alaric ;  an  invasion  which 
inrolved  a  third  part  of  the  Roman  empire  in  ruins,  and  which  was  brought 
to  an  end  by  the  death  of  the  Oothic  chieftain  in  the  year  410.  After  the 
first  trumpet  had  sounded,  and  the  destructive  tempest  had  passed, 

12 


178  LEOTURB  XXIII. 

I.  The  second  trumpet  sounded,  and  other  symbols,  no  leas  ex- 
pressive and  startling,  presented  themselves  to  the  entranced  apostle.  ''And 
the  second  angel  sounded,  and  as  it  were  a  great  mountain.buming  with  fire 
was  cast  into  the  sea  :  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood ;  and  the 
third  part  of  the  creatures  which  were  in  the  sea,  and  had  life,  died ;  and 
the  third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed." 

In  explaining  these  verses,  and  the  verses  which  follow,  we  will  pursue 
our  usual  plan.  We  wiU  first  describe  the  symbols  and  explain  their  mean- 
ing ;  and  then  see  whether  they  have  any  fulfillment  in  the  history  of  the 
world.  When  the  second  angel  blew  his  trumpet,  what  did  the  apostle  see? 
Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  scene  of  this  vision  is  the  same  as  that  of 
the  preceding  one.  It  was  on  the  plains  of  earth,  which  we  have  all  along 
supposed  to  represent  the  Roman  empire.  When  the  second  angol  blew 
his  trumpet,  John  saw  a  great  mountain  cast  into  the  sea.  The  storm  of 
the  preceding  vision  had  swept  over  the  land  and  destroyed  the  forests  and 
the  pastures ;  but  in  this  vision  the  destruction  is  to  visit  the  sea.  A  moun- 
tain is  a  symbol  of  strength ;  and  hence  it  is  used  by  both  inspired  and 
uninspired  writers  as  a  symbol  of  a  powerful  kingdom.  But  the  mountain 
which  the  apostle  saw  in  his  vision  was  a  burning  mountain.  This  does 
not  mean  that  the  mountain  was  itself  being  consumed,  or  that  the  woods 
which  covered  its  sides  were  on  fire.  It  was  a  volcanic  mountain,  which 
was  continually  pouring  out  streams  of  lava,  and  yet  was  not  itself  consumed ; 
a  mountain  which  was  an  instrument  of  destruction  to  all  surrounding  it, 
and  yet  was  not  itself  destroyed.  Such  a  volcanic  mountain  would  then 
be  a  symbol  of  some  mighty  nation  which  was  continually  sending  forth 
its  desolating  armies  like  streams  of  red-hot  lava,  and  destroying  every 
living  thing  by  which  it  was  surrounded.  And  this  volcanic  mountain  was 
cast  into  the  sea.  We  can  imagine  how  the  seething  sea  would  boil  like  a 
pot  as  its  waters  closed  over  the  burning  mountain,  and  how  its  billows, 
excited  by  the  fall  of  this  mighty  mass,  would  roll  on,  engulphing  vessels, 
sweeping  over  islands,  and  dashing  in  destructive  fury  upon  the  shores. 
This  symbol  teaches  us  that  the  mighty  nation,  shadowed  forth  by  the 
burning  mountain,  would  expend  its  destructive  energies  upon  the  sea, 
upon  the  commerce  which  whitened  the  sea  with  its  sails,  and  upon  the 
islands  and  the  countries  whose  shores  were  washed  by  the  sea.  And  it 
would  seem  that  this  fearful  destruction  would  be  accomplished  by  the 
ravages  of  war,  for  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood.  When  the 
blazing  mountain  was  cast  into  the  sea,  it  would  by  its  reflection  seem  to 
tinge  the  waters  with  red,  so  that  they  would  become  as  blood  to  the  looker 
on.  This  symbol  would  be  fulfilled  if  the  mighty  nation,  shadowed  forth 
by  ihe  burning  mountain,  should  engage  in  naval  warfare,  lay  waste  the 
islands,  destroy  the  seaporta  with  terrible  slaughter,  and  in  desperate  na^l 
battles  tinge  the  sea  with  the  blood  of  its  enemies.    The  symbol  forther 


THE  SBOOND,   THIRD  AND  FOURTH   TRUMPBTS.  179 

teaches  us  that  the  destniotion  would  be  great.  Ope-third  part  of  the  liying 
creatures  which  were  in  the  sea  would  die,  and  one-third  part  of  the  ships 
would  be  destroyed.  We  can  therefore  expect  to  find  the  fulfillment  of  this 
symbol  only  in  events  which  involve  great  loss  of  human  life  and  great 
detriment  to  the  pursuits  of  commerce. 

These  were  the  symbols  which  John  saw  when  the  second  angel  sounded 
his  alarm  upon  his  trumpet ;  and  these  are  the  events  which  these  symbols 
seem  naturally  to  prefigure.  He  saw  an  active  volcano  cast  into  the  sea ; 
he  saw  the  seething  waves  swallowing  up  vessels  and  cities  and  men,  until 
they  seemed  to  be  saturated  with  the  blood  of  the  slain.  The  laws  of 
symbolic  interpretation,  which  have  guided  us  this  far  in  our  exposition, 
would  lead  us  to  expect  that  some  mighty  nation  would  make  its  appear- 
ance about  this  time,  and  that  it  would  successfully  direct  its  destructive 
energies,  not  against  the  inland  parts  of  the  Roman  empire  as  the  Goths 
under  Alaric  had  done,  but  against  the  sea,  and  the  sea  coasts,  and  the 
islands  of  the  sea.  We  would  expect  that  this  destruction  would  be  visited 
upon  the  Mediterranean  sea,  for  this  was  the  main  sea  within  the  broad 
confines  of  the  empire.  Of  course  there  were  other  seas  of  no  little  note 
in  history,  but  the  Mediterranean  sea  is  so  wrapped  up  in  the  history  of 
the  Roman  world  that  it  deserves  the  name  of  the  sea.  We  would  also 
expect  to  find  the  fulfillment  of  these  symbols  soon  after  the  death  of 
Alaric  and  the  end  of  the  first  Gothic  invasion. 

Are  there  any  such  events  as  are  shadowed  forth  by  these  symbols?  and 
do  these  events  occur  at  the  time  and  in  the  place  these  symbols  would  lead 
us  to  expect  ?  We  take  up  the  history  of  the  Roman  empire,  we  read  its 
pages,  and  we  are  compelled  to  say,  with  surprise  and  wonder,  that  there 
are  such  events.  Between  the  years  428  and  468,  the  Roman  kingdom 
was  smitten  with  the  second  blow,  which  was  no  less  severe  than  that 
which  it  received  from  the  first  Gothic  invasion,  and  which  had  much  to 
do  in  hastening  its  decline  and  fall.  There  was  a  nation.  Vandals  they  are 
caUed  in  history,  a  name  which,  in  the  language  of  every  civilized  people, 
has  become  a  synonym  for  barbarity  and  destruction,  either  descended  from 
the  same  stock  as  the  Goths,  or  closely  allied  to  them.  Their  home  was  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Baltic  sea.  But  years  before  the  time  referred  to 
in  the  present  lecture,  they  had  been  crowded  out  of  their  native  province 
by  other  barbarian  tribes,  and  had  journeyed  toward  the  West.  They 
passed  slowly  through  the  Ukraine  and  what  is  now  called  Germany ;  they 
tarried  awhile  in  France ;  they  overran  the  fertile  country  of  Spain.  Dur- 
ing all  this  time  they  had  been  iDcreasing  in  numbers  and  in  military  skill. 
Just  about  the  time  supposed  to  be  described  under  the  second  trumpet, 
that  is,  in  the  years  429  and  430,  they  crossed  the  straits  of  Gibraltar 
and  made  a  complete  conquest  of  the  Roman  provinces  in  Northern  Africa. 
Their  king  at  this  time  was  Genseric,  "a  name  which,  in  the  destruction 


180  LEOTURE  XXIII. 

of  the  Homan  empire/'  I  quote  the  language  of  Oibbon,  "  deserves  equal 
rank  with  the  names  of  Alaric  and  Attila."  This  mighty  chieftain,  having 
conquered  the  African  provinces,  looked  about  him  for  other  lands  to  con- 
quer. Towards  the  south,  in  the  burning  and  barren  deserts  of  Central 
A^ca,  there  was  nothing  to  tempt  his  ambition  or  cupidity.  Towards  the 
north,  there  was  the  Mediterranean  sea ;  but  beyond  it,  and  all  along  its 
coasts,  there  were  rich  countries  and  cities.  His  resolution  was  soon  taken. 
Navies  were  builded.  And  sailing  out  every  year,  he  destroyed  commerce, 
he  laid  waste  the  islands,  he  pillaged  the  cities  along  the  sea  coast,  he 
captured  Rome  itself,  and  gave  it  up  for  fourteen  days  to  the  licentious 
fury  of  his  followers.  He  never  ventured  far  from  his  ships,  but  for  nearly 
forty  years  he  was  the  master  of  the  sea  and  the  terror  of  all  the  maritime 
cities.  The  Roman  government  once  and  again  gathered  a  naval  force, 
but  they  could  make  no  headway  against  him.  By  his  courage  and  cau- 
tion, the  fleets  of  his  enemies  were  destroyed,  and  there  was  none  to  ques- 
tion his  title,  ''  the  ruler  of  the  sea." 

To  prove  that  this  is  a  correct  description,  I  refer  again  to  the  testimony 
of  Gibbon.  Only  a  few  extracts  from  the  many  pages  which  he  devotes  to 
the  history  of  the  Vandals,  and  of  Oenseric,  their  king,  can  be  quoted : 
"  The  Vandals  and  Alani,  who  followed  the  successful  standard  of  Oenseric, 
had  acquired  a  rich  and  fertile  territory,  which  stretched  along  the  coast 
above  ninety  days'  journey  from  Tangier  to  Tripoli ;  but  their  narrow 
limits  were  pressed  and  confined,  on  either  side,  by  the  sandy  desert  and 
the  Mediterranean.  The  discovery  and  conquest  of  the  black  nations 
that  might  dwell  beneath  the  torrid  zone  could  not  tempt  the  rational  am- 
bition of  Oenseric ;  but  he  cast  his  eyes  toward  the  sea ;  he  resolved  to 
create  a  naval  power,  and  his  bold  resolution  was  executed  with  steady  and 
active  perseverance.  The  woods  of  Mount  Atlas  afforded  an  inexhaustible 
nursery  of  timber  ;  his  new  subjects  were  skilled  in  the  arts  of  navigation 
and  ship-building ;  he  animated  his  daring  Vandals  to  embrace  a  mode  of 
warfare  which  would  render  every  maritime  country  accessible  to  their 
arms ;  the  Moors  and  Africans  were  allured  by  the  hopes  of  plunder ;  and, 
after  an  interval  of  six  centuries,  the  fleets  that  issued  from  the  port  of 
Carthage  again  claimed  the  empire  of  the  Mediterranean."  Vol.  3,  p.  459. 
'^  Oenseric  boldly  advanced  from  the  port  of  Ostia  to  the  gates  of  the 
defenceless  city.  Instead  of  a  sally  of  the  Roman  youth,  there  issued  from 
the  gates  an  unarmed  and  venerable  procession  of  the  bishop  at  the  head 
of  his  clergy.  *  *  *  Rome  and  its  inhabitants  were  delivered  to  the 
licentiousness  of  the  Vandals  and  Moors,  whose  blind  passions  revenged 
the  injuries  of  Carthage.  The  pillage  lasted  fourteen  days  and  nights ; 
and  all  that  remained  of  public  or  private  wealth,  of  sacred  or  profane 
treasure,  was  diligently  transported  to  the  vessels  of  Oenseric.  Among  the 
spoils^  the  splendid  relics  of  two  temples,  or  rather  of  two  religions,  ex- 


THE  SECOND,  THIRD  AND   FOURTH  TRUMPETS.  181 

hibited  a  memorable  example  of  the  yieisBitudes  of  human  and  divine  things. 
Since  the  abolition  of  paganism,  the  capitol  had  been  violated  and  aban- 
doned ;  yet  the  statues  of  the  gods  and  heroes  were  stUl  respected,  and  the 
carious  roof  of  gilt  bronze  was  reserved  for  the  rapacious  hands  of  Gen- 
seric."  p.  463.  "  The  kingdom  of  Italy,  a  name  to  which  the  Western 
empire  was  gradually  reduced,  was  afflicted,  under  the  reign  of  Eicimer,  by 
the  incessant  depredations  of  the  Vandal  pirates.  In  the  spring  of  each 
year,  they  equipped  a  formidable  navy  in  the  port  of  Carthage ;  and  Oen- 
seric  himself,  though  in  a  very  advanced  age,  still  commanded-  in  person 
the  most  important  expeditions.  His  designs  were  concealed  with  impene- 
trable secresy,  till  the  moment  that  he  hoisted  sail.  When  he  was  asked 
by  his  pilot  what  course  he  should  steer,  ^  leave  the  determination  to  the 
winds,'  replied  the  barbarian  with  pious  arrogance, '  they  will  transport  us 
to  the  guilty  coast,  whose  inhabitants  have  provoked  the  Divine  displeas- 
ure' ;  but  if  Genseric  himself  deigned  to  issue  more  precise  orders,  he 
judged  the  most  wealthy  to  be  the  most  criminal.  The  Yandals  repeatedly 
visited  the  coasts  of  Spain,  Liguria,  Tuscany,  Campania,  Lucania,  BritUum, 
Apulia,  Calabria,  Venetia,  Dalmatia,  Epirus,  Greece  and  Sicily ;  they  were 
tempted  to  subdue  the  island  of  Sardinia,  so  advantageously  placed  in  the 
centre  of  the  Mediterranean;  and  their  arms  spread  desolation  or  terror, 
from  the  columns  of  Hercules  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nile  As  they  were 
more  ambitious  of  spoil  than  of  gloty,  they  seldom  attacked  any  fortified 
cities,  or  engaged  any  regular  troops  in  the  open  field.  But  the  celerity  of 
their  motions  enabled  them,  almost  at  the  same  time,  to  threaten  and  attack 
the  most  distant  objects  which  attracted  their  desires ;  and  as  they  always 
embarked  a  sufficient  number  of  hdrses,  they  had  no  sooner  landed  than 
they  swept  the  dismayed  country  with  a  body  of  light  cavalry."  p.  486. 

Does  not  this  description  agree  with  the  symbols  which  John  saw  ?  If 
it  had  been  his  design  to  describe,  in  symbolical  language,  the  warlike 
movements  and  naval  victories  of  the  Vandals  under  Genseric,  could  he 
have  chosen  more  expressive  symbols  than  these :  A  burning  mountain 
was  cast  into  the  sea  and  one-third  part  of  the  ships  were  destroyed  ? 

II.  We  come  now  to  the  sounding  of  the  third  trumpet.  "And 
the  third  angel  sounded,  and  there  fell  a  great  star  from  heaven,  burning 
as  it  were  a  lamp,  and  it  fell  upon  the  third  part  of  the  rivers,  and  upon  the 
fountains  of  waters ;  and  the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood :  and 
the  third  part  of  the  waters  became  wormwood ;  and  many  men  died  of 
the  waters,  because  they  were  made  bitter."  As  under  the  previous 
trumpets,  so  now,  a  natural  phenomenon  appeared  as  the  symbol.  When 
the  first  trumpet  was  blown,  there  was  a  hail  storm,  accompanied  with 
lip^htning;  when  the  second  trumpet  was  blown,  there  was  a  volcano  cast 
into  the  sea  ;  and  now,  when  the  third  trumpet  is  blown,  a  blazing  meteor 


182  LECTURE  XXIII. 

is  seen  falling  from  the  sky,  for  every  one  wbo  has  ever  seen  a  meteor  will 
at  onoe  recognize  the  beauty  and  faithfulness  of  the  description :  ^'  there 
fell  a  great  star  from  heaven^  burning  as  it  were  a  lamp."  A  star  is  the 
emblem  of  a  mler.  It  is  so  used  in  all  languages.  And  in  all  languages 
a  fiJling  star,  or  rather  a  blazing  meteor,  is  an  emblem  of  some  mighty 
warrior,  who  suddenly  appears  before  men  in  the  mid9t  of  his  splendid 
career,  astonishes  all  by  his  brilliant  daring,  carries  terror  and  destruction, 
and  then  suddenly  disappears.  The  reason  of  this  is  obvious.  Such  a 
warrior  resembles  a  meteor  because  he  appean  suddenly,  because  his  course 
cannot  be  determined  by  any  known  laws,  because  he  excites  consterna- 
tion and  alarm,  and  because,  in  the  opinion  of  men,  he  is  an  instrument  of 
the  Divine  displeasure.  We  may  therefore  expect  the  symbol  which  John 
saw  to  shadow  forth  one  of  those  scourges  of  the  human  race,  who,  after 
a  brief  and  brilliant  career,  goes  out  in  darkness.  This  blazing  meteor 
fell  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters.  In  order  to  understand  this 
part  of  the  symbol,  we  must  remember  the  places  visited  by  the  destruction 
under  the  previous  trumpets.  Under  the  first  trumpet,  the  storm  fell  upon 
the  forests  and  the  grass.  This  prefigured  the  calamities  which  were  to 
come  upon  the  inland  parts  of  the  empire.  Under  the  second  trumpet, 
the  burning  mountain  fell  into  the  sea.  This  prefigured  the  calamities 
which  were  to  come  upon  the  maritime  parts  of  the  empire.  Under  the 
third  trumpet,  the  blazing  mountain  fell  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of 
waters.  This  would  prefigure  the  calamities  which  were  to  come  upon 
those  parts  of  the  empire  in  which  rivers  abound,  and  in  which  rivers  take 
their  rise.  Therefore,  in  looking  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  symbol,  we 
must  expect  to  find  it,  not  in  the  more  inland  parts  of  the  empire,  nor  yet 
on  the  sea  or  on  the  sea  coast,  but  in  those  regions  which  lay  along  the 
great  rivers.  The  name  of  this  falling  star  was  Wormwood,  a  well  known 
bitter  herb.  Wormwood  is  an  emblem  of  sore  and  bitter  affliction.  This 
star,  falling  into  the  waters,  poisoned  them,  so  that  great  multitudes  died. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  understand  this  part  of  the  symbol.  The  wars  of 
the  conqueror,  shadowed  forth  by  the  blazing  star,  would  be  attended  with 
great  loss  of  life.  The  destruction  would  be  as  great  as  it  would  be  in  a 
land  in  which  the  rivers  and  the  fountains  were  turned  into  wormwood. 

These  were  the  symbols  which  John  saw  at  the  blast  of  the  third 
trumpet:  A  blazing  meteor,  whose  name  was  Wormwood,  shotjicrofls  the 
sky,  and  falling  into  the  rivers  changed  them  into  wormwood,  so  that  mul- 
titudes died  by  reason  of  the  poisoned  waters.  And  these  are  the  events 
which  the  laws  of  symbolic  interpretation  would  lead  us  to  expect:  Some 
fierce  warrior  would  suddenly  appear,  carry  destruction  into  certain 
parts  of  the  empire,  and  having  quickly  run  his  course,  would  suddenly 
disappear.  Are  there  such  events  to  be  found  recorded  on  the  pages  of 
history?    I  answer,  without  hesitation,  there  are.     Taking  it  for  granted 


THE  SECOND,  THIRD   AND  FOURTH   TRUMPETS.  183 

that  the  fint  tnunpet  referred  to  Alaric  and  the  Gk>ths,  and  that  the  second 
trumpet  referred  to  Qenseric  and  the  Vandals,  the  third  trumpet  would 
refer  to  the  next  great  event  in  the  downfall  of  the  empire.  That  event 
was  Uie  invasion  of  the  Huns,  under  Attila,  their  king.  This  man,  who  has 
been  called  ^Hhe  scourge  of  God,"  was  cotemporary  with  G^nseric,  but  he 
exerted  his  destructive  energies  in  a  different  part  of  the  empire.  His 
subjects  thought  him  more  than  man,  and  the  historian  says  they  ^'  would 
not  presume  to  gaze  with  steady  eye  upon  what  they  deemed  his  divine 
majesty."  About  the  year  450,  Attila  and  his  victorious  Huns  moved 
aloi^  the  Danube,  wasting  and  depopulating  its  banks.  They  next  poured 
down  the  Rhine,  leaving  its  fair  valley  a  scene  of  desolation  and  woe,  and 
reducing  to  ashes  all  its  beautiful  cities.  Here  they  suffered  defeat,  with 
the  loss  of  three  hundred  thousand  men.  But  Attila  soon  rallied  his  forces 
and  pushed  his  armies  across  the  Alps,  and  filled  all  Northern  Italy  with 
destruction.  All  the  streams  of  water  which  flowed  ^m  the  mountains 
were  turned  into  wormwood,  and  aU  the  cities  which  stood  beside  those 
streams  drank  of  the  poisoned  water  and  died.  Suddenly,  and  apparently 
without  cause,  the  conqueror  returns,  recrosses  the  Danube,  and  is  struck 
dead  with  apoplexy.  Like  a  meteor  he  went  forth,  like  a  meteor  he  filled 
the  hearts  of  men  with  consternation,  like  a  meteor  he  went  out  in  dark- 
ness ;  and  the  empire  of  the  Huns  was  forever  extinguished. 

To  show  that  this  is  a  correct  sketch  of  the  career  of  Attila,  I  will  quote 
a  few  extracts  firom  the  pages  of  Gibbon.  ''  The  crowd  of  vulgar  kings, 
the  leaders  of  so  many  martial  tribes,  who  served  under  the  standard  of 
AttOa,  were  ranged  in  the  submissive  order  of  guards  and*  domestics  round 
the  person  of  their  master.  They  watched  his  nod ;  they  trembled  at  his 
frown,  and  at  the  first  signal  of  his  will,  they  executed  without  murmur  or 
hesitation  his  stem  and  absolute  commands.  In  time  of  peace,  the  depend- 
ent princes,  with  their  national  troops,  attended  the  royal  camp  in  regular 
succession;  but  when  Attila  collected  his  military  force  he  was  able  to  bring 
into  the  field  an  army  of  five,  or,  according  to  another  account,  of  seven 
hundred  thousand  barbarians."  Vol.  3,  p.  892.  "  From  the  royal  village, 
in  the  plains  of  Hungary,  his  standard  moved  towards  the  west ;  and  afler 
a  march  of  seven  or  eight  hundred  miles,  he  reached  the  conflux  of  the 
Rhine  and  the  Neckar,  where  he  was  joined  by  the  Franks,  who  adhered 
to  his  ally,  the  elder  of  the  sons  of  Clodion.  ^  *  *  The  hostile 
myriads  were  poured  with  resbtless  violence  into  the  Belgic  provinces. 
The  consternation  of  Gkul  was  universal;  and  the  various  fortunes  of  its 
cities  have  been  adorned  by  tradition  with  martyrdoms  and  miracles.  *  * 
*  *  From  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle,  Attila  advanced  into  the  heart  of 
Gaul;  crossed  the  Seine  at  Auxerre;  and,  after  a  long  and  laborious  march, 
fixed  his  camp  under  the  walb  of  Orleans."  p.  433.  ^'  Neither  the  spirit, 
nor  the  force,  nor  the  reputation  of  Attila  were  impaired  by  the  failure  of 


184  LECTURE   XXIII. 

the  Gallic  expedition.  In  the  ensuing  spring,  he  repeated  his  demand  of 
the  Princess  Honoria,  and  her  patrimonial  treasures.  The  d^nand  was 
again  rejected  or  eluded ;  and  the  indignant  lover  again  took  the  field, 
passed  the  Alps,  invaded  Italy,  and  besieged  Aquileia  with  an  innumera- 
ble host  of  barbarians."  p.  443.  ^'The  succeeding  generation  oould 
hardly  discover  the  ruins  of  Aquileia.  After  this  dreadful  chastisement, 
Attila  pursued  his  march  ;  and  as  he  passed,  the  cities  of  Altinum,  Con- 
cordia and  Padua  were  reduced  into  heaps  of  stones  and  ashes.  The  inland 
towns,  Vicenza,  Verona  and  Bergamo  were  exposed  to  the  rapacious  cruelty 
of  the  Huns.  Milan  and  Pavia  submitted,  without  resistance,  to  the  loss 
of  their  wealth  ;  and  applauded  the  usual  clemency  which  preserved  from 
the  flames  the  public  as  well  as  private  buildings,  and  spared  the  lives  of 
the  captive  multitude.  The  popular  traditions  of  Comum,  Turin,  or 
Modena,  may  justly  be  suspected  ;  yet  they  concur  with  more  authentic 
evidence  to  prove  that  Attila  spread  his  ravages  over  the  rich  plains  of 
modem  Lombardy,  which  are  divided  by  the  Po,  and  bounded  by  the 
Alps  and  Apennines.  When  he  took  possession  of  the  royal  palace  of 
Milan,  he  was  surprised  and  offended  at  the  sight  of  a  picture  which  repre- 
sented the  Csesars  seated  on  their  throne,  and  the  princes  of  Scythia  pros- 
trate at  their  feet.  The  revenge  which  Attila  inflicted  on  this  monument 
of  Roman  vanity  was  harmless  and  ingenious.  He  commanded  a  painter 
to  reverse  the  figures  and  the  attitudes ;  and  the  emperors  were  delineated 
on  the  same  canvas  approaching  in  a  suppliant  posture  to  empty  their  bags 
of  tributary  gold  before  the  throne  of  the  Scythian  monarch."  p.  445. 

These  extract^  show  with  what  propriety  Attila,  the  king  of  the  Huns, 
who  said  of  himself  that  the  grass  never  grew  on  the  spot  where  his  horse 
trod,  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  blazing  meteor  which  the  apostle  saw  falling 
from  heaven  upon  the  fountains  of  water. 

III.  We  come  now  to  the  sounding  of  the  foubth  trumpet.  ''And 
the  fourth  angel  sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and 
the  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  the  third  part  of  the  stars ;  so  as  the  third 
part  of  them  was  darkened,  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it, 
and  the  night  likewise." 

The  sun,  moon  and  stars  are  the  natural  emblems  of  rulers  or  govern- 
ments. I  need  not  refer  to  examples,  for  they  will  readily  suggest  them- 
selves. We  have  had  several  examples  in  our  previous  lectures.  When 
the  fourth  trumpet  sounded,  the  lights  in  the  firmament  were  partially 
darkened,  a  symbol  which  indicated  that  the  power  of  the  rulers  was 
greatly  weakened  and  that  the  government  was  about  to  come  to  an  end. 
And  how  was  this  symbol  fulfilled  ?  One  blow  after  another  had  &llen 
upon  the  Roman  empire.  One  province  after  another  had  been  overrun 
by  the  Goths  and  left  a  desert.     Its  maritime  possessions,  its  fleets  and  its 


THE  SECOND,  THIRD  AND  FOURTH   TRUMPETS.  185 

commerGe  had  been  annihilated  by  the  Vandals.  Its  fertile  valleys  along 
its  riyen  had  been  laid  waste  by  the  Huns.  But  as  yet  the  emperors  had 
not  been  touched.  Little  remained  of  the  onoe  magnificent  Roman  em- 
pire but  the  Tain  titles  of  sovereignty,  and  these  were  now  to  be  taken 
away.     Its  son,  and  its  moon,  and  its  stars  were  to  be  darkened. 

How  this  was  done  is  plainly  revealed  in  history.  Odoacer,  at  the  head 
of  the  Hemli,  marches  into  the  very  heart  of  Italy,  and  commands  that  the 
office  of  the  Bomuan  emperor  should  be  abolished.  His  command  was  obeyed. 
The  last  phantom  of  a  Roman  emperor  abdicated,  a  barbarian  reigned  in 
Rome,  and  the  Western  empire  was  among  the  things  of  the  past.  This 
occurred  in  the  year  479.  I  need  read  but  a  few  extracts  from  history  to 
show  that  the  symbols  of  the  fourth  trumpet  were  fulfilled  in  Odoacer  and 
the  Heruli.  '^  Odoacer  led  a  wandering  life  among  the  barbarians  of  Nor- 
icum,  with  a  mtnd  and  a  fortune  suited  to  the  most  desperate  adventures ; 
and  when  he  had  fixed  his  choice,  he  piously  visited  the  cell  of  Severinus, 
the  popular  saint  of  the  country,  to  solicit  his  approbation  and  blessing. 
The  lowness  of  the  door  would  not  admit  the  lofty  stature  of  Odoacer ;  he 
was  obliged  to  stoop ;  but  in  that  humble  attitude  the  saint  could  discern 
the  symptoms  of  his  future  greatness ;  and  addressing  him  in  a  prophetic 
tone,  'Pursue,'  said  he,  'your  design;  proceed  to  Italy ;  you  will  soon  cast 
away  this  coarse  garment  of  skins;  and  your  wealth  will  be  adequate  to  the 
liberality  of  your  mind.'  The  barbarian,  whose  daring  spirit  accepted  and 
ratified  the  prediction,  was  admitted  into  the  service  of  the  Western  empire, 
and  soon  obtained  an  honorable  rank  in  the  guards.  His  manners  were 
gradually  polished,  his  military  skill  was  improved,  and  the  confederates  of 
Italy  would  not  have  elected  him  for  their  general,  unless  the  exploits  of 
Odoacer  had  established  a  high  opinion  of  his  courage  and  capacity.  Their 
military  acclamations  saluted  him  with  the  title  of  king ;  but  he  abstained, 
during  his  whole  reign,  from  the  use  of  the  purple  and  diadem,  lest  he 
should  offend  those  princes  whose  subjects,  by  their  accidental  mixture, 
had  formed  the  victorious  army  which  time  and  policy  might  insensibly 
unite  into  a  great  nation.  Royalty  was  familiar  to  the  barbarians,  and  the 
submissive  people  of  Italy  was  prepared  to  obey,  without  a  murmur,  the 
authority  which  he  should  condescend  to  exercise  as  the  vicegerent  of  the 
emperor  of  the  West.  But  Odoacer  had  resolved  to  abolish  that  useless  and 
expensive  office ;  and  such  is  the  weight  of  antique  prejudice,  that  it  required 
some  boldness  and  penetration  to  discover  the  extreme  fiicility  of  the  enter- 
prise. The  unfortunate  Augustulus  was  made  the  instrument  of  his  own 
disgrace;  he  signified  his  resignation  to  the  senate ;  and  that  assembly,  in 
their  last  act  of  obedience  to  a  Roman  prince,  still  affected  the  spirit  of 
freedom  and  the  forms  of  the  constitution."  Vol.  3,  p.  511.  '^Odoacer 
was  the  first  barbarian  who  reigned  in  Italy,  over  a  people  who  had  once 
asserted  their  just  superiority  above  the  rest  of  mankind.     The  disgrace 


186  LEOTURE   XXIII. 

of  the  Romans  still  excites  oar  respectful  compassion,  and  we  fondly  sym- 
pathize with  the  imaginary  grief  and  indignatl6n  of  their  degenerate  pos- 
terity. But  the  calamities  of  Italy  had  gradually  subdued  the  proud 
consciousness  of  freedom  and  glory.  In. the  age  of  Roman  virtue,  the 
provinces  were  subject  to  the  arms,  and  the  citizens  to  the  laws,  of  the 
republic ;  till  those  laws  were  subverted  by  civil  discord,  and  both  the  city 
and  the  provinces  became  the  servile  property  of  a  tyrant."  p.  515. 

Thus  I  have  endeavored  to  show  that  the  first  four  trumpets  found  their 
fulfillment  in  the  four  barbarian  invasions  by  which  the  Roman  empire  was 
subverted.  Every  one  must  acknowledge  that  there  is  a  wonderful  resem- 
blance between  the  symbols  which  the  apostle  saw  and  the  events  recorded 
in  history.  The  mighty  storm  of  hail  shadows  forth  Alaric  and  the  Goths ; 
the  burning  volcano  shadows  forth  G^nseric  and  the  Vandals  ;  the  blazing 
meteor  shadows  forth  Attila  and  the  Huns ;  the  darkening  of  the  sun,  the 
moon  and  the  stars,  was  accomplished  by  Odoacer  and  the  Heruli,  by  whom 
the  last  vestiges  of  the  sovereignty  of  the  Roman  empire  were  swept  away. 
I  cannot  conclude  this  part  of  my  exposition  better  than  by  quoting  a  few 
of  Oibbon's  reflections  on  the  fall  of  the  empire.  '*  I  have  now  accomplished 
the  laborious  narrative  of  the  decline  and  fall  of  the  Roman  empire,  from 
the  fortunate  age  of  Trajan  and  the  Antonines  to  its  total  extinction  in  the 
west,  about  five  centuries  after  the  Christian  era.  At  that  unhappy  period  ^ 
the  Saxons  fiercely  struggled  with  the  natives  for  the  possession  of  Britain ; 
Giiul  and  Spain  were  divided  between  the  powerful  monarchies  of  the  Franks 
and  Visigoths,  and  the  dependent  kingdoms  of  the  Suevi  and  Bnrgundians ; 
Africa  was  exposed  to  the  cruel  persecution  of  the  Vandals,  and  the  savage 
insults  of  the  Moors;  Rome  and  Italy,  as  fiir  as  the  banks  of  the  Danube, 
were  afflicted  by  an  army  of  barbarian  mercenaries,  whose  lawless  tyranny 
was  succeeded  by  the  reign  of  Theodoric,  the  Ostrogoth.  All  the  subjects 
of  the  empire,  who,  by  the  use  of  the  Latin  language,  more  particularly 
deserved  the  name  and  privileges  of  Romans,  were  oppressed  by  the  disgrace 
and  calamities  of  foreign  conquest ;  and  the  victorious  nations  of  Germany 
established  a  new  system  of  manners  and  government  in  the  western  countries 
of  Europe.  The  majesty  of  Rome  was  fisdntly  represented  by  the  princes  of 
Constantinople,  the  feeble  and  imaginary  successors  of  Augustus.  Yet 
they  continued  to  reign  over  the  east,  from  the  Danube  to  the  Nile  and 
Tigris ;  the  Gothic  and  Vandal  kingdoms  of  Italy  and  Africa  were  sub- 
verted by  the  arms  of  Justinian ;  and  the  history  of  the  Greek  emperors 
may  still  afford  a  long  series  of  instructive  lessons  and  interesting  revolu- 
tions." Vol.  3,  p.  631.  ^^  The  splendid  days  of  Augustus  and  Trajan  were 
eclipsed  by  a  cloud  of  ignorance ;  and  the  barbarians  subverted  the  laws  and 
palaces  of  Rome.''  p.  642. 


THE  FIFTH  TRUMPBT.  187 

IV.  These  calamities  which  have  been  described  were  indeed  terrible, 
but  they  were  only  the  beginning  of  sorrows.  More  fearfal  horrors  were 
yet  to  descend  upon  the  world.  After  the  echoes  of  the  fourth  trumpet 
had  died  away,  and  before  the  fifth  trumpet  sounded,  another  vis- 
ion appeared  to  the  apostle,  filled  with  warning  of  coming  woe.  "  And 
I  beheld,  and  heard  an  angel  flying  through  the  midst  of  heayen,  saying 
with  a  loud  voice,  Woe,  woe,  woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  by 
reason  of  the  other  voices  of  the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels,  which 
are  yet  to  sound/'  On  this  vision  we  have  no  need  to  dwell.  Its  meaning 
is  obvious.  Qreater  woes  than  any  which  had  yet  been  were  about  to  be. 
And  the  angel  is  sent  forth  to  proclaim  the  fact,  and  to  prepare  John  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  for  those  judgments  of  the  Lord,  which  were 
to  follow  when  the  other  three  angels  sounded  the  alarm  on  the  trumpets 
which  had  been  given  to  them.  While  we  are  waiting  for  the  sounding  of 
the  woe-trumpets,  and  for  the  symbols  which  are  then  to  be  revealed,  we 
may  well  be  thankftd  that  our  lot  has  been  cast  in  more  peaoeftd  times,  and 
that  in  the  midst  of  aU  the  commotions  of  the  earth,  God  sits  on  his  throne 
and  makes  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  him.  The 
world's  history  would  be  a  strange  min£:ling  of  unaccountable  accidents,  if  we 
were  not  able  to  see  by  the  eye  of  fiiith,  written  on  every  page,  this  glorious 
truth:  "God  reigneth;  let  the  earth  be  glad." 


LECTURE    XXIV. 


THE  FIFTH  TRUMPET. 

And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto  the  eurth  : 
and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit.  And  he  opened  the  bottom- 
less pit ;  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace  f 
and  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  And 
there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts  upon  the  earth :  and  unto  them  was  given 
power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the  earth  have  power.  And  it  was  commanded  them 
that  Uiey  should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thin^, 
neither  any  tree  ;  but  only  those  men  which  have  not  the  seal  of  God  in  their 
foreheads.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not  kill  them,  but  that 
they  should  be  tormented  five  months :  and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment 
of  a  scorpion,  when  he  striketha  man.  And  in  those  days  shall  men  seek  death, 
and  shau  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee  from  them. 
And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle ;  and 
on  their  heads  were  as  it  were  crowns  like  gold,  and  tneir  faces  were  as  the  faces 
of  men.  And  they  had  hair  ns  the  hair  of  women,  and  their  teeth  were  as  the 
teeth  of  lions.  And  they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  breastplates  of  iron  ;  and 
the  sound  of  their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  run- 
ning to  battle.  And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  and  there  were  stings 
in  their  tails :  and  their  power  was  to  hurt  men  five  months.  And  they  h^ 
a  king  over  them,  which  is  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the 
Hebrew  tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  his  name  Apollvon. 
—Rev.  9:1-11. 


188  LECTURE   XXIV. 

We  come  dow  to  the  sounding  of  the  first  of  the  woe-trumpet8|  so  called 
because  of  the  fearful  woe  proclaiined  by  the  flying  angel  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  world  by  reason  of  the  trumpets  which  were  yet  to  sound. 

I.  In  explaining  this  trumpet,  I  will,  in  the  first  place,  give  A  brief 
DESCRIPTION  OF  WHAT  JoHN  SAW.  In  giving  this  description  I  will  use 
the  simplest  language.  We  have  become  so  familiar  with  the  stately  lan- 
guage of  our  version,  cumbered  as  it  sometimes  is  with  an  exact  literalness, 
that  we  fail  in  appreciating  its  full  beauty  and  understanding  its  full  mean* 
ing.  Let  us  then,  in  the  spirit,  put  ourselves  beside  the  apostle  as  he  stands 
on  the  celestial  plain,  and  hear  what  he  heard,  and  see  what  he  saw.  The 
fifth  angel  sounds  his  trumpet,  and  lo,  a  blazing  meteor  shoots  across  the 
sky  and  falls  upon  the  earth.  This  blazing  meteor  is  unlike  the  one  which 
made  its  appearance  under  the  third  trumpet.  That  remained  a  meteor 
through  the  whole  vision ;  this  one  is  quickly  seen  to  be  a  person,  for  he 
is  spoken  of  as  a  man;  to  him  was  given  a  key;  and  he  did  things  which 
only  an  intelligent  being  could  perform.  Therefore,  when  the  fifth  trumpet 
sounds,  we  are  to  see  a  man^  falling  like  a  blazing  meteor  from  heaven,  a 
man  destined  to  exert  a  great  influence  over  the  affairs  of  men. 

We  look  again,  and  we  see  the  mouth  of  a  great  pit,  which  seems  to  be 
bottomless.  It  appears  like  a  vast  cave,  reaching  to  the  very  centre  of  the 
earth ;  and  its  entrance  is  closed  by  a  massive  door,  securely  locked.  The 
key  of  this  door  is  given  to  him  whose  meteor-like  fall  has  attracted  our 
attention.  He  opens  the  door,  and  up  from  that  open  door  there  comes  a 
stifling  smoke  like  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace,  which  ascends  higher  and 
higher,  and  spreads  wider  and  wider,  till  the  whole  atmosphere  is  blackened 
and  the  sun  no  longer  shines.  From  the  midst  of  this  smoke  there  came  a 
swarm  of  living  creatures,  which  resembled  locusts  in  some  respects,  and  in 
other  respects  they  resembled  scorpions.  But  they  were  not  locusts,  nor 
yet  were  they  scorpions.  Locusts,  that  terrible  plague  of  the  Orient, 
destroyed  everything  before  them.  But  it  was  commanded  these  living 
creatures,  and  this  command  was  no  doubt  given  by  him  who  sat  upon 
the  throne,  that  they  should  not  hurt  grass,  or  tree,  or  any  green  thing. 
Their  mission  was  not  against  the  vegetable  kingdom — it  was  against 
men.  Nor  was  it  against  all  men,  but  only  against  such  as  did  not  have 
the  seal  of  Qod  in  their  foreheads.  Nor  were  they  permitted  to  take  life; 
they  were  only  to  torment  the  dwellers  on  the  earth  vrith  a  torment  like 
that  which  is  produced  by  the  painful  sting  of  a  scorpion.  Nor  was  this 
torment  to  continue  for  an  indefinite  time ;  it  was  limited  to  a  space  of 
five  months.  But  this  torment,  though  it  was  not  suffered  to  extend  to 
the  life,  and  though  it  was  limited  in  its  duration,  produced  such  horrible 
agony,  that  men  were  willing  to  welcome  the  coming  of  death  as  their  only 
relief.     We  look  again,  and  examine  more  closely  the  appearance  of  the 


THE  FIFTH  TRUMPET.  189 

living  creataree,  and  we  find  that  in  shape  they  are  like  hones  arrayed  {in 
warlike  trappings.  They  have  on  their  heads  something  which  resembles 
crowns  of  gold.  They  have  the  faces  of  men,  the  hair  of  women,  the  teeth 
of  lions,  breastplates  of  iron,  and  the  tails  of  scorpions  with  poisonous^stings. 
When  they  go  forth,  it  is  with  a  mighty  noise  like  that  of  martial  chariots 
rushing  to  battle.  Over  them  was  a  king,  even  he  who  had  unlocked  the 
bottomless  pit,  and  who  is  here  called  'Hhe  angel  of  the  bottomless^pit,'' 
"Abaddon,"  and  "Apollyon." 

This  was  what  the  apostle  saw.  Let  ns  get  it  clearly  fixed  in  onr  minds, 
without  any  reference  to  the  events  which  these  symbols  may  shadow  forth. 
When  we  get  it  thus  fixed,  we  may  perhaps  be  able  to  interpret  it.  These 
symbols  are  indeed  startling  and  sublime,  and  we  have  a  right  to  expect 
that  some  great  and  important  events  in  the  history  of  the  world  are  pre- 
figured by  them. 

II.  Let  us  now  take  up  these  symbols  one  by  one,  explain  theib  mean- 
ing, and  see  if  we  can  discover  what  events  in  history  they  are  designed  to 
symbolize.  In  considering  the  symbols,  I  will  speak  of  them  under  these 
four  heads,  viz.:  the  person  described  as  opening  the  bottomless  pit;  his 
followers;  their  commission;  and  their  appearance. 

1.  We  are  to  consider  the  person  described  as  opening  the  bottomless 
pit.  ''And  the  fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  fall  from  heaven  unto 
the  earth :  and  to  him  was  given  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit.  And  he 
opened  the  bottomless  pit;  and  there  arose  a  smoke  out  of  the  pit,  as  the 
smoke  of  a  great  ftimace ;  and  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened  by  reason 
of  the  smoke  of  the  pit."  It  may  be  remarked  here  that  the  fifth  trumpet 
is  supposed  to  shadow  forth  the  career  of  Mohammed  and  the  progress  of 
that  false  religion  of  which  he  was  the  founder  and  the  prophet.  On  this 
point,  all  the  expositors  who  adopt  the  historicaKinteipretation  of  this  book 
are  agreed.  This  agreement  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  the  symbols  seem 
so  plainly  to  point  at  Mohammed  and  Mohammedanismi  that  they  cannot 
be  mistaken.  According  to  this  theory  the  fidse  prophet  is  described  as  a 
star  falling  from  heaven  upon  the  earth ;  that  is,  as  a  meteor.  Every  one 
acquainted  with  the  history  of  Mohammed  must  see  that  a  meteor  is  an 
appropriate  symbol.  He  suddenly  burst  out  in  the  eastern  sky  in  the  dark- 
nem  of  the  spiritual  night ;  he  astonished  all  by  his  brilliancy ;  his  course 
could  not  be  predicted  by  any  known  laws ;  neither  before  his  day,  nor 
since,  has  any  followed  in  his  steps.  To  him  was  given  the  key  of  the 
bottomless  pit.  The  phrase, ''  the  bottomless  pit,"  has  a  fixed  meaning  in 
the  New  Testament.  It  describes  the  place  of  the  lost,  the  abode  of  Satan, 
from  which  evil  influences  and  evil  spirits  are  continually  ascending,  which 
would  deceive,  if  it  were  possible,  the  very  elect.  Every  false  religion 
which  leads  men  away  from  the  true  God  and  his  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  may 


190  LEOTURS  XXIV. 

be  regarded  as  taking  its  riBe  in  the  bottomless  pit.  Every  false  religion 
may  be  regarded  as  the  invention  of  Satan,  who,  having  invented  it,  finds 
human  instrumentalities  to  do  his  work,  and  they  do  it  under  the  permis- 
sion of  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe.  This  b  the  meaning  of  that 
part  of  the  symbol  which  describes  the  false  prophet  as  having  received 
the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  having  opened  the  bottomless  pit  Ood, 
in  infinite  vrisdom,  gave  him  permission  to  let  loose  upon  the  world  a  system 
of  faith  which  had  its  origin  in  the  bottomless  pit  and  in  the  cunning  of 
Satan.  This  system  of  &ith  b  described  as  a  smoke,  like  the  smoke  of  a 
great  furnace.  This  is  certainly  an  expressive  emblem  of  the  false  faith. 
It  obscures  the  light  of  the  true  sun ;  it  darkens  the  air,  so  that  men  go 
stumbling  all  their  days ;  it  shrouds  everything  that  is  pure  and  beautiM 
with  its  dismal  covering.  While  such  a  smoke  is  an  appropriate  emblem  of 
every  fiilse  religion  which  has  ever  made  its  appearance  on  the  earth,  it  is 
an  epecially  appropriate  emblem  of  the  Mohammedan  religion.  It  came  up 
rapidly;  it  spread  in  all  directions;  it  covered  a  very  considerable  portion 
of  the  world  like  a  pall,  and  under  shadow  of  its  darkness  unnumbered 
thousands  have  gone  down  to  the  power  of  an  endless  death. 

I  can  but  mention  the  fact,  though  it  may  be  that  the  symbol  has  no 
reference  to  it,  that  Mohammed,  while  maturing  his  plans  for  fi)unding  a 
new  religion,  retired  to  a  cave  in  the  vicinity  of  Mecca.  May  it  not  be 
that  this  cave,  which  stretched  back  and  down  into  the  earth  for  an  unknown 
distance,  and  in  which  the  Mohammedan  religion  took  its  rise^  was  shad- 
owed forth  by  the  entrance  of  the  bottomless  pit,  which  the  apostle  saw 
in  his  vision  ? 

This  is  the  first  part  of  the  syml^ol.  It  certainly  seems  to  prefigure  the 
false  prophet.  No  figurative  language  could  better  paint  his  career  and 
his  mission.  He  came  forth  like  a  blazing  meteor.  Permission  was  given 
him  to  let  loose  firom  the  bottomless  pit  a  pestilent  form  of  religion,  which 
has  covered  no  small  part  of  our  earth,  shrouded  many  immortal  souls  in 
darkness,  and  eclipsed  the  light  of  the  sun  of  righteousness,  which  alone 
can  illumine  the  world. 

2.  We  are  to  consider  the  second  part  of  the  symbol,  vis.,  the  fol- 
lovoers  of  the  false  propliet,  <'And  there  came  out  of  the  smoke  locusts 
upon  the  earth ;  and  unto  them  was  given  power,  as  the  scorpions  of  the 
earth  have  power.''  These  followers  are  described  as  coming  out  of  the 
smoke.  This  symbolizes  the  fact,  which  cannot  be  questioned,  that  the 
armies  which  marched  under  the  standard  of  Mohammed  were  the  out- 
come of  his  false  religion.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  system  of  faith  which 
he  framed,  these  armies  would  never  have  had  an  existence,  and  their  mighty 
conquests,  which  wrought  such  changes  in  history,  would  have  been  impos- 
sible. As,  then,  the  smoke  which  ascended  from  the  pit  symbolised  the 
doctrine  of  Mohammed,  so  the  living  creatures,  which  came  out  of  the 


THE   FIFTH   TRUMPET.  191 

smoke,  symbolized  the  hosts  to  which  that  doctrine  gave  birth.    These  hosts 
are  compared  to  locusts.     It  is  not  necessaiy  to  delay  our  exposition  with 
any  discussion  of  the  natural  history  of  the  locusts.     A  few  words  will 
remind  us  of  all  we  need  to  know  in  order  to  understand  the  symbol.     The 
locusts,  which  have  wrought  such  destruction  in  some  parts  of  our  own  land, 
were  one  of  the  most  terrible  scourges  of  the  East.   They  came  in  vast  swarms, 
and  devoured  eveiything  before  them ;  they  destroyed  all  vegetation ;  they 
reduced  clothing  and  leather  to  shreds;  and  the  ancient  naturalist  does  not 
exaggerate  when  he  says  that  they  consumed  even  the  doors  of  the  houses. 
Locusts  are  therefore  expressive  symbols  of  mighty  armies.     This  symbol 
is  used  both  in  the  word  of  God  and  by  profane  writers.     Every  one  who 
is  acquainted  with  the  career  of  Mohammed  and  his  successors,  must  see 
the  propriety  of  this  emblem  in  the  present  instance.     Though  at  first  the 
false  prophet  could  persuade  but  a  few  to  enroll  themselves  as  his  followers, 
after  a  few  years  thousands  flocked  to  his  standard.     Under  his  generals 
and  successors,  millions,  who  could  be  compared  to  nothing  but  swarms  of 
locusts,  marched  over  some  of  the  fairest  portions  of  the  earth.    These 
armies  are  fitly  compared  to  locusts,  not  only  because  of  their  numbers,  but 
also  because  of  their  destructiveness.     This  characteristio  is  also  symbolized 
by  the  fact  that  the  living  creatures  of  the  vision  resembled  scorpions.    The 
sting  of  the  scorpion,  another  pest  of  the  Orient,  was  much  dreaded.   Though 
it  was  not  always  fatal,  yet  it  was  extremely  irritating  and  painful.     These 
living  creatures,  therefore,  which  seemed  to  partake  of  the  nature  both  of 
locusts  and  scorpions,  and  which  we  might  call  scorpion-Iocusts,  are  the 
appropriate  symbols  of  a  great  army,  destroying  the  fruits  of  industry,  and 
stinging  the  inhabitents  of  the  world  to  madness.     This  symbol  is  fdlfiUed 
in  the  hosts  which  marched  forth  to  perpetuate  the  religion  of  Mohammed. 
As  we  have  seen,  they  were  in  number  almost  numberless.     And  though 
they  were  not  distinguished  for  cruelty,  yet  the  destruction  and  misery  they 
caused  can  never  be  told.     Let  me  confirm  these  statements  by  quoting  two 
extracts  from  Gibbon's  history.     *'  In  the  ten  years  of  the  administration  of 
Omar,  the  Saracens  reduced  to  his  obedience  thirty-six  thousand  cities  or 
castles,  destroyed  four  thousand  churches  or  temples  of  the  unbelievers, 
and  edified  fourteen  hundred  mosques  for  the  exercise  of  the  religion  of 
Mohammed.     One  hundred  years  after  his  flight  from  Mecca^  the  arms  and 
the  reign  of  his  successors  extended  from  India  to  the  Atlantic  ocean,  over 
the  various  and  distant  provinces,  which  may  be  comprised  under  the  names 
of  1,  Persia;  2,  Syria;  3,  Egypt;  4,  Africa ;  and  5,  Spain."    Gibbon's  Home, 
vol.  5,  p.  174.     '*At  the  end  of  the  first  century  of  the  Hegira,  the  Caliphs 
were  the  most  potent  and  absolute  monarchs  of  the  globe.    Their  prerogative 
was  not  circumscribed,  either  in  right  or  in  fiict,  by  the  power  of  the  nobles, 
the  freedom  of  the  commons,  the  privileges  of  the  church,  the  votes  of 
a  senate,  or  the  memory  of  a  free  constitution.     The  authority  of  the 


192  LECTUBE  XXIV. 

companions  of  Mohammed  expired  with  their  lives;  and  the  chiefs  or  emirs 
of  the  Arabian  tribes  left  behind,  in  the  desert,  the  spirit  of  equality  and 
independence.  The  regal  and  sacerdotal  characters  were  united  in  the 
successors  of  Mohammed ;  and  if  the  Koran  was  the  rule  of  their  actions, 
they  were  the  supreme  judges  and  interpreters  of  that  divine  book.  They 
reigned  by  the  right  of  conquest  over  the  nations  of  the  East,  to  whom  the 
name  of  liberty  was  unknown,  and  who  were  accustomed  to  applaud  in  their 
tyrants  the  acts  of  violence  and  severity  that  were  exercised  at  their  own 
expense.  Under  the  last  of  the  Ommiades,  the  Arabian  empire  extended 
two  hundred  days'  journey  from  east  to  west,  from  the  confines  of  Tartary 
and  India  to  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  ocean.  And  if  we  retrench  the 
sleeve  of  the  robe,  as  it  is  styled  by  their  writers,  the  long  and  narrow 
province  of  Africa,  the  solid  and  compact  dominion  from  Fargana  to  Aden, 
from  Tarsus  to  Surat,  will  spread  on  every  side  to  the  measure  of  four 
or  five  months  of  the  march  of  a  caravan.  We  should  vainly  seek  the 
indissoluble  union  and  easy  obedience  that  pervaded  the  government  of 
Augustus  and  the  Antonines ;  but  the  progress  of  the  Mohammedan  religion 
diffused  over  this  ample  space  a  general  resemblance  of  manners  and  opinions. 
The  language  and  laws  of  the  Koran  were  studied  with  equal  devotion  at 
Samarcand  and  Seville ;  the  Moor  and  the  Indian  embraced  as  oounU-ymen 
and  brothers  in  the  pilgrimage  of  Mecca;  and  the  Arabian  language  was 
adopted  as  the  popular  idiom  in  all  the  provinces  to  the  westward  of  the 
Tigris."  p.  271. 

3.  We  are  to  consider  the  third  part  of  the  symbol,  viz.:  the  commis- 
non  which  these  scorpion-locusts  received.  ^'And  it  was  commanded  them 
that  they  should  not  hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing, 
neither  any  tree  ;  but  only  those  men  which  have  not  the  seal  of  Gfod  in 
their  foreheads.  And  to  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not  kill  them, 
but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months ;  and  their  torment  was  as 
the  torment  of  a  scorpion,  when  he  striketh  a  man.  And  in  those  days 
shall  men  seek  death,  and  shall  not  find  it ;  and  shall  desire  to  die,  and 
death  shall  flee  from  them."  From  these  verses  it  appears  that  the  scor- 
pion-locusts were  not  to  injure  the  grass  or  any  green  thing ;  they  were  to 
go  against  men,  but  only  against  those  men  who  had  not  the  seal  of  Ood 
in  their  foreheads ;  and  even  these  they  might  not  kill,  but  only  torment ; 
and  that  only  for  the  space  of  five  months.  But  the  torment,  though  it 
came  short  of  taking  life,  was  so  great  that  men  would  wish  to  die. 

All  these  things  are  strangely  fulfilled  in  the  Mohammedan  armies.  The 
instructions  of  one  of  Mohammed's  successors,  instructions  which  embrace 
the  teachings  of  the  prophet  himself,  will  show  their  fulfillment  better 
than  any  words  of  mine  could  do.  "  Remember  that  you  are  always  in 
the  presence  of  God,  on  the  verge  of  death,  in  the  assurance  of  judgment, 
and  the  hope  of  paradise.     Avoid  injustice  and  oppression,  consult  with 


THE  FIFTH   TRUMPET.  193 

your  brethren,  and  study  to  preserve  the  love  and  confidence  of  your 
troops.  When  you  fight  the  battles  of  the  Lord,  acquit  yourselves  like 
men,  without  turning  your  backs ;  but  let  not  your  victory  be  stained  with 
the  blood  of  women  or  children.  Destroy  no  palm  trees,  nor  burn  any 
fields  of  com.  Cut  down  no  firuit  trees,  nor  do  any  mischief  to  cattle, 
only  such  as  you  kill  to  eat.  When  you  make  any  covenant  or  article, 
stand  to  it,  and  be  as  good  as  your  word.  As  you  go  on,  you  will  find  some 
religious  persons  who  live  retired  in  monasteries,  and  propose  to  themselves 
to  serve  Ood  that  way ;  let  them  alone,  and  neither  kill  them  nor  destroy 
their  monasteries."     Oibbon*s  Home,  vol.  5,  p.  189. 

It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  great  doctrine  of  the  false  prophet  was, 
"There  is  but  one  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet,''  and  that  he  felt 
it  was  his  great  mission  to  exterminate  idolatry  from  the  world.  It  is  also 
to  be  remembered  that  at  this  time  the  greater  proportion  of  the  members 
of  the  Christian  church  were  idolaters,  the  worshipers  of  images  and  of 
saints.  His  mission  would  not,  therefore,  be  so  much  against  true  Christians, 
those  who  had  the  seal  of  God  in  their  foreheads,  for  they,  like  himself, 
were  believers  in  one  God.  It  is  also  to  be  remembered  that  the  object  to 
be  guned  in  every  Mohammedan  expedition  was  not  so  much  spoil  as  the 
conversion  of  men  to  the  Mohammedan  faith.  And  though,  of  course, 
many  lives  were  lost,  yet  Mohammed  and  his  successors  offered  life  and 
liberty  to  their  enemies  on  condition  that  they  would  embrace  the  religion 
of  Mecca.  But  though  their  mission  was  not  to  kill  and  destroy,  but  to  make 
converts,  yet  men  were  troubled  and  tormented  by  their  expeditions,  until, 
if  the  matter  had  been  lefl  to  themselves,  many  would  have  chosen  death 
rather  than  life.  All  this  requires  no  proof,  for  it  is  the  inevitable  conse- 
quenoe  of  war. 

This  power  of  tormenting  the  world  continued  for  five  months.  Inspira- 
tion itself  has  told  us  that  in  prophetic  language  a  day  represents  a 
natural  year.  Five  prophetic  months  would  therefore  represent  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  natural  years.  And  it  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  Moham- 
medan power  manifested  its  aggressiveness  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years, 
when  it  sank  into  a  supineness  from  which  it  has  never  aroused.  The 
hegira,  or  flight  of  Mohammed  from  Mecca,  from  which  Mohammedans 
reckon  their  dates  as  we  do  from  the  birth  of  Christ,  took  place  in  the  year 
622.  From  that  time,  as  we  have  seen,  his  religion  spread  with  great 
rapidity.  If  we  consider  the  hegira  as  the  beginning  of  the  Mohammedan 
power,  the  space  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  would  carry  us  to  the  year 
772.  Let  us  turn  to  history  and  see  whether  there  was  any  change  in  the 
practice  and  policy  of  Mohammedanism  about  this  time.  The  whole  mat- 
ter is  briefly  stated  by  Gibbon.  Speaking  of  one  of  the  Caliphs,  who 
began  to  reign  in  the  year  755,  and  who  continued  to  reign  for  fifty  yeaix:, 
the  historian  says :     '^  The  luxury  of  the  Caliphs,  so  useless  to  their  private 

13 


194  LROTURE   XXIV. 

happinesB,  relaxed  the  nerves  and  terminated  the  progress  of  the  Arabian 
empire.  Temporal  and  spiritaal  conquest  had  been  the  sole  occupation  of 
the  first  successors  of  Mohammed;  and  after  supplying  themselves  with  the 
necessaries  of  life,  the  whole  revenue  was  scrupulously  devoted  to  that 
salutary  work.  The  Abbassides  were  impoverished  by  the  multitude  of 
their  wants  and  their  contempt  of  economy.  Instead  of  pursuing  the 
great  object  of  ambition,  their  leisure,  their  affections,  the  powers  of  their 
mind,  were  diverted  by  pomp  and  pleasure ;  the  rewards  of  valor  were 
embezzled  by  women  and  eunuchs,  and  the  royal  camp  was  encumbered  by 
the  luxury  of  the  palace.  A  similar  temper  was  diffused  emong  the  sub- 
jects of  the  Caliph.  Their  stem  enthusiasm  was  softened  by  time  and 
prosperity ;  they  sought  riches  in  the  occupations  of  industry,  fame  in  the 
pursuits  of  literature,  and  happiness  in  the  tranquility  of  domestic  life. 
War  was  no  longer  the  passion  of  the  Saracens ;  and  the^increase  of  pay, 
the  repetition  of  donatives,  were  insufficient  to  allure  the  posterity  of  those 
voluntary  champions  who  had  crowded  to  the  standard  of  Abubeker  and 
Omar  for  the  hopes  of  spoil  and  of  Paradise."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  5,  p. 
299. 

Thus  it  seems,  on  the  evidence  of  Gibbon,  who  certainly  did  not  wish  to 
confirm  the  truth  of  prophecy,  that  the  Mohammedan  power,  having  tor- 
mented men  for  five  prophetic  months,  or  one  hundred  and  fifty  natural 
years^  became  enervated  by  prosperity  and  luxury,  and  ceased  its  aggressive 
warfares  and  remained  contented  with  the  laurels  and  the  converts  it  had 
already  won.  The  scorpion-locusts  sheathed  their  stings  and  tormented 
men  no  more. 

4.  We  are  to  consider  the  fourth  part  of  the  symbol,  viz.,  the  appear- 
ance of  the  scorpion-locusts,  "And  the  shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like 
unto  horses  prepared  unto  battle ;  and  on  their  heads  were  as  it  were]crowns 
like  gold,  and  their  faces  were  as  the  fiaices  of  men.  And  they  had  hair 
as  the  hair  of  women,  and  their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions.  And 
they  had  breastplates,  as  it  were  breastplates  of  iron ;  and  the  sound  of 
their  wings  was  as  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses  running  to  battle. 
And  they  had  tails  like  unto  scorpions,  and  there  were  stings  in  their  tails: 
and  their  power  was  to  hurt  men  five  months.  And  they  had  a  king  over 
them,  which  is  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  whose  name  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  is  Abaddon,  but  in  the  Greek  tongue  hath  his  name  ApoUyon." 
The  scorpion-locusts  resembled  horses  prepared  for  battle.  This  shadows 
forth  the  fact  that  the  armies  of  the  Saracens  were  largely  composed  of 
cavalry.  Without  question,  they  were  indebted  for  many  of  their  victo- 
ries to  their  skill  in  horsemanship.  These  scorpion-locusts  had  on  their 
heads  not  crowns  of  gold,  but  as  it  were  crowns  of  gold.  This  shadows 
forth  the  jeweled  turbans  which  the  Saracens  were  accustomed  to  wear. 
They  had  the  faces  of  men  ;  that  is,  they  did  not  have  faces  smoothly 


THE  FIFTH  TBTTUPET.  195 

shaven,  bat  with  full  beards,  which  the  Saracens  counted  a  glory.  Thej 
bad  the  hair  of  women,  that  is,  long  and  flowing  locks^  such  as  women 
among  the  Romans  and  Greeks  were  accustomed  to  wear.  They  had  also 
the  teeih  of  lions,  shadowing  forth  their  destructiveness.  They  had  breast- 
plates of  iron ;  that  is,  they  were  incased  in  armor.  When  they  went  forth, 
it  was  as  the  sound  of  an  army  marching  to  battle.  They  had  the  tails 
and  stings  of  scorpions,  symbols  which  have  ahready  been  explained.  The 
duration  of  their  power  was  limited  to  five  prophetic  months,  or  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  natural  years,  a  period  during  which,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
Mohammedans  carried  on  an  aggressive  warfare.  They  had  a  king  over 
them,  even  the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit;  that  is,  Mohammed,  or  the  spirit 
of  the  Mohammedan  religion,  who  is  called  Abaddon  in  Hebrew,  and 
ApoDyon  in  Greek,  or  being  interpreted,  the  '*  destroyer,"  a  name  which 
every  one  acquainted  with  the  career  of  the  fahse  prophet  will  recognize 
as  in  the  highest  degree  appropriate. 

These  considerations  show  with  what  propriety  the  fiflh  trumpet  is  re- 
ferred to  the  Arabian  hordes  under  Mohammed  and  his  successors.  If 
John  had  chosen  to  describe  this  portion  of  history  in  symbolical  language, 
could  he  have  found,  in  all  the  realms  of  nature,  any  mqre  appropriate 
symbol  than  these  scorpion-locusts,  in  appearance  like  horses,  with  turban- 
erowned  heads,  with  the  bearded  faces  of  men,  with  the  flowing  hair  of 
▼omen,  with  the  teeth  of  lions,  with  breastplates  of  iron,  and  with  a  leader 
whose  name  was  the  destroyer?  The  language  is  symbolical^  but  its  mean- 
ing is  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood.  Suppose  some  historian  had  used 
the  following  words :  "At  this  time  arose  the  empire  of  the.  Saracens, 
▼ho  issued  from  the  deserts  of  Arabia  in  countless  myriads  like  an  army  of 
locusts,  and  spread  desolation  and  ruin  over  the  Eastern  world.  They 
joined  the  intelligence  of  men  with  the  ferocity  of  beasts,  and  the  effiemi- 
nacy  of  women  with  the  courage  of  the  lion.  With  their  horses  sheathed 
in  armor,  and  turbans  on  their  heads,  they  passed  rapidly  from  nation  to 
nation,  striking  them  as  with  a  scorpion's  sting,  leaving  some  to  perish  and 
others  to  writhe  in  torment."  Would  any  have  misunderstood  these 
words  ?  And  yet  these  are  almost  the  words  of  inspiration,  which  we  have 
heen  considering. 


196  L£CTUK£  XXV. 


LECTURE     XXV. 


THE  SIXTH  TRUMPET. 

One  woe  is  past ;  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  hereafter.  And  the 
sixth  angel  sounded,  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  four  horns  of  the  golden 
altar  which  is  before  God,  saying  to  the  sixth  angel  which  had  the  trumpet, 
Loose  the  four  angels  which  are  bound  in  the  ereat  river  Euphrates.  And  the 
four  angels  were  loosed,  which  were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a 
month,  and  a  year,  for  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  And  the  number  of  the 
army  of  the  horsemen  were  two  hundred  thousand  thousand  :  and  I  heard  the 
n'^umber  of  them.  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them  that  sat 
on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth,  and  brimstone  :  and  the 
heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions  ;  and  out  of  their  mouths  issued 
fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone.  Bv  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men  killed, 
by  the  fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone,  which  issued  out  of  their 
mouths.  For  their  power  is  in  their  mouth,  and  in  their  tails  :  for  their  tails 
were  like  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do  hurt. — Key. 
9:12-19. 

After  the  echoes  of  the  fiHh  trumpet  had  died  away,  there  is  another 
pause,  like  that  which  occurred  after  the  sounding  of  the  fourth  trumpet, 
a  pause  of  warning  and  expectation.  This  pause  is  indicated  in  verse  12. 
"  One  woe  is  past ;  and,  behold,  there  come  two  woes  more  hereafter."  This 
verse  requires  little  explanation.  That  which  had  passed  was  indeed  a  woe. 
The  smoke  of  the  bottomless  pit,  which  shadowed  forth  the  Mohammedan 
religion,  had  covered  a  very  considerable  portion  of  the  earth  with  its 
dismal  pall.  The  scorpion-locusts,  which  shadowed  forth  the  armies  of 
the  Saracens  under  Mohammed  and  his  successors,  had  tormented  men  for 
five  prophetic  months,  or  one  hundred  and  fi^y  years.  But  two  other  woes 
of  equal,  if  not  greater  magnitude,  were  yet  to  come.  To  the  first  of 
these  woes  we  now  turn  our  attention. 

I.  In  explaining  the  sixth  trumpet,  we  will,  in  the  first  place,  give  A  brief 
DESOEIPTIOM  OF  THE  SYMBOLS  as  they  presented  themselves  to  the  apostle. 
Let  us  place  ourselves  by  his  side,  and  hear  what  he  heard  and  see  what 
he  saw;  for  we  must  understand  the  type  before  we  can  hope  to  understuid 
the  thing  typified.  When  the  sixth  angel  sounds  the  trumpet  which  had 
been  given  him,  we  hear  a  voice  from  the  golden  altar  of  incense.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  we  are  standing  with  John  on  the  celestial  plain,  and 
that  close  at  hand  is  the  heavenly  temple,  whose  courts  and  furniture  are 
fashioned  after  the  temple  of  the  Jewish  economy.  The  voice  we  hear 
comes  firom  the  holy  place  of  that  temple — it  comes  from  the  golden  altar 
of  incense,  which  is  just  before  the  vail  that  hides  the  mercy  seat  of  €rod. 
This  indicates  that  the  voice,  whatever  it  is,  is  a  voice  of  authority.  It  is 
the  voice  of  the  great  High  Priest,  who  is  at  the  same  time  the  King  of 
kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords,  and  who  has  a  right  to  command.  This  voice 


THl  SIXTH  TRUMPET.  197 

from  tlie  invisible  speaker  oommandB  the  angel  who  had  jost  sounded  the 
blast  upon  his  tmmpet  to  let  loose  the  four  angels  who  were  bound  in  the 
great  river  Euphrates.  Our  attention  is  now  turned  from  the  heavenly 
temple  to  the  earthly  landscape.  We  see  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Euphrates, 
whose  name  is  mentioned  so  frequently  in  the  word  of  Ood,  four  angels 
held  in  check.  They  are  angels  commissioned  to  work  the  great  destruction 
upon  the  earth,  but  their  time  had  not  yet  come.  They  were  mysteriously 
restrained,  as  if  ihey  were  bound  in  chains ;  but  now  all  things  are  ready, 
their  chains  are  loosened,  and  they  go  forth  to  do  the  work  for  which  they 
had  been  prepared,  vis.,  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  Their  work  was 
not  speedily  accomplished.  The  slaughter  continued  for  an  hour,  and  a  day, 
and  a  month,  and  a  year.  This  slaughter  is  wrought,  not  by  the  angels 
themselves,  but  by  the  instrumentality  of  an  immense  army  of  horsemen. 
We  cannot  number  them  as  they  go  swarming  across  the  Euphrates  and 
filling  the  worid  with  desolation  and  blood,  but  we  hear  their  number  pro- 
claimed. It  is  two  hundred  thousand  thousand,  or  two  hundred  millions,  or 
as  it  is  expressed  in  the  original,  two  myriads  of  myriads.  This  would  in- 
dicate that  the  army  of  horsemen  was  so  immense  that  it  was  numbered,  not  by 
tens,  or  hundreds,  or  thousands,  but  by  tens  of  thousands,  or  myriads.  When 
we  examine  more  closely  the  innumerable  horsemen,  we  see  that  they  wear 
a  peculiar  uniform,  unlike  that  of  any  of  the  warriors  we  have  seen  in  the 
previous  visions.  Their  armor,  for  the  word  translated  "  breastplates," 
properly  means  a  coat  of  mail  which  covered  the  whole  body,  was  vari^ated 
m  color.  A  part  was  red  as  fire  ;  another  part  was  purple  as  jacintih ;  a 
third  part  was  yellow  as  sulphur.  The  heads  of  the  horses  resembled  rather 
the  heads  of  Hons,  a  symbol  which  indicates  their  coun^  and  ferocily. 
Strange  to  say,  out  of  the  mouths  of  the  horses,  there  seemed  to  issue  fire, 
and  smoke,  and  brimstone.  By  these  three  things  they  wrought  great  de- 
struction. By  the  fire,  and  the  smoke,  and  the  brimstone  which  seemed  to 
issue  from  their  mouths,  they  mowed  down  all  who  dared  to  make  a  stand 
against  them.  But  in  addition  to  this  power  they  had  also  power  in  their 
tails,  which  resembled  serpents  with'  heads ;  and  ?rith  them  they  inflicted 
injury. 

These  are  the  symbols  which  presented  themselves  at  the  sounding  of 
the  sixth  trumpet.  They  are  symbols  both  strange  and  sublime.  We 
may  think  that  it  will  be  impossible  to  find  any  plausible  f^ilfiUment ;  but 
let  us  turn  over  the  pages  of  history  and  see.  If  I  mistake  not,  we  will 
be  astonished  by  the  accuracy  with  which  these  symbols  describe  in  figura- 
tive language  the  downM  of  Constantinople  and  the  Eastern  empire. 

II.  Let  us  now  take  up  the  different  parts  of  this  symbol,  and  see  if  we 
can  discover  the  events  in  history  they  were  designed  to  shadow  forth. 
The  sixth  trumpet  seems  to  refer  to  the  Turkish  power,  from  the  time  of 


198  LECTUBB  XXV. 

its  first  appearance  to  the  final  conquest  of  Constantinople,  in  the  year  1453. 
The  general  reasons  for  this  belief  are  these :  If  the  fifth  tmmpet  referred 
to  the  Saracens,  the  sixth  would  naturally  r^er  to  the  Turks,  for  the  Turkish 
power  arose  on  the  decline  of  the  Saracenic,  and  it  was  the  next  important 
power  in  affecting  the  destinies  of  the  world.  Again,  the  great  object 
kept  in  view  all  along  in  these  symbols  is  the  clownfSdl  of  the  Boman 
empire.  In  the  first  four  trumpets  we  traced  the  history  of  the  western 
part  of  the  empire  through  its  decline  to  ite  ^1.  In  the  fifth  trumpet  we 
saw  the  first  blow  struck  at  the  eastern  part  of  the  empire  by  the  Saracens. 
We  would  expect  the  sixth  trumpet  to  continue  that  history.  If  our 
expectations  are  well  founded,  the  sixth  trumpet  must  refer  to  the  Turks, 
by  whom  the  Eastern  empire  was  overthrown  and  its  capital  destroyed. 

With  these  general  remarks,  let  us  take  up  the  symbols  as  they  appeared 
to  the  apostle,  and  see  whether  there  is  any  resemblance  between  them  and 
the  career  of  the  Turkish  power,  as  it  is  recorded  on  the  pages  of  history. 
In  considering  these  symbols,  I  will  speak  of  them  under  the  following 
heads :  the  place  of  origin ;  the  preparation  ;  the  duration ;  the  army ;  its 
appearance,  and  its  instruments  of  destruction.  If  in  all  these  respects 
there  is  a  marked  resemblance  between  the  symbols  and  the  history,  we  will 
be  justified  in  concluding  that  the  sixth  trumpet  refers  to  the  Turkish 
power. 

1.  The  place  whence  this  destructive  power  originated  is  described 
as  the  banks  of  **  the  great  river  Euphrates."  Of  the  locality  of  this  river, 
so  celebrated  in  inspired  and  in  uninspired  history,  nothing  need  be  said. 
Every  child  is  acquainted  with  it  and  with  the  names  of  the  great  cities 
which  once  stood  on  its  banks.  Did  the  Turks  issue  from  this  region  when 
they  went  forth  on  their  mission  against  the  Eastern  empire  ?  The  home 
of  the  Turks,  or  Turkomans,  was  originally  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Caspian  sea.  One  branch  of  the  nation  in  the  tenth  century  invaded  and 
subdued  Persia,  and  captured  Bagdad.  They  embraced  the  Mohammedan 
religion,  and  Togrul,  their  first  king,  was  made  the  head  of  the  temporal 
power  of  Mohammedanism.  When  all  this  was  accomplished,  they  crossed 
the  Euphrates,  overran  Asia  Minor,  and  continued  their  conquests  with 
varying  sucoesses,  until,  nearly  four  hundred  years  afterwards,  Constant!- 
nople  became  their  prey.  I  will  give  but  a  single  extract  from  Gibbon's 
history  to  confirm  this  statement.  "Since  the  fall  of  the  Caliphs  the 
discord  and  the  degeneracy  of  the  Saracens  respected  the  Asiatic  prov- 
inces of  Rome,  which,  by  the  victories  of  Nicephorus,  Zimisces  and  Basil, 
had  been  extended  as  far  as  Antioch  and  the  eastern  boundaries  of  Armenia. 
Twenty-five  years  after  the  death  of  Basil  his  successors  were  suddenly 
assaulted  by  an  unknown  race  of  barbarians,  who  united  the  Scythian 
valor  with  the  fanaticism  of  new  proselytes,  and  the  art  and  riches  of  a 
powerfril  monarchy.     The  myriads  of  Turkish  horse  overspread  a  firontier 


THS  SIXTH  TRUMPET.  199 

of  riz  hundred  miles,  from  Tanris  to  Erzeroum,  and  the  blood  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty  thousand  Christians  was  a  grateful  sacrifice  to  the 
Arabian  prophet.  Yet  the  arms  of  Togrul  did  not  make  any  deep  or  lasting 
impression  on  the  Oreek  empire.  The  name  of  Alp  Arslan,  the  valiant 
lion,  is  expressive  of  the  popular  idea  of  the  perfection  of  man ;  and  the 
suecesson  of  Togrul  displayed  the  fierceness  and  generosity  of  the  royal 
animal.  He  passed  the  Euphrates  at  the  head  of  the  Turkish  cavaliy,  and 
entered  Csdsarea,  the  metropolis  of  Cappadocia,  to  which  he  had  been  at' 
tracted  by  the  fame  and  wealth  of  the  temple  of  St  Basil.  The  solid 
structure  resisted  the  destroyer ;  but  he  carried  a^ay  the  doors  of  the  shrine 
incrusted  with  gold  and  pearls,  and  profaned  the  relics  of  the  tutelar  saint, 
whose  mortal  frailties  were  now  covered  by  the  venerable  rust  of  antiquity. 
The  final  conquest  of  Armenia  and  Gleorgia  was  achieved  by  Alp  Arslan. 
In  Armenia  the  title  of  a  kingdom  and  the  spirit  of  a  nation  were  annihi- 
lated ;  the  artificial  fortifications  were  yielded  by  the  mercenaries  of  Con- 
stantinople— by  strangers  without  faith,  veterans  without  pay  or  arms,  and 
recruits  without  experience  or  dbcipline."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  5,  p.  511. 
Therefore,  so  far  as  the  place  of  origin  is  concerned,  the  symbol  is  fulfilled 
in  the  Turkish  power,  for  that  power  went  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer 
from  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates. 

2.  We  were  to  notice  the  preparation.  In  verse  15,  we  are  told,  "  and 
the  four  angels  were  loosed  which  were  prepared."  The  four  angels  shadow 
forth  the  Turkish  power.  It  seems  that  they  had  been  bound  for  a  time ;  that 
is,  they  had  been  held  in  check  till  they  were  prepared  for  the  mission  they 
had  to  accomplish.  How  they  were  held  in  check,  we  are  not  told ;  but  no 
doubt  it  was  as  the  barbarians  had  been  held  in  check  after  the  opening  of 
the  sixth  seal,  by  the  mysterious  operations  of  divine  providence.  We  have 
already  seen  how  they  were  prepared,  while  they  were  thus  held  in  check. 
They  increased  in  numbers  and  in  military  skill.  They  embraced  the 
Mohammedan  religion,  and  the  Turkish  power  was  united  with  that  of 
the  Caliph.  Thus  a  powerful  kingdom  was  founded  on  the  banks  of  the 
Euphrates,  and  thus  abundant  preparation  was  made  for  the  work  which 
was  to  be  done.  When  this  preparation  was  completed,  the  bonds  of  the 
angels  were  unloosed,  the  checks  were  removed,  and  the  Turkish  power  went 
forth  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  So  far,  then,  as  the  preparation  is 
concerned^  the  symbol  is  fulfilled  in  the  Turkish  power. 

3.  We  were  to  notice  the  duration  of  this  power,  as  it  is  described  in 
▼erse  15.  "  Which  were  prepared  for  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month, 
and  a  year,  for  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men,"  It  is  to  be  observed  that 
this  verse  does  not  describe  the  entire  duration  of  the  Turkish  power,  but 
only  the  time  during  which  it  was  to  slay  the  third  part  of  men.  This  time 
is  said  to  be  '^  an  hour,  and  a  day,  and  a  month,  and  a  year."  It  is  a  generally 
adnowledged  fact  that  in  the  interpretation  of  prophetic  language,  a  day 


200  LECTURE  XXY. 

represents  a  year,  and  fractional  parts  of  a  day  represent  proportionate  parts 
of  a  year.  A  prophetic  year,  or  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  prophetic  days, 
would  represent  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  years.  A  prophetic  month 
would  represent  thirty  years.  A  prophetic  day  would  represent  one  year. 
A  prophetic  hour,  or  one  twenty-fourth  part  of  a  prophetic  day,  would 
represent  fifteen  days.  Therefore,  the  time  represented  by  the  hour,  and 
the  day,  and  the  month,  and  the  year,  would  be  three  hundred  and  ninety-six 
years  and  fifteen  days.  Now,  if  our  theory  of  interpretation  is  correct,  this 
period  of  time  should  embrace  the  career  of  the  Turkish  power  from  the 
day  it  crossed  the  Euphrates  till  its  mission  was  accomplished  in  the  fall  of 
Constantinople.  History  tells  us  that  the  Turks  left  Bagdad  in  the  year 
1057.  For  a  time  they  were  wonderfuUy  successful.  It  seemed  as  if 
Constantinople  would  soon  fall  before  them.  But  they  were  inteirupted 
in  their  career  of  conquest  by  the  crusades,  that  remarkable  outgrowth  of 
the  superstition  of  the  middle  ages,  and  Constantinople  did  not  fiill  into 
their  hands  till  the  year  1453.  This  would  be  a  period  of  three  hundred 
and  ninety-six  years,  the  very  period  represented  by  the  hour,  and  the  day, 
and  the  month,  and  the  year,  of  the  vision.  And  thus,  so  far  aa  the 
duration  of  the  destruction  is  concerned,  the  symbol  is  exactly  fulfilled  in 
the  Turkish  power. 

4.  We  were  to  notice  tJie  army  of  the  destroyers,  as  it  is  described  in  verse 
16.  ''And  the  number  of  the  army  of  the  horsemen  were  two  hundred 
thousand  thousand ;  and  I  heard  the  number  of  them."  Two  things  are 
to  be  specially  noticed.  In  the  first  place,  the  army  was  composed  of 
horsemen ;  and  in  this  respect  it  differed  from  the  armies  which  overran 
the  Western  empire,  and  which  were  composed  largely  of  infantry.  In  the 
second  place,  the  army  was  so  large,  that  it  was  numbered  by  myriads  of 
myriads.  In  both  these  respects,  history  speaks  in  no  doubtful  voice.  The 
Turkish  army  was  for  the  most  part  composed  of  cavalry,  and  it  was  num- 
bered by  myriads,  or  tens  of  thousands.  Let  us  turn  to  the  testimony  of 
history.  "  The  Sultan  had  inquired  what  supply  of  men  he  could  ftimish 
for  military  service.  'If  you  send,'  replied  Lsmael,  *one  of  these  arrows 
into  our  camp,  fifty  thousand  of  your  servants  will  mount  on  horseback.' 
'And  if  that  number,*  continued  Mahmud,  'should  not  be  sufficient?' 
'Send  this  second  arrow  to  the  horde  of  Balik,  and  you  will  find  fifty 
thousand  more.'  '  But,'  said  the  Gaznevide,  dissembling  his  anxiety,  '  if  I 
should  stand  in  need  of  the  whole  force  of  your  kindred  tribes  ? '  '  Despatch 
my  bow,'  was  the  last  reply  of  lsmael, '  and  as  it  is  oireulated  around,  the 
summons  will  be  obeyed  by  two  hundred  thousand  horse.' "  Gibbon's  Borne, 
vol.  5,  p.  506.  "  The  myriads  of  Turkish  horse  overspread  a  firontier  of  six 
hundred  miles,  from  Tauris  to  Erzeronm."  p.  5 12.  "  He  passed  the  Euphrates 
at  the  head  of  the  Turkish  cavalry."  p.  512.  "Alp  Arslan  flew  to  the  soene 
of  action  at  the  head  of  forty  thousand  horse."  p.  5 1 5,    "  Soliman  was  rather 


t-  ■ 


THE  SIXTH  TBUMPST.  201 

provoked  than  difimayed  by  the  loss  of  his  capital ;  he  admoniahed  his  sab- 
jects  and  aUiea  of  this  strange  inyasion  of  the  western  barbarians ;  the  Turkish 
emirs  obeyed  the  call  of  loyalty  and  religion ;  the  Turkoman  hordes  encamped 
round  his  standard;  and  his  whole  force  is  loosely  stated  by  the  Christians 
at  two  hundred,  or  even  three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  horse."  p.  577. 

So  £ur  as  the  army  is  concerned,  there  is  an  exact  resemblance  between 
the  symbol  and  the  Turkish  power. 

5.  We  were  ta  notice  <A«  appearance  of  the  destroyers,  as  it  is  described 
ID  verse  17.  ^*And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the  vision,  and  them  that  sat 
on  them,  having  breastplates  of  fire,  and  of  jacinth,  and  brimstone ;  and 
the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the  heads  of  lions;  and  out  of  their  mouths 
issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone.'^  As  has  already  been  said,  the  word 
transkted ''  breastplates/'  does  not  describe  one  particular  part  of  their  armor, 
but  their  whole  uniform.  This  uniform  was  of  the  color  of  fire,  and  jacinth, 
and  brimstone;  that  is,  it  was  red,  and  purple,  and  yellow.  This  describes 
the  uniform  of  the  Turkish  cavalry,  which  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the 
UQifi>nn  of  the  other  nations  of  antiquity.  One  says,  ^^from  their  first  ap- 
pearance, the  Ottomans  have  afiected  to  wear  warlike  apparel  of  scarlet, 
blue,  and  yellow,"  A  Christian  traveler  tells  that  "it  needs  only  to  have 
seen  the  Turkish  cavalry,  whether  in  war  itself,  or  in  war^s  mimicry,^  ^  to 
understand  the  appropriateness  of  this  description. 

This  description  also  tells  us  that  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  as  the 
heads  of  lions.  It  is  not  said  that  the  heads  of  the  horses  were  the  heads 
of  lions,  but  that  they  resembled  the  heads  of  lions.  It  would  be  easy  to 
give  them  this  appearance  by  the  way  in  which  the  head-gear  of  the  horses 
was  arranged.  And  this  resemblance  would  indicate  the  courage  and  ferocity 
of  the  destroyers,  for  the  lion  is  in  every  language  the  emblem  of  courage 
and  ferocity. 

We  are  also  told  that  out  of  their  mouths  ihere  issued  fire,  and  smoke, 
and  brimstone.  This  is  the  strangest  symbol  of  all,  and  at  first  sight  it 
may  seem  impossible  to  explain  it  But  let  us  remember  John's  position, 
and  how  things  must  have  appeared  to  him  in  his  vision.  As  he  looked 
down  from  his  high  standpoint  on  the  celestial  plab,  he  saw  an  immense 
army  of  horsemen  riding  forth  on  their  work  of  destruction.  As  they 
went  forth,  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone  seemed  to  issue  from  their 
mouths,  and  by  these  three  things  men  were  destroyed  in  multitudes. 
C^tainly  this  describes  some  instrument  of  warfare.  Was  there  any  new 
instrument  introduced  about  this  time,  an  instrument  which  John  had 
never  seen,  and  to  describe  which  no  technical  words  had  as  yet  been  in- 
vented,  an  instrument  which  one  ignorant  of  its  operations,  as  John  was, 
would  naturally  describe  as  sending  forth  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone  ? 
To  this  question  every  student  of  history  must  reply  in  the  affirmative. 
We  have  now  reached  that  period  in  human  history  when  gunpowder  was 


202  LEOTTTRS  XXV. 

iQvented,  artillery  was  introduced  into  warfare,  and  the  whole  scienoe  of 
military  tactics  was  changed.  Oibbon,  in  describing  the  capture  of  Con- 
stantinople, whose  fall  marked  the  termination  of  the  hour,  and  the  day, 
and  the  month,  and  the  year,  puts  this  new  instrumentality  in  the  fore- 
ground, and  he  conyeys  the  impression  that  if  it  had  not  been  for  this  new 
instrumentality,  the  fbrtifioations  of  the  capital  of  the  Eastern  empire 
would  not  have  yielded  to  the  Turks.  ^'  The  chemists  of  China  or  Europe 
had  found,  by  casual  or  elaborate  ezperunents,  that  a  mixture  of  saltpetre, 
sulphur  and  charcoal,  produces  with  a  spark  of  fire  a  tremendous  explosion. 
It  was  soon  obserred  that  if  the  expansive  force  were  compressed  in  a 
strong  tube,  a  ball  of  stone  or  iron  might  be  expelled  with  irresistible  and 
destructive  velocity.  The  precise  era  of  the  invention  and  application  of 
gunpowder  is  involved  in  doubtful  traditions  and  equivocal  language ;  yet 
we  may  dearly  discern  that  it  was  known  before  the  middle  of  the  four- 
teenth century ;  and  that  before  the  end  of  the  same,  the  use  of  artillery 
in  battles  and  sieges  by  sea  and  land,  was  familiar  to  the  states  of  Oermany, 
Italy,  Spain,  France  and  England.  The  priority  of  nations  is  of  small 
account ;  none  could  derive  any  exclusive  benefit  from  their  previous  or 
superior  knowledge ;  and  in  the  common  improvement,  they  stood  on  the 
same  level  of  relative  power  and  military  scienoe»  Nor  was  it  possible  to 
circumscribe  the  secret  witiiin  the  pale  of  the  church ;  it  was  disclosed  to 
the  Turks  by  the  treachery  of  apostates  and  Uie  selfish  policy  of  rivals : 
and  the  Sultans  had  sense  to  adopt,  and  wealth  to  reward,  the  talents  of  a 
Christian  engineer.  The  Genoese,  who  transported  Amurath  into  Europe, 
must  be  accused  as  his  preceptors ;  and  it  was  probably  by  their  hands  that 
his  cannon  was  cast  and  directed  at  the  siege  of  Constantinople."  Gibbon's 
Rome,  vol.  6,  p.  288.  ''Among  the  instruments  of  destruction,  he 
studied  with  peculiar  care  the  recent  and  tremendous  discovery  of  the 
Latins ;  and  his  artillery  surpassed  whatever  had  yet  appeared  in  the  world. 
A  founder  of  cannon,  a  Dane  or  Hungarian,  who  had  been  almost  starved 
in  the  Greek  service,  deserted  to  the  Moslems  and  wis  liberally  entertained 
by  the  Turkish  sultan.  Mohammed  was  satisfied  with  the  answer  to  his 
first  question,  which  he  eagerly  pressed  on  the  artist :  'Am  I  able  to  cast 
a  cannon  capable  of  throwing  a  ball  or  stone  of  sufficient  sise  to  batter  the 
walls  of  Constantinople  ?  I  am  not  ignorant  of  their  strength ;  but  were 
they  more  solid  than  those  of  Babylon,  I  could  oppose  an  engine  of  supe- 
rior power ;  the  position  and  management  of  that  engine  must  be  left  to 
your  engineers.'  On  this  assurance,  a  foundry  was  established  at  Adrian- 
ople ;  the  metal  was  prepared ;  and  at  the  end  of  three  months.  Urban 
produced  a  piece  of  brass  ordnance  of  stupendous  and  almost  incredible 
magnitude ;  a  measure  of  twelve  palms  is  assigned  to  the  bore ;  and  the 
stone  bullet  weighed  above  six  hundred  pounds.     A  vacant  place  before 

the  new  palace  was  chosen  for  the  first  experiment ;.  but  to  prevent  the  sud- 

\ 


THX  SIXTH  TRUMPET.  203 

dea  and  miaohieyoiiB  effects  of  astoniBhineiit  and  fear,  a  proclamation  was 
iaraed  that  the  cannon  wonld  be  discfaai^ed  the  ensuing  day.  The  explo- 
sion was  felt  or  heard  in  a  circuit  of  a  hundred  furlongs ;  the  ball,  by  the 
ibrce  of  gunpowder,  was  driven  above  a  mile,  and  on  the  spot  where  it  fell, 
it  boiiad  itself  a  fathom  deep  in  the  ground.  For  the  conveyance  of  this 
destructive  engine,  a  frame  or  carriage  of  thirty-^  wagons  was  linked  together 
and  drawn  along  by  a  team  of  sixty  oxen ;  two  hundred  men  on  both  sides 
weie  stationed  to  poise  and  support  the  rolling  weight ;  two  hundred  and 
fifty  workmen  marched  before,  to  smooth  the  way  and  repair  the  bridges; 
and  near  two  months  were  employed  in  a  laborious  journey  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles."  p.  379.  **  The  incessant  volleys  of  lances  and  arrows 
were  accompanied  with  the  smoke,  the  sound  and  the  fire  of  their  musketry 
and  cannon.  Their  small  arms  discharged  at  the  same  time  either  five,  or 
even  ten  balls  of  lead  of  the  size  of  a  walnut ;  and,  according  to  the  close- 
ness of  the  ranks  and  the  force  of  the  powder,  several  breastplates  and 
bodies  were  transpierced  by  the  same  shot.  *  *  *  The  great  cannon 
of  Mohammed  has  been  separately  noticed ;  an  important  and  visible  object 
in  the  history  of  the  times ;  but  that  enormous  engine  was  flanked  by  two 
Mows  almost  of  equal  magnitude ;  the  long  order  of  Turkish  artillery  was 
pointed  against  the  walls ;  fourteen  batteries  thundered  at  once  on  the  most 
accessible  places ;  and  of  one  of  these,  it  is  ambiguously  expressed,  that  it 
was  mounted  with  one  hundred  and  thirty  guns,  or  that  it  discharged  one 
hundred  and  thirty  bullets.  *  «  ^  A  circumstance  that  distinguishes 
the  siege  of  (Constantinople  is  the  reunion  of  the  ancient  and  modem  artil- 
kiy.  The  cannon  were  intermingled  with  the  mechanical  engines  for  cast- 
ing stones  and  darts;  the  bullet  and  the  battering  ram  were  directed  against 
the  same  walls ;  nor  had  the  disooveiy  of  gunpowder  superseded  the  use  of 
the  liquid  and  unextinguishable  fire.''  p.  388. 

These  extracts  show  that  this  novel  instrument  of  war  played  a  prominent 
part  during  the  latter  part  of  the  Turkish  invasion ;  and  not  only  then, 
but  ever  afterwards,  it  revolutionized  the  whole  system  of  warfiire.  And 
surely  it  was  fitting  that  its  introduction  should  have  mention  in  these 
vinous  of  the  ftiture.  And  how  could  one  who  was  a  stranger  to  artillery 
practice,  describe  it  in  better  language  than  John  has  done  ?  Surely  we, 
who  have  read  so  much  of  the  fire,  and  smoke,  and  sulphurous  smell  of  the 
battle  field,  must  appreciate  the  description:  "out  of  their  mouths  there 
issued  fire,  and  smoke,  and  brimstone."  So  far  as  these  things  are  concerned, 
there  is  a  resemblance  between  the  symbols  and  the  Turkish  power. 

6.  We  were  to  notice  the  iiutrumenU  of  destruction,  as  they  are  described 
in  verses  IS,  19.  '*  By  these  three  was  the  third  part  of  men  killed,  by  the 
fire,  and  by  the  smoke,  and  by  the  brimstone  which  issued  out  of  their 
mouths.  For  their  power  is  in  their  mouth  and  in  their  tails ;  for  their 
taikwere  like  unto  serpents,  and  had  heads,  and  with  them  they  do  hurt." 


204  LEGTURB  XXYI. 

With  regard  to  the  instnimentality  mentioned  in  verse  18,  nothing  more 
need  be  said.  It  has  just  been  shown  that  the  fire,  and  the  smoke,  and  the 
brimstone  shadow  forth  the  artillery,  which  was  so  eztensiyely  used  by  the 
Torks  in  the  siege  of  Constantinople.  It  need  only  be  added  that  €tke  de- 
struction of  human  life  was  great.  The  Eastern  empire  was  destroyed. 
Great  multitudes,  whose  numbers  will  never  be  known  till  the  last  day,  and 
who  are  here  said  to  be  ''  the  third  part  of  men,"  were  slain  with  the  sword. 
But  we  are  also  told  that  they  had  power  in  their  tails,  and  with  them 
they  did  hurt.  The  word  translated  '^  do  hurt,*'  means  to  oppress,  or  to  do 
injury.  There  is  a  marked  contrast  between  the  fire,  and  the  smoke,  and 
the  brimstone  which  issued  from  the  mouths  of  the  horses,  and  the  power 
which  was  in  their  tails.  With  the  former  they  killed  men ;  with  the 
latter  they  oppressed  men.  This  symbol  of  the  serpent^like  tails  is  a  strange 
one,  and  yet  it  seems  to  be  a  symbol  of  rulers.  But  how  so?  A  crown  is 
the  natural  symbol  of  a  king ;  a  sword,  of  a  general ;  a  balance,  of  a  judge. 
But  how  can  a  horse's  tail  denote  a  ruler  ?  It  is  a  strange  association,  and 
an  unlikely  symbol.  And  yet  among  the  Turks  alone,  of  all  the  nations  of 
the  world,  a  horse's  tail  was  the  symbol  of  authority.  In  their  early  career 
the  standard  of  the  army  was  once  lost  in  battle,  and  the  Turkish  com- 
mander cut  off  his  horse's  tail,  made  it  the  rallying  ensign,  and  so  won  the 
victory.  From  that  time,  it  was  adopted  as  the  standard  of  the  Turks,  and 
it  was  used  by  the  rulers  to  mark  their  rank  and  to  give  them  their  names. 
Thus,  a  pasha  of  highest  rank  is  called  a  pasha  oP  three  tails ;  the  next 
lowest,  of  two  tails;  the  next,  of  one  tail ;  and  each  one  has  an  ensign 
corresponding  to  his  title.  What  a  wonderful  coincidence  1  Who  could 
have  predicted  it  but  he  to  whom  the  future  is  as  clear  as  the  present? 
And  these  Turkish  rulers,  whose  symbols  of  authority  were  horses'  tails, 
were  guilty  of  great  injustice.  This  is  evident  from  the  slightest  acquaints 
ance  with  the  histoiy  of  the  Ottoman  empire.  So  far,  then,  as  these  things 
are  concerned,  there  is  a  wonderful  resemblance  between  the  symbols  which 
John  saw,  and  the  Turkish  power. 


LECTURE    XXVI. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS. 

And  the  rest  of  the  men  -which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues  yet  repented 
not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not  worsnip  devils,  ana  idols 
of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood :  which  neither  can  see, 
nor  hear,  nor  walk  :  neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sor- 
cories,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  theiV  thefts. — Ruv.  9  :  20,  21. 


THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS.  205 

The  diTine  judgmentB  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbols  we  have  been 
oooaidering,  and  recorded  on  the  pages  of  history,  are  indeed  terrible.  They 
are  well  calculated  to  make  men  understand  the  justice  and  power  of  Qod, 
the  eyU  and  punishment  of  sin,  and  the  need  of  repentance  and  holiness. 
But  these  judgments  were  witltout  effeo£.  In  spite  of  the  trumpets  and 
the  woes  which  the  trumpets  called  forth,  men  continued  in  sin  and  hard- 
ened their  hearts  more  and  more.  But  this  need  occasion  no  surprise.  From 
the  time  of  Pharaoh  down  through  all  the  centuries,  the  adverse  providences 
of  Qod  have  proved  a  savor  of  death  unto  death  unto  many. 

Let  us  recall  for  a  moment  the  judgments  which  had  visited  the  church 
and  the  world.  When  Constantino  became  a  Christian,  and  the  Christian 
religion  became  the  established  religion  of  the  empire,  it  seemed  as  if 
the  triumph  of  Christianity  was  complete.  But  the  church  was  better  able 
to  resist  adversity  than  prosperity,  and  the  enemies  within  were  more  to  be 
dreaded  than  the  enemies  without.  A  few  years  of  prosperity  and  power 
oormpted  its  purity  and  dimmed  its  faith ;  and  the  King  and  Head  of  the 
church  visited  its  iniquities  with  rods  and  its  sins  with  chastisements.  We 
have  seen  how  the  empire  was  divided ;  we  have  seen  how  one  barbarian 
horde  aft«r  another  invaded  the  western  part  of  the  empire,  until  at  last 
Rome  itfielf  was  taken,  and  the  gloiy  of  the  kingdom  departed ;  we  have 
seen  what  a  severe  blow  was  inflicted  upon  the  Eastern  empire  by  the  Sara- 
cens. We  saw  in  our  last  lecture  how  that  empire  was  overthrown  by  the 
Turks  during  the  three  hundred  and  ninety-six  years  represented  by  the 
prophetic  hour,  and  day,  and  month,  and  year,  a  period  which  was  termi- 
nated by  the  fall  of  Constantinople  in  the  year  1453.  While  the  verses 
which  contain  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture  point  back  to  all  the  woes 
which  had  befisJlen  the  church  and  the  world  under  the  previous  trumpets,, 
they  have  special  reference  to  the  visitation  described  under  the  sixth 
trumpet.  During  the  fulfillment  of  the  symbols  of  that  trumpet  great 
calaoiities  had  overtaken  the  church ;  and  these  calamities  pointed  clearly 
at  the  sins  of  which  the  church  had  been  guilty,  and  they  should  have  con- 
vinced the  church  of  sin  and  led  it  to  repentance.  But  they  did  not. 
Though  a  third  part  of  the  human  race  were  killed,  yet  "  the  rest  of  the 
men  which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues  yet  repented  pot  of  the  works 
of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not  worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and 
silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood :  which  neither  can  see,  nor 
hear,  nor  walk :  neither  repented  they  of  their  murders,  nor  of  their  sor- 
ceries, nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their  thefts." 

I  must  here  remind  you  again  that  the  woe  which  the  Turks  were  in- 
strumental in  inflicting,  fell  upon  the  eastern  part  of  what  was  once  the 
great  Roman  empire.  It  touched  only  the  e4ges  of  the  continents  of  Europe 
and  Africa.  The  third  part  of  men,  who  were  slain,  were  for  the  most 
part  of  the  continent  of  Asia.     We  would  therefore  naturally  turn  to  the 


206  LECTURE  XXVI. 

western  part  of  the  empire  to  find  '*  the  rest  of  the  men  who  were  not 
killed  hy  these  plagaes."  The  inhabitants  of  Europe  and  Northern  Aftica, 
who  were  nominal  Christians,  were  spectators  of  what  had  been  done  in  the 
East.  If  they  had  made  a  right  improvement  of  the  terrible  thing?  which 
they  saw,  they  would  have  forsaken  their  hirers  and  returned  to  the  living 
God.  Instead  of  this,  they  continued  in  the  practice  of  the  sins  which  are 
here  enumerated.  Let  us  take  up  the  history  of  those  times  and  see  whether 
these  prophetic  words  have  any  foundation  in  fact. 

The  time  to  which  the  subject  of  my  lecture  has  reference  is  the  close 
of  the  fifteenth  century.  If  we  were  correct  in  our  explanation  of  the  pro- 
phetic hour,  and  day,  and  month,  and  year,  the  termination  of  that  period 
is  marked  by  the  fall  of  Constantinople,  which  occurred  in  the  year  1453. 
As  the  words  we  are  now  considering  follow  hard  after  the  termination  of 
that  prophetic  period,  we  must  refer  them  to  the  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  And  these  words  teach  us  two  things.  In  the  first  place,  they 
teach  us  that  the  men  here  referred  to,  that  is,  the  members  of  the  western 
church,  had  been  guilty  of  certain  heinous  sins  before  this  date.  In  the 
second  place,  they  teach  us  that  these  men,  in  spite  of  the  divine  judg- 
ments, continued  in  the  practice  of  these  sins  after  this  date.  Are  these 
teachings  sustained  by  the  facts  of  history  ?  This  is  the  simple  questioB 
we  are  to  discuss  in  the  present  lecture.  It  is  stated  that  the  men  who  were 
not  killed  by  these  plagues  *'  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands.*' 
These  works  are  then  enumerated  under  five  particulars. 

1.  The  first  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  is  thetDorthip  of  devils. 
They  repented  not  '^  that  they  should  not  worship  devils.**  There  are  two 
principal  words  in  the  New  Testament  which  are  translated  '^devils  "  in  our 
version.  The  one  refers  almost  always  to  Satan,  the  great  evil  spirit ;  the 
other  refers  to  imaginary  heathen  gods,  and  to  such  evil  spirits  or  demons 
as  our  Lord  cast  out  so  frequently  during  his  earthly  ministry.  The  latter 
word  is  the  one  here  used.  It  was  a  common  opinion  that  these  demons  were 
the  spirits  of  wicked  men ;  hence  the  word  is  oft>en  applied  to  departed 
spirits.  Bearing  in  mind  what  is  meant  by  the  word,  we  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  determining  what  is  meant  by  the  worship  of  devUs.  It  does  not 
mean  that  the  men  here  referred  to  worshiped  Satan,  but  that  they  wor- 
shiped beings  that  are  inferior  to  the  supreme  G^d,  whether  they  were 
created  spirits  of  a  rank  superior  to  men,  or  spirits  of  departed  men^  These 
last  were  frequently  worshiped  by  the  heathen.  Whenever  a  man  had 
benefited  the  race  by  his  deeds  of  heroism,  or  by  increasing  its  knowledge 
or  happiness,  he  was,  after  his  death,  enrolled  among  the  gods.  Therefore, 
thevmost  of  the  gods  whom  the  heathen  adored  were  heroes  or  benefiictors. 

It  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  the  corrupt  church  of  the  middle  ages 
worshiped  saints.  Centuries  before  the  time  to  which  we  are  now  referring, 
the  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth  century,  canonized  saints  were  worshiped  in 


THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS.  207 

ChnBtiaD  Borne,  just  as  deified  heroes  had  been  worshiped  in  pagan 
Home.  When  a  man  had  been  distinguished  for  hiB  holiness,  or  his 
aosterity,  or  his  strict  adherence  to  the  laws  of  the  church,  he  was,  after 
his  death,  enrolled  among  the  saints.  Prayers  were  offered  to  him,  and  his 
aid  was  invoked  on  behalf  of  the  worshipers.  Nor  did  the  divine  judgments 
which  we  are  now  considering,  work  any  change  in  this  regard.  Men  did 
not  repent  of  this  saint  worship.  They  continued  to  canonize  saints  and 
to  honor  them  with  divine  honor.  The  number  of  those  who  have  been 
canonised  cannot  be  computed,  and  still  the  work  goes  on.  Every  year 
some  new  saint  is  added  to  the  calendar,  and  claims  the  adoration  of  the 
faithful.  To-day,  a  large  part  of  the  prayers  of  those  who  are  in  the  Papal 
communion  is  addressed  to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  to  other  saints.  While 
pray^s  to  our  heavenly  Father  and  to  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ 
are  rarely  heard,  prayers  to  canonized  men  and  women  are  without  number. 
Such  prayers  are  blasphemies  and  an  insult  to  Ood,  who  is  the  only  proper 
object  of  worship.  All  this  requires  no  proof.  It  is  well  known  to  every 
oDe  who  has  the  slightest  acquaintance  with  history,  that  such  worship  was 
paid  before  die  judgments  here  referred  to,  and  that  it  has  been  paid  ever 
since.  Therefore  these  prophetic  words  have  received  their  fblfillment ; 
the  rest  of  the  men  who  were  not  killed  by  the  plagues  repented  not  of 
^'the  worship  of  departed  spirits." 

2.  A  second  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  is  the  sin  of  idolafry. 
"And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues  repented 
not  *  *  *  that  they  should  not  worship  *  *  *  idols  of  gold, 
and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of  wood ;  which  neither  can  see,  nor 
hear,  nor  walk/'  Idols  or  images  were  worshiped  by  the  heathen.  In 
every  temple^  there  was  some  visible  object  of  worship,  before  which  crowds 
of  worshipers  were  ever  bowing  the  knee  and  offering  prayers.  But  it  seems 
strange  that  such  worship  should  be  introduced  into  a  church  acquainted 
with  the  true  God.  Yet  this  was  a  sin  into  which  the  Jews  often  fdl.  Nor 
was  the  Christian  church  guiltless,  though  it,  as  well  as  the  Jewish  church, 
regarded  the  moral  law  as  the  rule  of  life  ;  that  moral  law,  whose  second 
precept  plainly  forbids  the  worship  of  images.  In  spite  of  this  plain  precept, 
and  in  spite  of  the  irony  with  which  the  word  of  Ood  and  the  more  enlightened 
followers  of  the  true  God  spake  of  the  idols,  which  having  eyes  could  not 
see,  and  having  ears  could  not  hear,  men  made  images  of  gold,  and  silver 
and  brass,  and  stone,  and  wood,  and  worshiped  them  as  gods. 

The  rise  and  progress  of  idol  worship  in  the  Western  church  is  discussed 
at  large  in  Gibbon's  history,  and  I  cannot  do  better  than  quote  a  few  extracts 
from  his  graphic  description.  ''  The  primitive  Christians  were  possessed 
with  an  unconquerable  repugnance  to  the  use  and  abuse  of  images ;  and 
this  aversion  may  be  ascribed  to  their  descent  from  the  Jews  and  their  enmity 
to  the  Greeks.     The  Mosaic  law  had  severely  proscribed  all  representations 


208  LEOTUBE   XXYI. 

of  the  Deity ;  and  that  precept  was  firmly  established  in  the  principles  and 
practice  of  the  chosen  people.  The  wit  of  the  Christian  apolog^ts  was 
pointed  against  the  ^lish  idolaters,  who  bowed  before  the  workmanship  of 
their  own  hands;  the  images  of  brass  and  marble,  which,  had  they  been 
endowed  with  sense  and  motion,  should  have  started  rather  from  the  pedestal 
to  adore  the  creative  powers  of  the  artist.  *  *  *  Under  the  successors  of 
Constantine,  in  the  peace  and  luxury  of  the  triumphant  church,  the  more 
prudent  bishops  condescended  to  indulge  visible  superstition,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  multitude,  and,  afler  the  ruin  of  paganism,  they  were  no 
longer  restrained  by  the  apprehension  of  an  odious  parallel.  The  first 
introduction  of  a  symbolic  worship  was  in  the  veneration  of  the  cross  and 
of  relics.  The  saints  and  martyrs,  whose  intercession  was  implored,  were 
seated  on  the  right  hand  of  God ;  but  the  gracious  and  often  supernatural 
favors,  which  in  the  popular  belief  were  showered  round  their  tomb,  conveyed 
an  unquestionable  sanction  of  the  devout  pilgrims,  who  visited  and  touched 
and  kissed  these  lifeless  remains,  the  memorials  of  their  merits  and  sufferings. 
But  a  memorial,  more  interesting  than  the  skull  or  the  sandals  of  a  departed 
worthy,  is  the  faithful  copy  of  his  person  and  features,  delineated  by  the  arts 
of  painting  or  sculpture.  In  eveiy  age  such  copies,  so  congenial  to  human 
feelings,  have  been  cherished  by  the  zeal  of  private  friendship  or  public 
esteem ;  the  images  of  the  Roman  emperors  were  adored  with  civil,  and 
almost  religious  honors ;  a  reverence  less  ostentatious  but  more  sincere  was 
applied  to  the  statues  of  sages  and  patriots;  and  these  profane  virtues,  these 
splendid  sins,  disappeared  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  men,  who  had  died 
for  the  celestial  and  everlasting  country.  At  first,  the  experiment  was 
made  with  caution  and  scruple  ;  and  the  venerable  pictures  were  allowed  to 
instruct  the  ignorant,  to  awaken  the  cold  and  to  gratify  the  prejudices  of 
the  heathen  proselytes.  By  a  slow  and  inevitable  progression,  the  honors 
of  the  original  were  transferred  to  the  copy ;  the  devout  Christian  prayed 
before  the  image  of  a  saint ;  and  the  pagan  rites  of  genufiezion,  luminaries, 
and  incense,  again  stole  into  the  Catholic  church.  The  scruples  of  reason 
or  piety  were  silenced  by  the  strong  evidence  of  visions  and  miracles ;  and 
the  pictures  which  speak  and  move,  and  bleed,  must  be  endowed  with  a 
divine  energy,  and  may  be  considered  as  the  proper  objects  of  religious 
adoration.  *  *  *  The  use,  and  even  the  worship  of  images,  was  firmly 
established  before  the  end  of  the  sixth  century ;  they  were  fondly  cherished 
by  the  warm  imagination  of  the  Greeks  and  Asiatics ;  the  Pantheon  and 
Vatican  were  adorned  with  emblems  of  a  new  superstition.'*  Gibbon's 
Rome,  vol.  5,  p.  2. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  eighth  century,  there  arose  a  strong  party  in 
opposition  to  image  worship,  a  sect  which  is  known  in  histoiy  as  ''  the 
Iconoclasts.*'  For  a  time  they  were  successful  in  their  opposition,  and  the 
idolatry  of  the  church  was  held  in  check.     But  about  the  middle  of  the 


THE  EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS.  209 

ninth  oentoiy,  images  were  restored  by  the  decree  of  the  Council  of  Nice, 
and  fiom  that  dme  idolatry  made  rapid  progress.  "While  the  popes 
established  in  Italy  their  freedom  and  dominion,  the  images,  the  first  cause 
of  their  revolt,  were  restored  in  the  Eastern  empire.  Under  the  reign  of 
CoDstantine  the  Fifth,  the  union  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  power  had 
overthrown  the  tree,  without  extirpating  the  root,  of  superstition.  The 
idols,  for  such  they  were  now  held,  were  secretly  cherished  by  the  order 
and  the  sex  most  prone  to  devotion ;  and  the  fond  alliance  of  the  monks 
and  the  females  obtained  a  final  victory  over  the  reason  and  authority  of 
man.  *  *  ♦  Three  hundred  and  fifty  bishops,  in  council,  unanimously 
pronounced  that  the  worship  of  images  is  agreeable  to  Scripture  and  reason, 
to  the  &ther8  and  councils  of  the  church."  p.  36. 

Nor  did  the  divine  judgments  we  have  been  considering  work  any  change 
in  this  regard.  Men  did  not  repent  of  their  idolatry.  After  the  fifteenth 
centuiy,  as  before  it,  Christian  churches  were  disgraced  with  idols  and  with 
idol  worshipers.  Does  this  require  any  proof?  Where  is  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  to-day  in  which  pictures  and  images  of  the  saints  are  not 
adored  ?  Such  worship  has  always  been  a  peculiar  mark  of  that  church. 
Its  cathedrak  are  everywhere  known  by  their  crosses,  and  crucifixes,  and 
pictures,  and  images,  and  by  the  multitudes  that  are  ever  giving  to  these 
things,  made  with  hands,  the  worship  which  is  due  to  God  alone.  Therefore 
^ese  prophetic  words  have  received  their  fulfillment  in  history :  ^'  the  rest 
of  the  men  who  were  not  killed  by  the  plagues,  yet  repented  not  that  they 
should  not  worship  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of 
wood:  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk.'' 

3.  A  third  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  is  the  sin  of  mvt/rder, 
^'  Neither  repented  they  of  their  murders."  It  can  easily  be  shown  that 
this  crime  prevailed  extensively  before  the  Turkish  invasion,  and  that  that 
invasion  had  no  tendency  in  checking  it,  for  murder  was  as  conunon  after 
the  fifteenth  centuiy  as  before  it.  Indeed,  nothing  has  characterized  the 
Boman  power  more  than  the  murders  it  has  committed  in  persecuting 
so-called  heretics.  Every  ecclesiastical  history  is  filled  with  acoounts  of 
murders  and  martyrdoms.  In  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries,  anathema 
after  anathema  was  pronounced  upon  the  Waldenses  and  other  Christians, 
wbo  held  to  the  simplicity  of  the  true  faith.  One  crusade  after  another 
was  proclaimed  against  them,  and  ftill  absolution  from  the  day  of  their  birth 
to  the  day  of  their  death  was  promised  to  all  who  should  perish  in  the  holy 
war.  It  is  estimated  that  in  this  crusade  against  the  Waldenses  alone^  a 
million  of  men  perished.  And  when  to  this  number  we  add  the  multitudes 
who  perished  in  other  persecutions,  we  must  be  astonished  at  the  murders 
which  in  those  ages  were  committed  in  the  name  of  religion. 

Not  did  the  divine  judgments  we  have  been  considering  work  any  change 

in  thifi  regard.      Persecutions  continued  with  unabated  violence;  they 

14 


210  LBCTURE  XXVI. 

rather  increased  in  violence.  The  Inquisition ,  with  its  terrible  instru- 
ments of  torture,  was  established;  and  by  the  Inquisition,  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  persons  perished  in  thirty  years.  From  the  beginning 
of  the  order  of  the  Jesuits,  in  the  year  1540,  to  the  year  1580,  it  is 
supposed  that  nine  hundred  thousand-  were  put  to  death  in  various  pwse- 
cutions.  But  we  need  not  dwell  on  the  efforts  which  were  made  to  suppro^s 
the  true  religion.  We  need  not  attempt  to  picture  the  scenes  of  bloodshed 
which  were  witnessed  in  Switzerland,  France,  England  and  Scotland.  We 
have  read  enough  of  them  to  make  us  ashamed  of  our  humanity,  and  to 
fill  us  with  wonder  at  the  excesses  which  men  can  commit  in  the  name  of 
the  holy  child  Jesus.  The  number  of  the  slain  can  never  be  known  till 
the  last  day  shall  reveal  the  secrets  of  the  grave.  But  historians, 
gathering  up  as  well  as  they  can  the  facts,  have  tried  to  form  some  estimate 
of  the  great  army  of  the  martyrs,  and  they  tell  us  that  not  less  than  sixty-eight 
milHon  human  beings  have  been  put  to  death  by  this  one  persecuting  power 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  If  this  estimate,  or  if  anything  like  it,  is 
correct,  these  prophetic  words  have  received  their  fulfillment  in  history: 
"  neither  repented  they  of  their  murders." 

4.  A  fourth  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  is  iorcery.  ^'  Neither 
repented  they  of  their  sorceries.*'  According  to  the  uniform  use  of  the 
word  '*  sorcery  "  in  the  New  Testament,  anything  is  said  to  be  done  by 
sorceiy  which  is  accomplished  by  magical  arts,  by  cunning,  by  sleight  of 
hand,  or  by  deceiving  the  senses  in  any  way.  Therefore,  according  to  this 
uniform  usage,  all  pretended  miracles  would  be  described  by  the  term. 
That  pretended  miracles  were  common  before  the  Turkish  invasion,  no  one 
wU]  deny ;  and  that  they  continued  after  the  Turkish  invasion,  is  equally 
beyond  dispute.  These  pretended  miracles  have  always  been  one  of  the 
principal  means  employed  for  the  advancement  of  the  Papal  religion.  We 
need  only  refer  to  the  supposed  efficacy  of  the  relics  of  the  saints,  to  the 
bleeding  pictures,  and  to  the  numberless  frauds  which  have  been  practiced 
in  all  ages  by  the  Roman  priesthood.  The  days  of  pretended  mindes  are 
not  over  yet.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  with  all  its 
boasted  refinement  and  civilization,  miracles  are  said  to  be  wrought  in 
various  places  in  the  south  of  France,  and  multitudes  of  pilgrims  annually 
flock  to  the  favored  spots  in  which  the  Virgin  Mary  and  other  saints  are 
said  to  manifest  their  power.  And  this  delusion  is  fostered  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  Therefore,  these  prophetic  words  have  received  thmr  ful- 
fillment in  history :  '^  neither  repented  they  of  their  sorceries." 

5.  A  fifth  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  va  fomicajtion.  '^Neither 
repented  they  of  their  fornication."  It  is  unnecessary,  and  it  would  be 
improper  to  enter  into  any  details  on  this  point.  Every  one  who  is  ac- 
quainted with  the  history  of  the  middle  ages,  both  before  and  after  the 
Turkish  invasion,  must  be  aware  of  the  licentiousness  which  prevailed, 


THE   EFFECT  OF  THE  DIVINE  JUDGMENTS.  211 

espeeially  among  the  olergy.  The  pilgrimages  of  the  times,  the  system  of 
indalgences,  the  oelibiicy  of  the  dergy  and  auricular  oonfes^on,  all  threw 
temptation  in  the  way  and  helped  on  the  sin  of  the  church.  Some  of  the 
highest  officials,  even  some  of  the  popes,  were  men  of  notoriously  impure 
fires.  Proof  of  this  can  he  had  for  the  asking.  I  refer  to  the  history  and 
poetry  of  the  times.  I  refer  to  the  decrees  of  the  highest  eoclesiastica] 
courts;  for,  as  one  historian  remarks,  "if  you  wish  to  see  the  errors  of 
those  ages,  read  the  Acts  of  the  Councils.''  If  these  things  are  so,  and 
DO  intelligent  man  can  doubt  them,  even  though  he  is  a  believer  in  the 
Roman  Catholic  church,  which  in  tliese  later  years  has  put  on  a  different 
face,  then  these  prophetic  words  have  received  their  Mfillment :  "  neither 
repented  they  of  their  fornication." 

6.  The  sixth  sin  mentioned  in  this  dark  catalogue  is  the/L  '^  Neither 
repented  they  of  their  thefts."  Theft  may  be  defined,  and  the  word  is 
often  used  in  this  sense  in  our  common  speech,  as  the  taking  of  money  or 
property  without  giving  any  proper  equivalent.  And  without  controversy, 
in  the  ages  we  are  considering,  money  was  extorted  from  the  people  under 
various  false  pretenses  and  without  giving  any  equivalent.  BeUos  were 
carried  about  the  country  and  exposed  to  view  at  fixed  prices,  or  sold  for 
bibulous  sums.  Pretended  miracles  robbed  many  a  man  of  his  property. 
The  sale  of  indulgences  was  a  source  of  vast  revenue.  Pilgrimages  to  holy 
places  made  the  holy  shrines  rich  with  the  offerings  of  the  pilgrims. 
Masses  fbr  the  dead,  which  survivors  willingly  paid  for  in  order  to  release 
the  souls  of  their  friends  from  purgatory,  have  in  all  i^es  replenished  and 
are  yet  replenishing  the  coffers  of  the  church.  As  a  single  illustration, 
take  Gibbon's  account  of  the  jubilee  or  holy  year,  which  the  popes  insti- 
tuted in  order  to  fill  their  coffers.  "  The  prejudice  was  encouraged  in  some 
degree  by  the  resort  of  pilgrims  to  the  shrines  of  the  apostles;  and  the  last 
hgacy  of  the  popes,  the  institution  of  the  holy  year,  was  not  less  beneficial 
to  the  people  than  to  the  clergy.  Since  the  loss  of  Palestine,  the  gift  of 
plenary  indulgences,  which  had  been  applied  to  the  crusades,  remained 
without  an  object;  and  the  most  valuable  treasure  of  the  church  was  seques- 
tered above  eight  years  from  public  circulation.  A  new  channel  was 
opened  by  die  diligence  of  Boniface  the  Eighth,  who  reconciled  the  vices 
of  ambition  and  avarice ;  and  the  pope  had  sufficient  learning  to  recollect 
and  revive  the  secular  games  which  were  celebrated  in  Rome  at  the  con- 
elusion  of  every  century.  *  *  *  On  the  first  of  January  of  the  year 
1300,  the  church  of  St.  Peter  was  crowded  with  the  fiiithful,  who  de- 
manded the  customary  indulgence  of  the  holy  time.  The  pontiff,  who 
watched  and  irritated  their  impatience,  was  soon  persuaded  by  ancient 
testimony  of  the  justice  of  their  claim ;  and  he  proclaimed  a  plenary  abso- 
lution to  all  Catholics  who,  in  the  course  of  that  year,  and  at  every  similar 
periodi  should  respectfully  visit  the  apostolic  churches  of  St.  Peter  and 


212  LSOTURE  XXVI. 

St.  Paul.  The  welcome  sound  was  propagated  through  Christendom  ;  and 
at  first  from  the  nearest  provinces  of  Italy,  and  at  length  from  the  remote 
kingdoms  of  Hungary  and  Britain,  the  highways  were  thronged  with  a 
swarm  of  pilgrims  who  sought  to  expiate  their  sins  in  a  journey,  however 
costly  or  laborious,  which  was  exempt  irom  the  perils  of  military  service. 
All  exceptions  of  rank  or  sex,  of  age  or  ii^rmity,  were  forgotten  in  the 
common  transport;  and  in  the  streets  and  churches  many  persons  were 
trampled  to  death  by  the  eagerness  of  devotion.  The  calculation  of  their 
numbers  could  not  be  easy  nor  accurate ;  and  they  have  probably  been  magni- 
fied by  a  dexterous  clergy,  well  apprised  of  the  contagion  of  example ;  yet 
we  are  assured  by  a  judicious  historian,  who  assisted  at  the  ceremony,  that 
Rome  was  never  replenished  with  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  stran- 
gers ;  and  another  spectator  has  fixed  at  two  millions  the  total  concourse  of 
the  year.  A  trifling  oblation  from  each  individual  would  accumulate  a 
royal  treasure ;  and  two  priests  stood  night  and  day,  with  rakes  in  their 
hands,  to  collect,  without  counting,  the  heaps  of  gold  and  silver  that  were 
poured  on  the  altar  of  St.  Paul.  *  ^  ^  lo  the  impatience  of  the 
popes,  we  may  ascribe  the  successive  reduction  to  fifty,  thirty-three  and 
twenty-five  years ;  although  the  second  of  these  terms  is  commensurate 
with  the  life  of  Christ.  The  profusion  of  indulgences,  the  revolt  of  the 
Protestants,  and  the  decline  of  superstition  have  much  diminished  the 
value  of  the  jubilee.  Yet  even  the  nineteenth  and  last  festival  was  a  year 
of  pleasure  and  profit  to  the  Romans ;  and  a  philosophic  smile  will  not  dis- 
turb the  triumph  of  the  priest  or  the  happiness  of  the  people."  Gibbon's 
Rome,  vol.  6,  p.  456. 

Thus  it  has  been  shown  that  all  the  sins  which  are  here  enumerated 
were  committed  before  the  Turkish  invasion,  that  the  Turkish  invasion  did 
not  lead  men  to  repentance,  and  that  these  sins  were  as  common  after  the 
fifteenth  century  as  they  were  before,  and  even  more  common.  Therefore, 
these  words  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  literally  true  of  the  very  time  here 
referred  to:  ^'And  the  rest  of  the  men  which  were  not  killed  by  these 
plagues  yet  repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they  should  not 
worship  devils,  and  idols  of  gold,  and  silver,  and  brass,  and  stone,  and  of 
wood :  which  neither  can  see,  nor  hear,  nor  walk ;  neither  repented  they  of 
their  murders,  nor  of  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor  of  their 
thefts," 


THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  8EA  AND  LAND.        213 


LECTURE   XXVII. 


THE   MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE   SEA  AND   LAND. 

And  I  saw  another  mighty  ansel  oome  down  from  heaven,  clothed  with  a 
cloud :  and  a  rainbow  was  upon  his  head,  and  his  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun, 
and  his  feet  as  pillars  of  fire :  and  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open  :  and  he 
set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  foot  on  the  earth,  ana  cried  with 
a  loud  voice,  ^  when  a  lion  roareth :  and  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders 
uttered  their  voices.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices, 
1  was  about  to  write ;  and  T  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me.  Seal  uj) 
those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not. — Bbt. 
10 : 1-4. 

At  the  olose  of  our  last  lecture  we  left  the  church  and  the  world  in  a 
deplorable  condition.  The  sins  of  superstition,  idolatry,  murder,  sorcery, 
fornication  and  theft  prevailed  and  increased  from  year  to  year.  It  seemed 
as  if  nothing  could  check  them.  Judgment  after  judgment,  woe  after  woe 
had  been  sent,  but  men  repented  not.  Those  times  are  rightly  called  the 
dark  ages.  But  the  mercy  of  God  was  not  yet  exhausted.  Though  terrible 
judgments  had  failed  to  bring  men  to  repentance,  he  would  try  another 
plan — he  would  interpose  in  another  way.  He  would  reveal  to  men  once 
more,  in  all  its  purity,  the  gospel  of  his  Son.  He  would  make  them  ac- 
quainted with  his  word,  and  perhaps  that  precious  word  would  accomplish 
more  than  bloodshed  and  famine.  To  this  manifestation  of  the  divine 
merey  your  attention  is  invited  in  the  present  lecture.  Compared  with  the 
startling  events  of  war  and  invasion  which  we  have  been  considering,  this 
manifestation  of  the  divine  mercy  seems  like  the  calm  after  the  storm. 

The  chapter  before  us  is  supposed  to  refer  to  the  Reformation.  The 
general  reasons  for  this  belief  are  these :  If  we  have  been  correct  in  our 
expositions  of  the  previous  visions,  we  have  been  brought  down  to  the 
dose  of  the  fifteenth  century,  when  the  day  of  the  Reformation  was  begin- 
ning to  dawn.  Again,  the  next  important  event  which  occurred  in  the 
history  of  the  world  after  the  Turkish  invasion,  was  the  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  If  the  vision  of  the  previous  chapter  referred  to  that 
invasion,  which  was  terminated  by  the  fall  of  Constantinople,  then  we 
would  expect  the  vision  of  this  chapter  to  refer  to  the  Reformation.  Again, 
the  symbols  of  this  chapter  find  a  marked  and  satisfying  fulfillment  in  the 
principal  events  of  the  Reformation.  To  show  this  will  be  the  great  object 
of  the  present  lecture. 

Let  us  get  a  clear  conception  of  this  vision  as  it  presented  itself  to  the 
apostle.  An  angel,  strong  and  mighty,  descended  from  heaven  to  earth, 
not  on  an  errand  of  wrath,  but  of  mercy.  His  robe  was  a  cloud  ;  his  crown 
Was  a  rainbow ;  his  face  shone  as  the  sun ;  his  feet  were  as  pillars  of  fire. 


214  LECTURE   XXVII. 

Id  his  hands  he  carried  a  little  book,  which  was  open.  He  uttered  a  great 
cry,  which  was  aDswered  by  seven  thunders.  When  John  was  about  to 
write  what  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  he  was  commanded  to  write  it  not. 
Then  the  mighty  angel,  with  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the  other  on  the  land, 
swore  a  solemn  oath  that  the  expected  time  should  not  be  till  the  seventh 
trumpet  should  sound.  These  are  the  symbols  of  the  vision,  and  the  duty 
before  us  is  to  explain  them  and  to  see  whether  they  have  received  their 
fulfillment  in  the  Reformation. 

I.  The  angel  of  the  vision  is  the  angel  of  the  Reformation.  In  other 
words,  the  angel  is  a  symbol  of  the  Reformation.  The  conditioD  of  the 
church  was  such  that  no  help  could  be  expected  from  human  sources.  Help 
must  come  irom  heaven.  Therefore,  the  angel  is  represented  as  descend- 
ing firom  heaven.  Every  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  histoiy  of  the 
Reformation  must  know  that  this  part  of  the  symbol  has  been  fulfilled. 
The  Reformation  was  of  heavenly  origin.  It  is  true,  men  were  employed 
as  instrumentalities,  but  they  were  prepared  for  their  work  in  a  strange 
way.  That  any  in  that  dark  age  were  brought  to  see  the  truth ;  that  any 
in  that  impure  age  were  brought  to  follow  afler  holiness ;  that  any  in  that 
.  ignorant  age  were  brought  to  know  and  appreciate  die  word  of  Gk)d,  is  a 
wonder.  It  can  be  accounted  for  only  on  the  supposition  that  God  directly 
exerted  the  power  of  his  grace,  which  is  still  described,  in  figurative  lan- 
guage, as  an  angel  descending  from  heaven. 

This  angel  of  the  Reformation  not  only  descended  from  heaven — ^he  was 
also  '^  mighty.''  Nothing  but  a  mighty  power  could  accomplish  the  work 
which  was  to  be  done.  Darkness,  error  and  corruption  were  to  be  removed, 
and  the  church  was  to  be  lifted  to  a  higher  plane  of  faith  and  practice.  All 
this  was  to  be  accomplished  by  the  Reformation.  It  found  the  world  in  a 
condition  which  can  hardly  be  described — ^hardly  be  believed.  It  gave  the 
world  a  knowledge,  a  purity  and  a  life,  which  all  the  subsequent  aasanlts 
of  Satan  have  not  been  able  to  destroy.  That  which  has  done  this  must  be 
a  mighty  power,  which  is  well  described  in  figurative  language  as  a  "mighty 
angel  come  down  from  heaven." 

IL  Therefore,  if  the  angel  of  the  vision  had  been  described  only  as  a 
mighty  angel  coming  down  from  heaven,  we  would  be  justified  in  considering 
him  as  a  symbol  of  the  Reformation.  But  this  is  not  alL  The  appeailaiiob 
OP  THE  ANOEL,  as  it  is  described  in  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter,  finds  its 
fulfillment  in  history,  and  thus  confirms  the  conclusion  that  the  angel  of 
the  vision  is  a  symbol  of  the  Reformation.  It  is  said  that  the  angel  was 
"  clothed  with  a  cloud,"  A  cloud  is  a  symbol  of  glory  and  majesty.  It 
is  so  used  in  many  passages  of  the  Old  Testament,  to  which  I  need  not 
refer.     The  Saviour  ascended  in  a  cloud,  and  in  a  similar  manner  he  will 


THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        215 

come  again  to  jndge  the  world  at  the  last  daj.  And  the  fact  that  this 
angel  was  clothed  with  a  cloud  indicates  his  divine  glory  and  majesty. 
These  are  the  eharacteristios  of  the  Reformation.  It  was  glorious  heyond 
earthly  oomparison,  and  heyond  any  parallel  in  the  history  of  the  race,  save 
only  the  estahlishment  of  Christianity  in  the  apostolic  age.  It  was  majestic 
in  its  inception,  in  its  progress,  in  its  triumphs,  in  the  work  it  had  to  do, 
and  in  the  way  in  which  it  performed  its  work.  Therefore,  the  Reformation 
is  well  described  in  figurative  language  as  an  angel  "  clothed  with  a  cloud*' 
of  glory  and  majesty. 

It  is  also  said  that  this  augel  had  *'a  rainbow  upon  his  head."  The 
rainbow  carries  us  back  to  Ararat,  where  it  was  the  seal  of  the  covenant 
with  Noah.  Without  doubt,  the  rainbow  is  an  emblem  of  peace.  As  in 
the  natural  world,  it  is  a  sign  that  the  storm  has  passed,  and  that  the  sun 
is  again  shining;  so  in  the  symbolical  world,  it  is  a  symbol  that  the  tempest 
of  divine  wrath  is  over,  and  that  blessed  peace  has  come  again.  And  the 
fact  that  this  angel  was  crowned  with  a  rainbow  would  indicate  that  he 
came  not  on  a  message  of  wrath,  but  of  peace.  This  was  a  characteristic 
of  the  Reformation.  It  came  with  a  message  like  that  of  the  angels  who 
announced  the  birth  of  the  Saviour :  "  on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward 
men."  It  came  to  preach  the  gospel  of  peace,  to  proclaim  peace  among 
nations  and  among  neighbors,  and  to  reconcile  between  sinners  and  an 
offended  Qod.  Therefore,  the  Reformation  is  well  described  in  figurative 
language  as  an  angel  crowned  ''with  a  rainbow." 

It  is  also  said  that  the  angel's  "face  was  as  it  were  the  sun" ;  that  is,  as 
bright  as  the  sun.  The  meaning  of  this  symbol  is  easily  understood.  The 
angel  came  to  give  light  and  knowlec^.  This  was  a  characteristic  of  the 
Reformation ;  it  was  the  great  characteristic  of  the  Reformation.  Darkness 
had  covered  the  earth,  a  gross  darkness  the  people.  During  all  subse- 
quent times,  those  ages  have  been  spoken  of  as  the  dark  ages.  It  was  the 
poHey  of  the  rulers  in  the  church  and  the  state  to  keep  the  people  in 
darkness.  But  the  Reformation  came,  bringing  light  and  knowledge.  In 
spite  of  the  tyranny  of  kings  and  the  persecution  of  priests,  it  illumined 
the  world  with  the  light  from  the  sun  of  righteousness.  Men,  whose  power 
was  founded  on  the  ignoranoe  and  superstition  of  the  masses,  opposed  it 
with  all  their  might,  but  they  could  not  keep  back  the  dawn  of  the  better 
di^.  Therefore,  the  Reformation  is  well  described  in  figurative  language 
as  an  angel  whose  "  face  was  as  it  were  the  sun." 

It  is  dso  said  that  the  angel's  "  feet  were  as  pillars  of  fire."  This  is  no 
new  symbol  in  these  visions.  The  feet  of  the  great  High  Priest  of  our 
profession  who,  in  the  introductory  vision,  was  standing  in  the  midst  of  the 
golden  candlesticks,  are  said  to  be  like  "  fine  brass,  as  if  they  burned  in 
a  Airnaoe."  The  meaning  of  the  symbol  here  is  the  same  that  it  was 
there.    Nothing  could  withstand  the  progress  of  this  angel.     He  went 


216  LECTURE   XXVII. 

forth  like  ooIudhdb  of  flame.  Everything  that  was  impure  and  unstable 
wa^  consumed  before  him,  and  nothing  but  that  which  could  abide  the  test 
was  left  behind  him.  And  this  was  a  characteristic  of  the  Beformation. 
It  made  rapid  headway  against  the  greatest  opposition.  The  civil  power, 
and  the  still  greater  power  of  the  church,  tried  to  resist  it  in  vain.  It  went 
forth  like  a  consuming,  purifying  fire.  Therefore,  the  Reformation  is  well 
described  in  figurative  language  as  an  angel  whose  **  feet  were  as  pillars  of 
fire." 

While  it  may  be  true,  that  in  any  one  of  these  particulars  the  resemblance 
between  the  symbolic  angel  and  the  Reformation  is  not  sufficient  to  deter- 
mine that  this  is  the  correct  interpretation,  yet  the  striking  resemblance  in 
all  these  particulars  must  confirm  the  theory  that  the  angel  of  the  vision 
is  the  symbol  of  the  Reformation. 

III.  The  open  book  which  the  angel  carried  in  his  hand  still  further 
confirms  the  conclusion  that  the  angel  of  the  vision  is  the  symbol  of  the 
Reformation.  "And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  book  open."  The  apostle 
takes  special  pains  to  show  us  that  the  book  here  mentioned  was  not  the 
book  sealed  with  seven  seals,  which  at  the  beginning  of  this  vision  had  been 
given  into  the  hands  of  the  Lamb.  That  was  a  large  book ;  this  was  a 
little  book.  That  was  sealed ;  this  was  open.  Therefore,  if  that  book 
contained  the  history  of  the  church  and  the  world  subsequent  to  the  time  of 
John,  the  contents  of  this  book  must  be  very  different. 

A  book,  especially  an  open  book,  is  an  unmistakable  symbol  of  knowledge. 
The  giving  of  such  a  book  is  the  emblem  of  the  revelation  of  knowledge. 
The  work  of  the  missionary  is  oflen  represented  in  symbolic  pictures  by  a 
man  offering  to  the  heathen  an  open  Bible.  This  seems  to  be  the  mean- 
ing of  that  part  of  the  present  vision,  in  which  the  angel  is  described  as 
coming  to  earth  with  an  open  volume.  It  was  not  a  bow  that  he  carried, 
which  is  the  symbol  of  conquest;  it  was  not  a  sword,  which  is  the  symbol 
of  slaughter ;  it  was  not  a  pair  of  balances,  which  is  a  symbol  of  scarcity ; 
it  was  a  book,  which  is  the  symbol  of  knowledge ;  it  was  an  open  book, 
which  is  the  symbol  that  knowledge  was  about  to  be  revealed. 

This  symbol,  then,  requires  for  its  fulfillment  some  such  &ots  as  these : 
Previous  to  this  time  there  must  have  been  a  great  lack  of  knowledge  among 
men.  At  this  time,  astonishing  advances  must  have  been  made  in  knowledge. 
These  advances  must  have  been  accomplished  through  some  unexpected 
means,  as  if  an  angel  had  come  down  from  heaven.  The  great  instrumen- 
tality must  have  been  some  little  book,  whose  contents  were  before  unknown, 
but  which  were  now  revealed  to  all.  Are  there  such  facts  in  the  history  of  the 
world  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation  ?  On  this  point  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  for  history  speaks  with  unusual  plainness.  Before  the  Reformation; 
as  has  been  said  again  and  again  during  the  course  of  this  lecture,  there 


THE   MIQHTY   ANQEL  OF  THE   SEA   AND   LAND.  217 

was  geDeral  ignoranoe,  but  bj  the  Reformation  a  great  impetus  was  given  to 
learning.  The  great  instrumentality  by  which  this  was  reached  was  a  book, 
eren  the  book,  the  word  of  God.  For  many  centuries  before  this  time, 
the  Bible  was  almost  unknown.  One  reason  for  this  was  the  cost  of  books. 
Before  the  art  of  printing  was  invented,  manuscripts  were  prepared  only 
with  great  labor,  and  they  were  to  be  found  only  in  the  hands  of  the  richest 
individaals  and  societiee.  A  short  time  before  the  Beformation,  the  art  of 
printing  had  been  invented,  but  still  books  were  scarce ;  and  because  books 
were  soane,  education  was  at  a  low  ebb.  Hardly  any  of  the  common  people 
could  read ;  and  even  the  clergy,  who  constituted  the  learned  class  in  those 
days,  could  hardly  be  said  to  be  educated.  One  historian  tells  us  diat  in 
Spain  not  one  priest  in  a  thousand  could  write  a  letter  of  common  saluta- 
tion. Because  men  could  not  read,  the  book  was  found  in  but  few  homes. 
But  there  was  another  reason,  more  powerful  than  the  cost  of  books  and  the 
Ignorance  of  the  people,  why  the  Scriptures  were  kept  from  the  knowledge 
of  men.  It  was  the  policy  of  the  church  to  keep  men  in  ignorance  of  the 
revelation  which  God  had  made  for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  for  in  no 
other  way  could  the  church  preserve  its  unlimited  power,  whidi  was  founded 
on  the  superstition  of  the  masses.  Therefore,  the  church  exerted  all  its 
influence  to  prevent  the  free  circulation  of  the  Scriptures.  But  the  time 
bad  now  come  when  the  book  was  to  be  known.  Translations  were  made 
into  various  languages ;  the  art  of  printing  was  improved ;  books  were 
multiplied;  and  before  many  years  passed  away,  every  one  who  desired 
it  oould  possess  a  Bible. 

To  show  the  influence  of  the  Bible,  we  have  only  to  refer  to  the  life  of 
Luther,  who  more  than  any  other  man  was  the  embodiment  of  the  Refor- 
mation. He  was  the  son  of  a  poor  German  miner,  bom  and  nurtured 
in  poverty.  In  his  early  school  days  he  sang  from  house  to  house  for  his 
daily  bread.  At  last  a  Madame  Cotta,  hearing  him  sing  at  her  door,  be- 
came interested  in  him,  and  gave  him  a  home  in  her  house.  From  that 
time  he  experienced  brighter  days.  He  entered  the  university  of  Erfxirt 
in  the  year  1501,  and  pursued  his  studies  with  great  success.  During  all 
these  years  he  was  an  earnest  and  bigoted  disciple  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
He  took  hdy  orders,  and  became  one  of  the  austerest  of  the  monks.  But 
one  day,  while  examining  the  library  of  the  university,  he  lighted  upon  a 
lAtin  Bible.  It  was  held  by  strong  and  rusted  clasps  of  brass,  and  on  it 
lay  the  dust  of  fifty  years  or  more.  It  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  seen 
a  Bible.  He  opened  and  read.  New  light  entered  his  soul,  and  though 
the  darkness  of  superstition  was  not  entirely  dispelled  for  several  years 
afterwards,  it  was  to  him  the  dawn  of  day.  Having  discovered  the  treas- 
ure of  the  Divine  Word,  he  determined  that  others  should  be  made 
acquainted  with  its  blessings.  When  he  became  established  in  the  faith, 
at  the  first  opportunity  which  his  manifold  labors  aflforded  him,  he  began 


218  LECTURE   XXVII. 

a  translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  the  German  language,  and  he  was  im- 
patient of  every  interruption  till  this  Work  was  accomplished.  When  the 
task  was  finished^  the  press  multiplied  copies  of  the  Bihle,  until  it  was  an 
open  hook  through  all  his  native  land.  And  so  it  was  in  other  countries^ 
until  the  Bihle  beoame  an  open  book  in  all  lands.  The  Bible  was  the  finst 
book  printed ;  and  it  has  been  more  frequently  printed  than  -any  other. 

If  these  things  are  so,  the  fitness  of  the  symbol  is  muiifest.  The  Refor- 
mation could  not  be  more  appropriately  described  in  figurative  language 
than  as  a  mighty  angel  coming  down  from  heaven  with  a  little  book  open 
in  his  hands. 

IV.  The  position  of  the  angel  still  fui^^her  confirms  the  conclusion 
that  the  angel  of  the  vision  is  the  symbol  of  the  Reformation.  *^  He  set 
his  right  foot  upon  the  sea,  and  his  left  foot  on  the  earth."  The  great 
work  of  the  Reformation  was  not  to  be  confined  to  any  particular  locality ; 
it  was  designed  to  bless  the  world.  Continents,  and  islands,  and  those  who 
go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  were  to  feel  its  blessed  influence.  That  this 
was  the  design  of  Providence  is  abundantly  evident  from  subsequent  history. 
The  Reformation  began  in  Germany;  it  spread  like  leayen  through 
Europe;  it  crossed  the  channel  to  those  lands  from  which  our  anoeston 
came,  and  which  have  ever  since  been  the  stronghold  of  Protestantism, 
The  ocean  was  no  barrier  to  its  onward  progress.  Still  the  good  work  goes 
on,  and  it  will  go  on  till  the  Word  of  God  is  known  and  loved  over  all 
lands  and  over  all  seas.  If  these  things  are  so,  the  fitness  of  this  part  of 
the  symbol  is  manifest.  The  Reformation  could  not  be  more  fitly  described 
in  figurative  language  than  as  a  mighty  angel,  who  came  down  from  heaven 
with  an  open  book  in  his  hands,  and  planted  his  feet,  one  on  the  land  and 
the  other  on  the  sea,  to  show  that  he  was  to  exercise  dominion  over  all  the 
world. 

y .  The  ory  of  the  angel,  and  the  seven  thunders  which  answered 
that  ory,  still  further  confirm  the  conclusion  that  the  angel  of  the  vision  is 
a  symbd  of  the  Reformation.  ^'And  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  as  when  a 
lion  roareth;  and  when  he  had  cried,  seven  thunders  uttered  their 
voices.  And  when  the  seven  thunders  had  uttered  their  voices,  I  was 
about  to  write:  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me. 
Seal  up  those  things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and  write  them 
not."  The  cry  of  the  angel  is  here  compared  to  the  roar  of  a  lion.  When 
the  monarch  of  the  forest  roars,  his  voice  is  heard  fiur  and  near,  and  it 
arrests  the  attention  of  all  who  hear.  This  seems  to  be  the  exact  point  in 
the  comparison.  The  cry  of  the  angel  was  a  loud  cry,  and  one  whioh 
arrested  attention  and  inspired  awe.  What  he  said,  John  did  not  attempt 
to  record ;  but  if  this  angel,  as  seems  evident  from  the  points  which  have 


THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        219 

been  eatablished,  is  the  angel  of  the  RefonnatioD,  we  cannot  be  at  a  loss  to 
know  the  substance  of  what  he  said.     We  have  already  seen  how  Lather, 
the  great  apostle  of  the  Reformation,  was  first  enlightened  by  the  accidental 
finding  of  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures  in  the  library  of  the  university  of 
JErfort.     I  wish  we  could  trace  the  history  of  his  enlightenment  irom  that 
hour  to  the  time  of  his  complete  deliverance,  but  the  space  at  command 
forbids.     It  will  be  sufficient  to  say,  that  when  the  monk  Tetzel,  who  had 
been  sent  out  by  the  pope  to  raise  money  by  the  sale  of  indulgences,  came 
to  Luther's  city  of  Wittenberg  and  drove  his  in&mous  trade  there,  and 
when  some  of  Luther's  own  flock  bought  indulgences,  and  in  the  confes- 
aional  of  his  church  plead  that  their  sins  had  been  pardoned,  his  courage- 
ous soul  was  aroused,  and  he  nailed  to  the  door  of  the  church  the  ninety- 
fiTe  theses  which  startled  the  world.     In  these  theses,  no  truUi  stood  out 
more  prominently  than  Uiis :  <*  men  are  justified  by  faith  alone*' ;  a  truth 
which  shook  the  foundations  of  the  Papal  church,  and  which  became  the 
battle  cry  of  the  Reformation  and  the  reformers.     As  the  Reformation 
spread,  men  took  it  up  everywhere,  until  the  words  *^  justified  by  Mth 
alone,''  were  as  familiar  through  all  Christendom  as  ihey  had  been  in  Wit- 
tenberg.    This  I  believe  to  be  the  cry  which  the  angel  uttered,  which 
embodies  the  teaching  of  the  reformers  and  the  spirit  of  the  Reformation, 
and  which  is  yet  heard  in  every  Protestant  church  the  world  over:  **  men 
ne  justified  by  faith  alone." 

This  ciy  was  answered  by  the  voices  of  seven  thunders.  The  seven 
thondeiB  at  once  remind  us  of  that  other  vision  of  the  Apocalypse,  in  which 
the  chureih  of  Rome  is  represented  as  sitting  upon  the  seven  hills ;  and  we 
aie  led  to  interpret  the  seven  thunders  as  the  anathemas  which  the  popes 
of  Rome  thundered  forth  against  the  reformers.  These  anathemas  are 
often  spoken  of  in  history  as  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican.  It  was  by 
these  thunders,  these  decrees  of  excommunication,  Uiat  the  pope  endeav- 
ored to  counteract  and  destroy  the  influence  of  the  reformers.  The 
infiuenee  which  these  anathemas  had  on  the  reformers  is  described  by  the 
effect  which  the  thunders  of  Uie  vision  had  on  the  apostle.  He  thought, 
at  firsts  that  the  words  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered  were  the  voice  of 
6od,  and  he  was  about  to  write  them ;  but  a  voice  irom  heaven  told  him 
to  write  them  net.  It  was  as  if  that  voice  had  said.  Pay  no  attention  to 
the  thunders ;  they  are  not  divine ;  they  can  do  no  harm ;  do  not  put  them 
on  record,  for  they  are  not  to  be  obeyed. 

This  was  the  way  in  which  Luther  and  his  fellows  regarded  the  anathe- 
mas of  the  church.  At  first,  they  trembled  through  fear,  and  were  ready  to 
recognize  in  them  the  voice  of  God.  Listen  to  his  own  account  of  his  feel- 
ings at  this  time.  "When  I  began  the  affiair  of  the  indulgences  I  was  a  monk 
and  a  most  mad  papist.  So  intoxicated  was  I  and  drenched  in  papal 
dogmas,  that  I  would  have  been  ready  to  murder  and  to  assist  others  in 


220  LECTURE  XXYII. 

murdering  any  person  who  would  have  uttered  a  syllable  agunst  the  duty 
of  obedience  to  the  pope.  *  *  ^  ^  Certainly  at  that  time  I  adored 
him  in  earnest.  *  m  *  ^  How  distressed  my  heart  was  at  that  time, 
1517,  how  submissive  to  the  hierarchy,  not  feignedly  but  really,  those 
little  know,'  who  at  this  day  insult  the  majesty  of  the  pope  with  much 
pride  and  arrogance.  I  was  ignorant  of  many  things  which  now,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  I  understand.  I  disputed ;  I  waa  open  to  conTiction.  Not 
finding  satisfaction  in  the  works  of  theologians  and  canonists,  I  wished  to 
consult  the  living  members  of  the  church  itself.  There  were  some  godly 
souls  that  entirely  approved  my  propositions.  But  I  did  not  consider 
their  authority  as  of  weight  with  me  in  spiritual  concerns.  The  popes, 
cardinals,  bishops,  monks,  priests,  were  the  objects  of  my  confidence.  It 
was  from  them  that  I  looked  for  the  voice  of  the  Spirit.  After  being 
enabled  to  answer  every  objection  which  was  brought  against  me  from  the 
Scriptures,  one  difficulty  remained,  and  only  one;  that  the  pope  ought  to 
be  obeyed.  *  *  ^  *  jf  j  i^^  then  dared  to  do  as  I  now  do,  I  would 
have  expected  every  hour  that  the  earth  would  have  opened  to  swallow  me 
up  alive,  like  Korah  uid  Abiram."     Elliot,  voL  2.  pp.  118,  119. 

But  he  was  soon  led  to  see  that  the  pope  was  Antichrist.  He  braved 
the  papal  bull  and  called  it  '^  the  infernal  voice  of  Antichrist."  And 
thus,  though  at  first  he  was  inclined  to  r^ard  the  thunders  of  the  Vatican 
as  the  decrees  of  Ood  and  worthy  to  be  remembered  and  obeyed,  yet  he 
soon  heard  the  voice  of  the  Holy  Spirit  saying,  "  Seal  up  those  things 
which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not."  As  if  it  had  been 
said :  Be  not  afraid  of  them,  for  they  are  of  no  divine  authority ;  they 
deserve  no  place  among  the  commandments  of  Qod,  In  these  things 
there  is  a  resemblance  between  the  symbol  and  the  things  symbolised. 

The  rest  of  this  vision  must  be  reserved  for  another  lectare.  But 
have  we  not  sufficiently  established  the  fact  that  the  angel  of  the  vision  is 
the  angel  of  the  Reformation  ?  It  must  astonish  every  thoughtftil  heart  to 
find  every  part  of  the  symbol  receive  its  iulfiUment  in  history.  If  I  was 
moved  to  represent  in  an  all^orical  painting  the  Beformation  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  I  can  imagine  no  symbol  more  fitting  than  the  one  which  is  here 
described,  a  mighty  angel,  coming  down  firom  heaven  with  an  open  book 
in  his  hand. 


THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        221 


LECTURE    XXVIII. 


THE  MIGHTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND— Continued. 

And  the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth,  lifted  up 
his  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  hy  nim  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who 
created  heaven,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and  the  things 
thst  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the  things  which  are  therein,  that  there  should 
be  time  no  longer :  But  iu  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when 
he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mvstery  of  God  should  he  finished,  as  he  hath  de- 
clared to  his  servants  the  prophets.  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven 
spake  unto  me  again,  and  said.  Go  and  take  the  little  book  which  is  open  in  the 
band  of  the  angel  which  standeth  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth.  And  I 
went  unto  the  angel,  and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  the  little  book.  And  he  said 
onto  me.  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up  ;  and  it  shall  make  thy  bellv  bitter,  but  it  shall 
be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey.  And  I  took  the  little  book  out  of  the  angel's 
hand,  and  ate  it  up ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth  sweet  as  honey :  and  as  soon  as  I 
had  eaten  it,  my  Mly  was  bitter.  And  he  said  unto  me,  Thou  must  prophesy 
again  before  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings. — Kev.  10 :  6-1 1. 

The  present  lecture  is  closely  connected  with  the  preceding  one.  In 
that  lecture,  we  supposed  the  common  belief  to  be  correct,  viz.,  that  this 
ehapter  refers  to  the  Reformation  ;  and  we  saw  how  the  different  parts  of 
the  symbol  received  their  fulfillment  in  history.  In  the  present  lecture, 
we  consider  two  other  parts  of  the  symbol,  both  of  which  confirm  still 
farther  the  theory  which  has  been  announced,  and  strengthen  the  evidence 
on  which  our  system  of  interpretation  is  based. 

I.  The  oath  of  the  angel  receives  its  fulfillment  in  history,  and  this 
confirms  the  theory  that  this  angel  is  the  symbol  of  the  Reformation.  '*And 
the  angel  which  I  saw  stand  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth,  lifted  up 
his  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever,  who 
created  heaven,  and  the  things  that  therein  are,  and  the  earth,  and  the 
tilings  that  therein  are,  and  the  sea,  and  the  things  which  are  therein,  that 
there  should  be  time  no  longer :  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  Qod  should  be 
finished,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets."  With  regard 
to  the  position  of  the  angel,  I  need  only  remind  you  of  what  has  already 
been  said.  The  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the  other  on  the  land  indicate 
diat  the  blessings  of  Uie  Reformation  were  to  extend  over  the  whole  world. 
Continents,  islands,  and  those  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  were  all  to 
feel  its  blessed  influence. 

This  angel  'Mifted  up  his  hand  to  heaven."  This  was  the  usual  attitude 
in  taking  an  o&ih.  Thus  Abraham  lifted  up  his  hand  and  sware  that  he 
would  not  receive  any  of  the  goods  of  the  king  of  Sodom,  which  he  had 
recaptured  from  the  enemy.     Thus  Ood  again  and  again  lifted  up  his  hand 


222  LiOTuas  xxviii. 

and  made  solemn  oath  with  reference  to  his  dealings  with  the  children  of 
Israel.  Thus  the  mighty  angel  in  Daniel's  vision,  who  bears  a  striking 
resemblance  to  the  angel  of  the  vision  we  are  now  considering,  '^  lifted  np 
his  right  hand  and  his  left  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  that  it  shall  be  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half."  If  the 
Bible  is  to  be  our  guide  in  this  as  in  everything  else,  this  is  the  only  way 
in  whieh  an  oath  should  be  administered.  We  search  its  sacred  pages  in 
vain  for  any  authority  for  the  practice  of  kissing  the  book.  The  hand 
lifted  to  heaven  is  the  proper  attitude,  which  has  received  the  sanction  of 
inspiration  and  of  the  Heavenly  Father  himself  The  propriety  of  this 
attitude  is  manifest.  It  is  an  appeal  to  heaven  ;  it  calls  heaven  to  witness 
the  truth  of  the  words  spoken. 

This  angel  not  only  sware  with  uplifted  hand,  he  also  made  a  direct 
appeal  to  Gk)d.  He  refers  to  two  of  the  divine  attributes  which  muet 
increase  the  solemnity  of  an  oath  in  the  estimation  of  every  oath  taker. 
He  first  swears  by  him  "  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever."  God,  to  whom 
the  appeal  is  made,  will  ever  be  a  witness  for  or  against  him  who  makes  the 
appeal.  If  he  is  faithftd  in  keeping  his  oath,  God  will  ever  be  a  witness  in 
his  favor.  If  he  is  not  faithful  in  keeping  his  oath,  God  will  ever  be  a  ifitr 
ness  against  him ;  for  God  ever  lives  and  changes  not  An  oath,  then, 
which  contains  an  appeal  to  the  ever-living  God,  must  be  one  of  peculiar 
solemnity.  The  angel  also  refers  to  the  divine  attribute  of  omnipotence. 
He  sware  by  him  who  created  the  heaven,  the  earth,  the  sea,  and  all  things 
in  them.  Thb,  too,  gives  increased  solemnity  to  the  oath.  He  who  is  the 
creator  of  all  things  has  abundant  power  to  punish.  No  oath  breaker  or 
other  offender  can  hope  to  escape.  No  man,  who  makes  an  intelligent  appeal 
to  the  omnipotence  of  God,  will  be  willing  to  expose  himself  to  his  wrath. 
And  the  angePs  oath  certainly  teaches  us  that  there  should  be  in  every  oath 
a  direct  appeal  to  God.  That  oath  which  makes  no  mention  of  the  name 
of  God  or  of  the  attributes  by  which  he  has  made  himself  known,  is  no 
oath  in  the  scriptural  sense  of  the  term.  No  one  can  read  the  words  we 
are  now  considering  without  being  impressed  by  the  solemnity  of  the  occa- 
sion. 

We  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  something  more  difficult,  vis.,  the 
subject  mcUter  of  the  angel's  oath.  He  sware  *^  that  there  should  be  time 
no  longer:  But  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel,  when  he  shall 
begin  to  sound,  the  mystery  of  God  should  be  finished,  as  he  haUi  declared 
to  his  servants  the  prophets."  Our  translation  of  the  first  part  of  the 
angel's  oath  naturally  conveys  the  idea  that  time  was  about  to  end  and 
eternity  to  begin.  In  this  sense  these  words  are  frequently  used.  How 
often  do  men,  in  their  remarks  and  in  their  prayers,  refer  to  the  end  of  the 
world  as  the  time  when  the  angel  shall  stand  with  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the 
other  on  the  land,  and  swear  that  time  shall  be  no  longer  ?    But  a  little 


THE  MIGHTT  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        223 

reflection  must  convinoe  every  one  that  this  is  not  the  meaning  of  the 
angel's  oath.  The  oonsnmmation  of  all  things  was  not  then  to  come,  for 
he  proceeds  to  tell  us  that  the  mystery  of  G-od  would  not  he  finished  till 
the  seyenth  angel  had  sounded  his  trumpet ;  and  the  following  chapters 
are  filled  with  the  account  of  the  wonderful  things  which  were  to  he  there- 
afW.  Whatever,  then,  this  part  of  the  angel's  oath  may  mean,  it  mani- 
festly does  not  mean  what  our  translation  seems  to  teach,  that  time  should 
he  no  longer ;  that  is,  that  the  affairs  of  time  were  to  be  wound  up  and 
that  eternity  was  to  begin.  What,  then,  does  it  mean?  I  will  not  attempt 
to  mention  the  many  explanations  which  have  been  suggested,  or  the  many 
translations  which  have  been  made.  I  will  refer  only  to  what  I  believe  to 
be  the  true  explanation  and  the  correct  translation.  The  words  which  are 
translated  '<  no  longer,"  could  with  equal  propriety  be  translated  "not  yet." 
In  this  way  I  think  they  should  have  been  translated:  "  The  time  should  not 
be  yet,  bat  in  the  dvjs  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh  angel  the  mystery  of  Grod 
should  be  finished."  This  translation  plainly  conveys  the  idea  that  some 
expected  time  or  season  would  not  then  come  to  pass,  but  that  it  would 
come  to  pass  in  the  days  when  the  sev^ith  angel  sounded  his  trumpet, 
^en  the  mystery  of  God  would  be  finished. 

In  order  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  angel's  oath,  we  must  de- 
termine what  is  meant  by  the  '^  mystery  of  Gk)d."  A  mystery  is  anything 
that  is  mysterious — anything  that  is  concealed  from  the  knowledge  of 
men.  A  mystery  of  Qod  means  a  truth  which  God  has  concealed;  or 
rather  a  truth  which  he  has  not  communicated  to  dwellers  on  the  earth. 
The  phrase,  as  here  used,  means  the  divine  purpose  concerning  the  destiny 
of  the  world,  a  purpose  which  had  been  long  concealed,  but  which  had 
been  progressively  unfolded  by  the  prophets.  And  what  was  that  mys- 
terious destiny,  as  we  gather  it  from  the  words  of  the  inspired  prophets  ? 
The  work  of  redemption  was  to  be  completed ;  the  Son  of  man  was  to  come 
the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation ;  the  affairs  of  the  world  under 
the  present  dispensation  were  to  be  wound  up ;  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth  were  to  be  created,  and  the  Saviour  and  the  saints  were  to  reign  for 
ever  and  ever.  This  is  the  mystery  of  God.  It  was  not  to  take  place  under 
the  sixth  trumpet,  but  when  the  seventh  trumpet  should  sound,  then  it 
should  be  accomplished ;  then  Christ  should  come  again,  and  all  the  things 
foretold  by  the  prophets  would  be  finished.  This  I  believe  to  be  the  mean- 
ing of  the  angel's  oath.  *^  The  time,"  that  is,  the  time  of  the  Saviour's 
second  coming,  *^  shall  not  be  yet,  but  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the  seventh 
angel." 

In  order  to  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  symbol,  there  must  have 
been  among  the  reformers  a  general  expectation  that  the  end  of  the  world 
was  at  hand  ;  they  must  have  been  waiting  for  the  epeoij  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man.     Was  there  such  an  expectation,  such  a  waiting?    On  this 


224  LECTURE  XXVIII. 

point  there  can  be  no  question.  The  reformers  had  made  the  words  of  the 
prophets  their  study.  They  had  learned  to  regard  the  Pope  as  Antichrist. 
They  understood  the  prophets  as  teaching  that  when  Antichrist  waa  de- 
stroyed, the  true  Christ  would  at  once  set  up  his  kingdom  in  the  world. 
The  rapid  progress  of  the  Beformation  led  them  to  believe  that  the  Papal 
church  was  in  the  last  throes  of  dissolution.  They  little  knew  the  vitality  of 
that  system  of  iniquity,  and  they  expected  that  in  a  few  more  years  it 
would  be  among  the  things  of  the  past.  Therefore,  believing  aa  they  did 
that  the  Papal  church  was  in  the  last  throes  of  dissolution,  they  expected 
and  waited  for  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  To  show  that  this  statement 
is  correct,  listen  to  the  testimony  of  the  reformers  themselves.  Luther 
says :  ^*  0  that  God  might  at  length  visit  us,  and  cause  to  shine  forth  the 
glory  of  Christ's  kingdom,  wherewith  to  destroy  that  man  of  sin.''  ^'Easter 
will  come  for  us,  and  then  we  shall  sing  halleluiah."  *'  The  judge  is  at  the 
door,  and  will  soon  pronounce  a  very  different  sentence."  Melancthon  says : 
"The  words  of  the  prophet  Elias  should  be  marked  by  every  one  and  in- 
scribed upon  our  walls  and  on  the  entrances  of  our  houses.  Six  thousand 
years  is  this  world  to  stand,  and  after  that  be  destroyed  ;  two  thousand 
years  before  the  law,  two  thousand  years  under  the  law  of  Moses^  and  ti^o 
thousand  years  under  the  Messiah  ;  and  if  any  of  these  years  are  not  ful- 
filled, they  will  be  shortened,  a  shortening  intimated  by  Christ  alflo  on 
account  pf  our  sins."  In  a  note  he  adds :  "Written  A.  D.  1557,  and  from 
the  creation  of  the  world,  5519 ;  from  which  number  we  may  be  sure  that 
this  aged  world  is  not  far  from  its  end."  Latimer  says :  "  St  Paul  saith, 
the  Lord  will  not  come  till  a  swerving  from  the  fiiith  oometh,  which  thing  is 
already  done  and  past ;  Antichrist  is  known  throughout  the  world ;  where- 
fore the  day  is  not  fiEur  off."  "  The  world  was  ordained  to  endure,  aa  all 
learned  men  aflirm,  six  thousand  years.  Now  of  that  number  there  be 
past  five  thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty-two  years,  so  that  there  ia  no 
more  left  but  four  hundred  and  forty-eight  years ;  ftulhermore,  even  these 
shall  be  shortened,  for  the  elect's  sake.  Therefore  all  those  excellent  and 
learned  men,  whom  without  doubt  God  sent  into  the  world  to  give  the 
world  warning,  do  gather  out  of  Scripture  that  the  last  day  cannot  be  far 
off." 

From  these  extracts,  it  is  evident  that  the  early  reformers  expected,  with 
all  their  hearts,  the  speedy  coming  of  Christ.  It  was  a  part  of  their  life. 
Every  morning  they  hoped  he  would  come  before  the  setting  of  the  sun  ; 
and  every  evening  they  hoped  he  would  come  before  the  morning  light.  It 
required  long  experience  and  a  better  knowledge  of  the  power  of  Satan 
over  the  hearts  of  men,  and  a  deeper  insight  into  the  word  of  God  to 
convince  them  of  their  error.  To  convince  them  of  their  error  required 
a  power  which  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  oath  of  the  mighty  angel.  So 
far,  then,  as  these  words  are  concerned,  there  is  a  resemblance  between  the 


THE  MIQUTY  ANGEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        225 

symbol  and  the  things  symboliied.  The  end  of  the  world,  though  expected, 
w«8  not  to  be  then,  but  in  the  days  of  the  seventh  trumpet.  All  this  is 
properly  described  in  figurative  language,  by  a  mighty  angel  swearing  with 
upliffced  hand,  by  the  ever  living  and  omnipotent  Qod,  that  the  time  of  the 
Saviour's  coming  should  not  be  yet,  but  in  the  days  of  the  voice  of  the 
seventh  angel. 

II.  The  angel's  oommand  receives  its  fulfillment  in  history,  and 
confinns  still  further  the  conclusion  that  the  angel  of  the  vision  is  the 
symbol  of  the  Reformation.  This  command  is,  "  Thou  must  prophesy  again 
befi)re  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings.*'  Before 
explaining  this  commandment,  it  will  be  necessary  to  explain  the  circum- 
stances in  whichVit  was  given.  ''And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven 
spake  unto  me  again,  and  said,  Oo  and  take  the  little  book  which  is  open 
in  the  hand  of  the  angel,  which  standeth  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth. 
And  I  went  unto  the  angel,  and  said  unto  him.  Give  me  the  little  book. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up  ;  and  it  shall  make  thy  belly 
bitter,  but  it  shall  be  in  thy  mouth  sweet  as  honey.  And  I  took  the  little 
book  out  of  the  angel's  hand,  and  ate  it  up ;  and  it  was  in  my  mouth 
sweet  as  honey :  and  as  soon  as  I  had  eaten  it,  my  belly  was  bitter.  And 
he  said  unto  me.  Thou  must  prophesy  again  before  many  peoples,  and 
nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings."  John  had,  in  the  course  of  this  vision, 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven.  When  he  was  about  to  write  the  words  which 
the  seven  thunders  uttered,  this  voice  had  commanded  him  to  seal  them 
up,  and  write  them  not.  He  now  hears  the  same  voice,  and  though  he 
does  not  tell  us  whose  voice  it  was,  he  recognizes  it  as  a  voice  of  authority. 
This  voice  now  commands  him  to  go  and  take  the  book  which  was  open  in 
the  hand  of  the  mighty  angel.  The  position  of  the  angel  is  here  referred 
to  fi)r  the  third  time,  and  this  must  assure  us  that  his  position  is  an  im- 
portant symbol.  What  it  was  a  symbol  of  has  already  been  explained^ 
We  have  also  explained  the  meaning  of  the  open  book  which  the  angel 
held  in  his  hand.  It  was  the  Bible,  which  had  been  for  many  years  almost 
unknown  in  the  church,  but  which  was  now  given  to  the  world  once 
more  in  all  its  purity.  This  book  John  was  commanded  to  take  from  the 
aogel's  hand.  It  is  here  to  be  observed  that  John  was  acting  in  a  symbolic 
or  representative  character.  He  was  an  apostle,  and  his  great  mission  was 
to  preach  Christ.  He  is  here  to  be  r^arded  as  a  symbol  of  the  gospel 
ministry  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  He  must  be  so  regarded,  or  we 
will  not  be  able  to  understand  the  words  of  the  vision. 

John  obeys  the  oommand ;  he  asks  the  angel  for  the  book ;  the  angel 
gives  it  to  him  with  the  command  to  eat  it  up,  and  with  the  intimation  that 
though  in  his  mouth  it  would  be  sweet  as  honey,  in  its  results  it  would  be 
bitter  as  the  wormwood  and  the  gall.      The  apostle  complies  with  the 

15 


226  LECTURE   XXVIII. 

direction,  and  finds  it  even  as  the  angel  had  said.  At  first  it  was  sweet ; 
afterwards  it  was  hitter.  This  part  of  the  vision  must  remind  us  of  the 
similar  vision  of  Ezekiel.  The  roll  of  a  hook  was  presented  to  him,  a  hook 
which  was  filled  with  lamentations,  mourning  and  woe.  He  was  commanded 
to  eat  it,  and  when  he  had  eaten  it,  it  was  in  his  mouth  as  honey  for  sweet- 
ness. Perhaps  one  of  these  visions  will  help  us  to  understand  Uie  other. 
What,  then,  is  meant  by  eating  the  book  ?  Of  course,  it  is  to  be  understood 
as  a  figure  ;  but  it  is  a  figure  which  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand,  for 
similar  figures  are  common  in  daily  speech.  How  often  do  we  speak  of 
drinking  in  instruction,  of  devouring  a  volume,  of  digesting  the  contents  of 
a  book  ?  All  these  figures  are  near  of  kin  to  the  one  in  the  passage  before 
us.  What,  then,  does  it  mean  ?  It  means  that  John,  or  rather  those  whom 
he  represented,  that  is,  the  gospel  ministry  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation, 
were  hungry  for  the  word  of  Gk>d ;  that  when  an  opportunity  presented 
itself  they  devoured  it  with  all  the  eagerness  of  fiunishing  souls;  that  it  was 
at  first  sweet  to  their  taste,  but  that  in  its  consequences,  as  for  example  in 
the  persecutions  which  came  upon  them,  it  was  bitter. 

This  is  the  obvious  meaning  of  these  symbok.  It  is  for  us  to  inquire 
whether  they  receive  any  fulfillment  in  history  at  the  time  of  the  Refiir- 
mation.  It  is  well  known  that  the  early  reformers,  whom  John  is  supposed 
to  typify,  were  hungry  for  the  word  of  Gbd,  and  that  when  it  was  put  into 
their  hands  they  devoured  its  contents,  as  starving  men  devour  food.  It 
is  also  known  that  they  found  great  joy  and  pleasure  in  the  re^elationa  and 
promises  of  the  word,  and  that  when  they  attempted  to  make  their  perish- 
ing fellows  acquainted  with  the  word,  the  persecutions  which  they  suffered 
from  the  Papal  church  were  bitter.  As  an  iUustradon,  I  refer  to  Luther, 
who  more  than  any  other  man  was  the  embodiment  of  the  Reformation. 
In  my  last  lecture,  I  spoke  of  the  way  in  which  he  was  first  enlightened  by 
the  accidental  finding  of  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures,  of  the  eagerness  with 
which  he  studied  it,  and  of  the  joy  which  he  found  in  its  study.  A  few 
years  afterwards,  he  and  his  friends  were  excommunicated  by  the  Pope  and 
threatened  with  death  by  the  civil  power.  So  great  was  Luther's  danger, 
that  his  Mend,  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  felt  that  there  was  no  way  in  which 
to  hide  the  great  reformer  from  the  storm,  and  to  save  his  life,  except  to 
confine  him  in  a  lonely  castle  in  the  forest  of  Wartbui^.  In  this  castle, 
which  he  called  his  '^  Patmos,"  he  spent  a  year;  but  he  was  not  idle.  He 
translated  the  Bible  into  the  German  language.  It  was  as  if  he  heard  the 
voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  him,  Take  the  book  from  the  angel's  hand ; 
for  he  did  take  the  book  and  make  it  known  to  others.  And  in  his  work 
of  studying  and  translating  the  Scriptures,  he  found  great  joy.  In  one  of 
his  letters,  written  at  this  time,  he  says,  ^*  you  can  scarce  believe  with  what 
reluctance  I  have  allowed  my  attention  to  be  diverted  from  the  quiet  study 
of  the  Scriptures  in  this  Patmos/'     But  he  afterwards  found  that  the 


THE  MIGHTY  ANQEL  OF  THE  SEA  AND  LAND.        227 

conaeqaences  of  preaching  the  word  were  bitter  enough.  On  one  oocasion, 
he  said,  "if  I  should  write  of  the  heavy  burden  of  a  godly  preacher,  which 
he  must  carry  and  endure,  as  I  know  by  my  experience,  I  should  scare 
every  man  from  the  office  of  preaching."  As  it  was  with  Luther,  so  it  was 
with  the  other  reformers.  The  little  book  which  they  received  from  the 
angel,  and  which  they  devoured  with  all  eagerness,  was  at  first  sweet  to 
their  taste,  though  it  afterwards  became  to  them  as  the  wormwood  and  the 
gall. 

We  now  come  to  the  command  of  the  angel.  ''  Thou  must  prophesy 
again  before  many  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings.*'  This 
command  was  addressed  to  John  in  his  representative  character ;  that  is, 
it  was  addressed  to  the  ministry  of  the  Reformation.  They  are  com- 
manded to  prophesy.  The  word  "  prophesy  "  has  a  narrow  and  restricted 
sense  in  which  it  is  sometimes  used.  In  this  sense,  it  means  to  foretoll 
future  events.  But  the  word  is  also  used  in  the  wider  sense  of  making 
known  divine  truth,  whether  that  truth  refers  to  the  future,  the  present, 
or  the  past.  This  is  the  sense  in  which  it  is  used  most  frequently  in  the 
New  Testament ;  and  this  is  its  meaning  here.  In  this  sense,  a  prophet  is 
the  same  thing  as  a  preacher,  and  to  prophesy  would  be  the  same  thing  as 
to  preach  the  gospel.  Therefore,  the  command  to  the  ministay  of  the 
Beformation  is  to  ''preach  the  gospel.*'  But  they  are  also  commanded  to 
preach  the  gospel  "again."  This  implies  that  it  had  been  preached  before ; 
and  so  it  had  been.  In  the  apostolic  sge,  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  had 
been  the  great  duty  of  the  ministers  of  religion.  We  have  not  forgotten 
how  Paul  and  Silas,  everywhere  in  their  missionary  journey,  entered  into 
the  synagogues  and  preached  Christ  and  him  crucified.  We  have  not  for- 
gotten how  Paul  charged  his  spiritual  children,  who  were  ordained  to  the 
*  ministerial  office,  to  *' preach  the  word.''  We  have  not  forgotten  how  all 
the  apostles  were  distinguished  as  preachers.  And  this  state  of  things 
continued  for  a  time  after  the  last  of  the  apostles  had  been  called  to  his 
rest.  Then  rites  and  ceremonies  began  to  creep  into  the  church,  and  as 
they  were  observed  and  loved,  the  simple  preaching  of  the  word  occupied 
less  attention.  In  the  middle  ages,  which  immediately  preceded  the  Refor- 
mation, it  was  almost  entirely  neglected.  What  little  preaching  there  was, 
was  not  the  preaching  of  the  word  of  God ;  it  was  the  exposition  of  the 
fiibles  and  l^nds  of  the  saints.  This  seems  to  be  the  inevitable  result  of 
ritualism.  When  great  stress  is  laid  upon  rites  and  ceremonies  of  human 
invention,  the  preaching  of  the  word  is  neglected.  This  is  seen  in  the 
ritualistic  churches  of  the  present  day.  But  at  the  time  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, the  ministers  of  religion  were  commanded  to  preach  the  gospel  again, 
as  it  had  been  preached  in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  And  they  did.  They 
went  back  to  first  principles.  They  imitated  the  example  of  Christ,  and 
Paul,  and  Peter.     They  began  to  preach  the  word  in  the  demonstration 


228  LECTURE  XXIX. 

and  power  of  the  Spirit.  To  thb  day,  one  great  characterifltic  by  whioh 
the  Protestant  church  is  distinguished  from  eveiy  other  is  the  prominence 
which  is  given  to  the  preaching  of  the  word.  In  it,  rites  and  ceremonies 
occupy  a  secondaiy  pkce.  Thus,  this  part  of  the  symbol  finds  its  fulfill- 
ment in  history.     The  early  reformers  preached  the  gospel  again. 

The  persons,  to  whom  they  were  commanded  to  preach,  are  enumerated: 
"  peoples,  and  nations,  and  tongues,  and  kings."  And  this  part  of  the 
commandment  was  obeyed.  In  the  year  1522,  Luther  returned  from  his 
lonely  castle  in  Wartburg,  and  began  his  preaching  in  Wittenberg ;  and  in 
two  or  three  years  we  are  told  of  its  successful  preaching  before  princes  as 
well  as  people,  not  in  Germany  alone,  but  also  in  Sweden,  and  Denmark, 
and  France,  and  Belgium,  and  Spain,  and  Italy,  and  England.  "  The  Lord 
gptve  the  word,  and  great  was  the  company  of  preachers.''  Thus,  this  part 
of  the  symbol  is  MfiUed  in  history. 

In  view  of  what  has  been  said  in  this  and  the  previous  lecture,  are  we 
not  authorised  to  conclude  that  this  beautiful  chapter  refers  to  the  Refor- 
mation? AU  parts  of  the  vision  have  received  their  fulfillment  The 
character  of  the  angel,  his  appearance,  his  open  book,  his  position,  his  cry, 
and  the  seven  thunders  which  answered  it,  his  oath,  and  hb  command,  are 
all  fulfilled  in  the  Keformation  of  the  sixteenth  century. 


LECTURE    XXIX. 


THE  MEASURING  OP  THE  TEMPLE. 

And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod  :  and  the  angel  stood,  sayine, 
Rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship 
therein.  But  the  court  which  is  without  the  temple  leave  out,  and  measure  it 
not ;  for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles :  and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under 
fbot  forty  and  two  months.— Rky.  11 : 1,  2. 

Thb  vision  which  is  described  in  yerses  1  and  2  of  this  chapter  is  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  yision  described  in  the  previous  chapter.  In  fiust, 
they  are  but  parts  of  the  same  great  vision,  and  they  should  not  have  been 
separated.  In  this  instance,  as  in  others,  the  division  of  the  chapter  is 
unfortunate ;  it  tends  to  confuse  and  mislead  the  mind.  Therefore,  to 
understand  the  meaning  and  application  of  the  measurement  of  the  sym- 
bolical temple,  we  must  remember  the  points  of  the  preceding  vision.  John 
saw  a  mighty  angel  coming  down  from  heaven,  clothed  with  a  doud,  with 
a  rambow  upon  his  head,  with  a  face  like  the  sun  and  feet  like  fiie,  and 
with  an  open  book  in  his  hand.     This  angel  was  the  symbol  of  the  Befor- 


TH«  MEASURING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  229 

nation,  and  the  little  book  was  the  symbol  of  the  Bible,  which  wm  then 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  men  and  which  was  the  principal  agent  of 
the  Refonnation.  The  apostle  then  heard  the  peal  of  seven  thunders,  and 
when  he  was  about  to  write  the  words  which  the  thunders  uttered,  as  if 
they  were  the  words  of  God,  he  was  commanded  to  write  them  not.  These 
thunders  were  symbols  of  the  anathemas  of  the  Vatican,  which  were  so 
often  promulgated  against  the  early  reformers,  and  which  the  reformen  at 
first  r^arded  and  feared  as  the  authoritative  utterances  of  the  church  of 
Obrist,  but  which  they  soon  learned  were  not  worUiy  of  n^ard  or  obe- 
^enoe.  The  apostle  then  saw  another  angel  standing  upon  the  sea  and 
land,  who  swore  with  a  great  and  solemn  oath  that  the  time  which  the 
church  was  then  expecting,  even  the  end  of  the  world,  should  not  be  yet, 
but  in  the  days  when  the  seventh  angel  should  sound  his  trumpet.  The 
apostle  was  then  commanded  to  take  and  eat  the  book,  and  he  was  assured 
that  at  first  it  would  be  sweet  to  his  taste,  though  the  remote  results  would 
be  bitter  as  the  wormwood  and  the  gall ;  an  act  which  symbolised  the  duty 
of  the  church  to  devour  and  digest  the  word  of  Christ,  and  the  consequen- 
ces which  would  follow  the  performance  of  this  duty,  vii.,  inward  peace 
and  joy,  and  afterwards  outward  persecution  and  oppression.  Finally,  the 
apoKtle  was  assured  that  he  must  prophesy  before  nations  and  kings,  an 
assurance  which  was  fulfilled  in  the  revival  of  preaching,  which  attended 
and  followed  the  Reformation.  It  is  just  at  this  point  John  is  commanded 
to  measure  the  temple. 

If  we  have  been  correct  in  our  exposition  of  the  previous  lecture,  then 
certainly  this  vision  must  also  refer  to  the  Reformation ;  and  we  will  not 
fall  into  error  if  we  look  for  its  fulfillment  about  the  time  of  Luther.  In 
considering  this  vision,  I  will,  in  the  first  place,  explain  the  symbols  and 
their  meaning ;  and  in  the  second  place,  I  will  endeavor  to  find  their  fnl- 
fillment  in  history. 

I.  The  btmbolb  of  this  vision  are  few,  and  easily  understood.  The 
apostle  was  commanded  to  measure  the  temple  and  the  altar,  and  to  num- 
ber the  worshipers  in  the  temple.  For  this  purpose  a  measuring  reed  was 
put  into  his  hands.  He  was  also  commanded  to  leave  out  the  court  of  the 
temple,  for  this  was  given  to  the  Gentiles,  who  would  tread  the  holy  city 
under  foot  for  forty  and  two  months.  These  are  the  symbols.  Let  us 
consider  them  one  by  one. 

1.  The  first  symbol  is  the  meatwring  reed.  We  are  not  told  who  gave 
it  to  the  apostle.  It  may  have  been  given  to  him  by  the  angel,  or  by  a 
detached  hand,  like  that  which  wrote  upon  the  walls  of  Belshasssar's  palace  ; 
but  this  is  a  matter  of  no  importance.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know  that 
it  was  put  in  John's  hand,  and  that  he  was  instructed  as  to  the  use  to 
which  it  was  to  be  applied.     The  word  translated  "  reed,*'  as  is  well  known, 


230  LSCTuaE  XXIX. 

describes  a  plant  with  a  hollow  stalk,  growing  in  wet  ground.  Then  the 
word  is  nsed  to  describe  the  stalk  as  cat  for  use.  Sometimes  it  means  a 
scepter,  as  when  it  is  said  that  the  Boman  soldiers  put  a  reed  in  the 
Saviour's  hand  on  the  day  of  his  crudfizion.  Sometimes  it  means  a  pen, 
as  when  John  says  in  his  third  epistle,  '*  I  had  many  things  to  write,  but 
I  will  not  with  ink  and  pen  write  unto  thee."  Sometimes,  as  manifestly 
in  the  present  instance,  it  means  a  measuring  stick.  This  measuring  reed 
is  further  described  as  resembling  a  *^  rod."  The  word  which  is  thus 
translated  is  sometimes  applied  to  a  stick  for  scourging ;  sometimes,  to  a 
staff  for  walking;  and  sometimes,  to  a  scepter  as  a  symbol  of  authority. 
The  last  is  the  signification  which  most  commonly  attaches  to  the  word  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  And  this  is,  I  think,  its  signification  here.  This 
measuring  reed  which  was  put  in  the  apostle's  hand,  in  some  respects 
resembled  and  su^ested  a  scepter.  This  indicates  that  the  measuring  of 
the  temple  and  the  altar  was  to  be  done  with  authority,  and  that  he  who 
held  the  rod  had  a  right  to  do  what  he  was  commanded  to  do.  This  is  an 
important  point,  as  we  will  see  in  the  sequel,  and  I  ask  that  it  be  borne  in 
mind.  The  measuring  reed  resembled  a  scepter,  to  indicate .  that  the 
measurement  of  the  temple  and  its  separation  from  the  outer  court  were 
by  authority. 

2.  Notice  the  things  to  tohich  thi$  measuring  $cepter  was  to  be  iMpplied, 
These  things  are  enumerated  in  the  last  clause  of  the  first  verse.  It  might 
be  remarked,  just  here^  that  the  clause  "  the  angel  stood,"  is  omitted  by  the 
best  critics.  Without  question,  the  command  came  from  the  same  source 
from  which  he  received  the  scepter.  It  cannot,  therefore,  change  the 
meaning  whether  the  clause  is  rejected  or  retained.  The  command  is 
^'  rise,  and  measure  the  temple  of  G-od,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that 
worship  therein."  There  seems  to  be  some  incongruity  in  conunanding 
John  to  measure  those  who  worshiped  in  the  temple,  but  the  meaning  is  so 
obvious  that  it  cannot  be  mistaken.  He  was  to  number  them  and  examine 
into  their  character.  It  must  be  manifest  that  this  command  does  not 
refer  to  the  real  temple  and  altar.  According  to  the  system  of  interpreta- 
tion which  has  been  adopted,  the  temple  and  altar  at  Jerusalem  were  de- 
stroyed years  before  John's  exile  in  Patmos  began.  And  even  if  this 
temple  and  altar  had  been  in  existence  at  this  time,  Jerusalem  was  far 
from  Patmos,  and  it  was  not  in  the  power  of  the  lonely  exile  in  that  island 
to  measure  them.  Therefore,  the  temple  and  altar  must  be  regarded  as 
symbols.  Bear  in  mind  the  heavenly  scenery  to  which  attention  has  been 
called  again  and  again.  On  the  celestial  plain,  on  which  the  throne  of 
God  and  the  living  creatures  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  were  standing, 
John  saw  many  things.  Among  these  he  saw  a  temple  with  its  altar  and 
courts,  fashioned  after  the  temple  of  the  Jewish  economy.  This  was  the 
temple  which  John  was  commanded  to  measure.     Of  what  was  this  temple 


THE  MEA8UBINQ  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  231 

the  symbol  ?  To  this  question  eveiy  one  acquainted  with  the  literature  of 
the  New  Testament  must  return  the  answer,  the  temple  is  the  symbol  of 
the  true  church.  Listen  to  the  words  of  Paul:  '^  Know  ye  not  that  ye 
are  the  temple  of  €k>d,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  Gbd  dwelleth  in  you?  "  "  The 
temple  of  God  is  holy:  which  temple  ye  are.''  If,  then,  the  temple  is  the 
symbol  of  the  true  church,  the  simple  meaning  of  the  command  we  are 
now  oonffldering  would  be,  that  a  correct  and  authoritative  measurement 
was  to  be  made  of  the  true  church ;  that  is,  the  characteristics  of  the  true 
church  were  to  be  oarefVilly  noted  and  minutely  described.  They  were  to  be 
so  described  that  it  would  be  distinguished  from  all  other  bodies  of  men ;  its 
constitution,  its  ordinances  and  its  ceremonies  were  to  be  fixed  and  known. 
This  symbol  would  be  ^IfiUed,  if  at  any  time  there  was  need,  for  any 
cause,  to  inquire  what  constituted  the  true  church,  to  separate  it  from  other 
organisations  which  claimed  to  be  the  true  church,  and  to  define  its  con- 
stitution, its  ordinances  and  its  ceremonies.  Whether  there  ever  was  such 
a  time,  we  will  have  occasion  to  inquire  by^and  by. 

The  apostle  was  directed  to  measure  not  only  the  symbolical  temple,  but 
also  the  symbolical  altar.  Of  course  reference  is  made  to  the  altar  of 
burnt  offering,  which  was  in  the  court  of  the  temple,  and  not  to  the  altar 
of  incense,  which  was  in  the  temple  itself.  We  all  know  the  prominent 
place  which  this  altar  occupied  in  the  Jewish  worship.  On  it  every  sacrifice 
had  to  be  laid.  It  was,  therefore,  the  place  of  samfioe,  which  sanctified 
the  gifts  laid  thereon.  Hence,  the  altar  becomes  a  symbol  of  the  means 
necessary  in  order  to  reconciliation  with  God,  for  it  is  only  by  sacrifice  that 
reconciliation  can  be  made.  "  Without  the  shedding  of  blood,  there  is  no 
remission."  In  other  words,  the  altar  becomes  a  symbol  of  the  atonement 
of  Christ,  for  he  is  the  only  sacrifice  who  can  take  away  sin  and  make  the 
comers  thereto  perfect.  To  measure  the  altar,  would  be  to  examine  into 
the  doctrine  of  the  atonement,  to  define  it  clearly,  and  to  distinguish  it 
from  any  ialse  views  which  might  be  entertained.  This  symbol  would  be 
fulfilled,  if  the  church  should  ever  have  occasion,  on  account  of  prevailing 
wickedness,  to  re-investigate  and  publish  anew  the  truth  concerning  the 
atonement,  as  that  truth  is  taught  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Whether  there 
ever  was  such  an  occasion,  we  will  inquire  by  and  by. 

The  apostle  was  also  directed  to  make  a  careful  examination  of  those  who 
worshiped  in  the  temple,  of  their  character,  their  piety,  their  profession  and 
their  lives.  This  would  be  fulfilled  if  the  church  should  ever  have  occasion 
to  ascertain  who  were  true  members  in  it,  and  what  was  necessary  in  order 
to  constitute  true  membership.  Whether  there  ever  was  such  an  occasion, 
we  will  inquire  by  and  by. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  three  things  are  implied  in  the  command, 
"  Measure  the  temple  of  God,  and  the  altar,  and  them  that  worship  therein," 
viz.,  a  determination  of  what  constitutes  the  true  church;  of  what  the  word 


232  LECTURE  XXIX, 

of  God  teaches  conoerniog  the  great  dootrioe  of  the  atonement ;  and  of  what 
are  the  qualifications  of  membership  in  the  church. 

3.  But  there  was  that  connected  with  the  temple,  tohich  uxu  not  to  he 
measured  or  defined.     ''The  court  which  is  without  the  temple,  leave  out/* 
The  reference  here  is  without  doubt  to  the  outermost  court  of  the  Jewish 
temple,  which  was  called  the  court  of  the  Gentiles,  which  the  uncircumcised 
might  enter,  but  which  marked  the  nearest  approach  they  were  permitted  to 
make  to  the  holy  shrine.     This  court  might  seem  to  an  observer  to  be  a 
part  of  the  temple,  and  those  who  stood  in  this  court  might  seem  to  be 
worshipers  of  God ;  and  yet  in  reality  it  formed  no  part  of  the  temple^  and 
those  who  stood  in  it  and  came  no  nearer  the  ark  of  the  covenant  were  not 
true  worshipers.    This  outer  court  the  apostle  was  not  to  measure.    Though 
it  might  seem  to  be  a  part  of  the  temple,  he  was  not  to  regard  it  as  such. 
And  he  was  not  only  commanded  not  to  measure  it,  he  was  also  commanded 
to  '^  leave  it  out" ;  or  as  it  is  expressed  in  the  margin, ''  to  cast  it  oat" ;  an 
expression  which  implies  something  more  than  a  mere  passing  by,  or 
omission.     It  implies  that  by  some  positive  act  he  was  to  indicate  that  it 
was  not  the  true  temple,  and  that  those  who  worshiped  in  it  were  not  true 
worshipers.     That  this  is  the  correct  idea  is  made  more  manifest  by  the 
words  which  follow;  "for  it  is  given  unto  the  Gentiles."     As  the  Gentiles 
under  the  former  dispensation  were  not  members  of  the  Jewish  church,  so 
the  symbolical  Gentiles  of  the  vision  could  not  be  members  of  the  true  church. 
They  might  seem  to  be  members,  they  might  dum  to  be  members,  but  the 
apostle  was  commanded  to  leave  them  out  of  the  temple  proper,  and  to 
give  up  to  their  use  the  court  of  the  Gentiles.     That  this  is  the  correct  idea 
is  made  still  more  manifest  by  the  words  which  conclude  the  subject  of  the 
present  lecture ;  '^  but  the  holy  city  they  shall  tread  under  foot  forty  and 
two  months."     Of  course  the  reference  is  to  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city  of 
the  Jewbh  economy,  in  which  God  specially  dwelt,  and  in  which  the  people 
of  God  performed  their  most  solemn  acts  of  worship.     This  holy  city,  like 
the  holy  temple,  is  a  symbol  of  the  true  church.    It  is  so  often  used  in  this 
way,  that  when  we  call  the  church  Jerusalem  or  Zion,  we  hardly  think  that 
wc  are  using  a  figure  of  speech.     These  symbolical  Gentiles,  acoordiiig  to 
the  vision,  were  to  tread  the  true  church  ''under  their  feet" ;  an  expression 
drawn  from  the  custom  of  ancient  conquerors,  who  placed  their  feet  upon 
the  neck  of  their  vanquished  foes.     This  part  of  the  vision,  then,  points  to  a 
time  when  the  church  would  be  persecuted,  overthrown,  and  well  nigh 
destroyed  by  its  enemies ;  and  these  enemies  were  to  be  those  who  might 
seem  to  a  careless  observer  to  be  a  part  of  the  church,  or  at  least  related  to 
the  church.    This  treading  of  the  church  under  foot  was  to  continue  "  forty 
and  two  months";  that  is,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days.     But 
these  are  prophetic  days;  and  it  is  a  well  established  principle  of  interpretation 
that  a  prophetic  day  represents  a  year.    Therefore,  the  trials  of  the  church, 


THE   MEASURING  OF  THE  TEMPLE.  233 

which  arose  from  the  penecutioDS  of  these  symbolical  Gentiles,  were  to  be 
for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years.  This  part  of  the  eymbol 
would  be  fulfilled,  if  at  any  time  there  were  men  who  claimed  to  belong  to 
the  charch,  and  who,  to  a  careless  observer,  might  seem  to  belong  to  the 
church,  but  who  in  reality  were  spiritual  Gentiles;  and  if  these  men  persecuted 
the  church  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years.  Whether  there 
ever  was  such  a  time,  we  will  have  occasion  to  inquire  by  and  by. 

II.  These  are  the  symbols  of  the  vision,  and  this  is  their  natural  meaning. 
We  come  now  to  consider  their  application.  In  other  words,  we  are  to  inquire 
whether  these  symbols  have  received  A  fulfillment  in  histort.  If  it 
is  true,  as  has  already  been  said,  that  this  vision  is  intimately  connected  with 
the  preceding  one,  and  if  it  is  true  that  that  vision  finds  its  fulfillment  in 
the  Reformation,  then  we  would  expect  that  this  vision  would  find  its 
fulfillment  about  the  same  time.  Let  us  turn  to  the  history  of  the  church, 
about  this  time,  and  see  if  we  can  discover  any  events  which  are  properiy 
described  by  the  symbolical  language  we  have  been  considering. 

One  of  the  first  questions  which  the  reformers  had  to  answer  was,  what 

is  the  true  church  ?    They  withdrew  themselves  from  the  church  of  Rome 

and  formed  a  new  organisation,  which  was  properly  constituted  according  to 

the  roles  laid  down  in  the  word  of  God  for  the  r^ulation  of  the  church  of 

^rist.     It  addressed  itself  to  this  question,  and  by  its  acts  and  decrees  it 

defined  what  oonstituted  a  true  church.     In  other  words,  it  measured  the 

^eoipig  of  God,  and  it  measured  it  with  a  measuring  reed  which  was  like  a 

^^P^r ;  for  it  had  the  royal  authority  of  its  King  and  Head.  These  statements 

^uire  no  proof.    They  are  familiar  to  every  one  who  has  ever  read  the 

hJBtoTy  of  the  sixteenth  century.    In  the  days  of  the  Reformation,  the 

church  ^as  re-formed;  it  was  measured  with  a  measuring  reed  which  resembled 

a  soept^r ;  the  characteristics  of  the  true  church  were  so  clearly  set  fi>rih  that 

they  may  not  be  called  in  question  even  at  the  present  day. 

Another  subject  which  eariy  claimed  the  attention  of  the  reformers  was 
the  doctrine  of  the  atonement.  The  church  of  Rome  had  greatly  perverted 
ttais  doctrine.  They  taught  that  the  sacrament  of  the  supper  was  a  sacrifice, 
that  the  Lord's  table  was  an  altar,  and  that  the  officiating  minister  was  a 
pneat.  They  maintained  that  the  sacrifice  of  the  mass  was  necessary  in 
oraer  to  make  atonement  for  the  worshipei's.  But  the  reformers  investigated 
^^  teachings  and  rediscovered  the  true  apostolic  doctrine,  that  Jesus  by 
^°^  ^^crifice  of  himself  put  an  end  to  the  ofifering  of  sacrifices,  and  that  the 
^Dttnual  saciifice  of  the  mass  was  a  folly  and  a  sin. 

Another  question  which  the  early  reformers  were  called  to  answer  was, 

^  ^  are  the  members  of  the  true  church  ?     The  church  of  Rome  believed 

^^  doctrine  of  baptismal  regeneration,  and  maintained  that  those  who 

^^^  baptized  were  members  of  the  true  church,  and  that  all  such  baptized 


234  LECTURK  XXIX. 

persons  were  sure  of  heaven.  But  the  reformers  bore  testimony  against 
this  perversion  of  Scripture.  They  taught  the  necessity  of  faith  and  a 
change  of  heart ;  and  they  maintained  that  none  but  believers  were  true 
members  of  the  church.  AU  this  is  symbolized  by  numbering  the  worshipers 
in  the  temple,  and  distinguishing  them  from  all  others. 

Still  further :  the  reformers  drew  a  line  of  separation  between  themselves 
and  others  members  of  the  so-called  Christian  church.  While  they  did  not 
deny  that  there  might  be  some  faithful  followers  of  Christ  in  the  Papal 
communion,  they  claimed  and  proved  that  the  Papal  church  was  Antichrist. 
All  this  is  symbolized  by  the  leaving  out  of  the  court  of  the  Gentiles ; 
for  the  members  of  the  church  of  Rome  claimed  to  be  a  part  of  the  temple 
of  Gk)d,  and  by  a  careless  observer  they  might  be  regarded  as  a  part  of  that 
temple. 

Still  further :  these  nominal  Christians,  who  were  left  out  of  the  true 
church,  persecuted  and  laid  waste  that  church  for  many  years.  That  this 
was  the  case  all  history  abundantly  testifies.  The  true  church  was  long 
trodden  under  foot  by  the  church  of  Rome.  With  regard  to  the  exact 
duration  of  the  persecuting  power  of  the  Papal  church,  that  is,  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  I  will  say  but  little  in  this  connection,  for  I 
will  have  occasion  to  discuss  it  at  length  in  subsequent  lectures.  The 
precise  time  when  the  church  of  Rome  became  entitled  to  the  name  of 
Antichrist,  and  when  the  Pope  of  Rome  claimed  supreme  power  over  the 
earthly  church  cannot,  perhaps,  be  fixed.  Some  authors  have  adopted  one 
date ;  others  have  adopted  another.  But  this  we  know ;  it  was  some  time 
after  the  year  600.  If  we  consider  this  year  as  the  beginning  of  the  Papal 
power,  then  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  would  bring  the 
termination  of  that  power  down  to  the  latter  half  of  the  present  century. 
And,  as  during  recent  years  we  have  been  permitted  to  see  the  Pope  stripped 
of  his  temporal  power,  folminating  his  anathemas  in  vain,  and  lying  like  a 
helpless  wreck  in  the  way  of  advancing  Christianity,  we  may  well  believe 
that  we  have  seen,  or  that  we  are  about  to  see,  the  end  of  the  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  during  which  the  Gentiles  were  to  tread  under 
foot  the  holy  city  of  God. 

This,  in  few  words,  is  the  meaning  and  application  of  the  vision  we  have 
oonridered.  It  shadows  forth  the  re-formation  of  the  church  which  took 
place  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation.  It  symbolizes  the  time  when  what 
constitutes  the  true  church,  and  the  true  atonement,  and  true  membership 
in  the  church  were  clearly  established.  It  points  unmistakably  to  the  new 
order  of  things,  which  was  introduced  into  the  church  at  the  time  of  the 
Reformation. 


THE  TWO   WITNESSES.  235 


LECTURE    XXX. 


THE  TWO  WITNESSES. 

And  I  will  give  power  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth.  These  are  the 
two  oliye  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks  standing  before  the  God  of  the  earth. 
And  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  Are  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and  devour- 
eth  their  enemies  :  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this  manner  be 
killed.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of  their 
prophecj :  and  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to  smite  the 
earth  with  all  plaeues,  as  often  as  they  will.  And  when  they  shall  have  finished 
their  testimony,  the  beast  that  ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make 
war  against  them,  and  shall  overcome  them,  and  kill  them.  And  their  dead 
l)odies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom 
and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified. — Rev.  11 : 8-8. 

The  yision  which  is  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  is  one  of  no  ordi- 
nary difficulty.  It  would  be  a  laborious  and  profitless  task  to  enumerate 
the  explanations  which  have  been  given.  I  will  therefore  sp 
in  telling  what  others  believe  to  be  true ;  I  will  proceed  to  unfold  the  in- 
terpretation which  my  investigation  has  led  me  to  believe  to  be  the  correct 
one.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  vision  itself;  it  is  plainly 
and  vividly  described.  The  apostle  saw  two  witnesses,  verses  3,  4 ;  he  saw 
the  wonderAil  power  they  exercised  on  the  earth,  verses  5,  6 ;  he  saw  their 
defeat  and  death,  verses  7,  8 ;  he  saw  their  resurrection  and  triumph,  verses 
9-12 ;  he  saw  the  e£fect  of  their  triumph  upon  the  children  of  men,  verse 
13.  There  is  no  difficulty  in  understanding  these  emblems ;  the  difficulty 
is  in  finding  their  fulfillment ;  in  other  words,  the  difficulty  is  in  determin- 
ing what  events  in  history  these  symbols  were  designed  to  shadow  forth. 
To  this  difficult  task  I  now  address  myself.  So  much  is  included  in  this 
Tiaion,  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  study  more  than  ordinary  brevity.  To 
tsflist  in  this,  I  invite  your  attention  to  these  points :  1,  the  two  witnesses ; 
2,  their  power;  3,  their  defeat ;  4,  theur  triumph  ;  5,  its  effects. 

I.  Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  two  witnesses  ;  for  if  we  can  reach 
s  dear  understanding  of  the  persons  symbolized  by  them,  we  will  have  no 
diffieolty  in  understanding  the  rest  of  the  vision.  "And  I  will  give  power 
vnto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hundred 
ttd  threescore  days,  dothed  in  sackcloth.  These  are  the  two  olive  trees, 
uid  the  two  candlesticks  standing  before  the  Cbd  of  the  earth."  We  all 
KDow  what  a  witness  is.  He  is  one  who  in  word,  or  in  deed,  or  in  both, 
^^cus  testimony  to  some  truth  or  fact.  These  witnesses  God  calls  "  my 
witnesMB.*'  They  must  therefore  be  witnesses  who  bear  testimony  for  God, 
w>r  the  truth  of  his  gospel,  and  for  his  church.    It  is  worthy  of  remark 


236  LECTURE   XXX. 

and  remembraoce,  that  the  word  translated '^witDess'*  is  the  word  from 
which  our  word  "martyr*'  is  derived.  A  martyr,  according  to  present 
usage,  is  one  who  suffers  persecution  and  death  on  account  of  hb  adherence 
to  the  truth,  especially  religious  truth ;  but  the  word  originally  described 
an  ordinary  witness.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  the  word  changed  its  signification. 
In  early  times,  witness-bearing  for  Christ  and  for  the  truth  of  his  gospel 
did  not  lead  to  honor  and  preferment ;  it  led  to  prison,  to  the  stake,  and  to 
death.  Therefore,  in  those  early  times  to  be  a  witness  for  Christ  was  the 
same  thing  as  to  be  a  martyr ;  and  the  words  martyr  and  witness  became 
synonymous  in  meaning.  Who  are  God's  witnesses  on  earth  ?  Neither 
angels  nor  wicked  men  are  called  by  this  name  in  the  inspired  word.  The 
honor  and  duty  of  witness-bearing  belong  solely  to  the  true  members  of  the 
true  church.  Again  and  again  is  it  said  of  them,  <'ye  are  my  witnesses, 
saith  the  Lord."  It  is  also  said  that  the  gospel,  which  they  live  and  preach, 
is  to  be  a  witness  through  the  whole  world.  It  is  therefore  evident  that 
the  witnesses  here  referred  to,  whoever  they  are,  must  be  true  Christians, 
and  they  must  live  in  times  when  to  be  a  witness  meant  to  be  a  martyr. 

These  witnesses  are  said  to  be  "  two  "  in  number.  It  is  evident  that  the 
reference  cannot  be  to  two  individuals,  for  they  were  to  continue  their 
prophesying  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days ;  that  is,  for  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  prophetic  days,  or  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty  years ;  and  this  period  is  far  beyond  the  duration  of  two 
individual  lives.^  The  reference  must  be  to  a  succession  of  true  Christians, 
who  through  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  would  bear 
continual  testimony  to  the  truth  of  God.  Individuals  might  die,  and 
would  die,  but  others  would  rise  up  to  take  their  places,  so  that  the 
line  of  testimony  would,  through  all  these  years,  remain  unbroken.  We 
are,  then,  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  vision  to  look  through 
the  centuries  which  preceded  the  Reformation,  and  see  whether  there  were 
such  men,  who  bore  testimony  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus,  and  who  sealed 
their  testimony  with  their  blood.  That  there  were  such  men  cannot  be 
questioned.  Protestant  historians  record  their  names  and  the  testimony 
which  they  bore.  Catholic  historians  bear  witness  to  the  same  fact.  It  is 
true,  they  describe  these  men  as  heretics ;  they  maintain  that  it  was  just 
to  persecute  them  and  put  them  to  death  ;  but  the  account  which  they  give 
of  their  doctrines  and  their  manner  of  life  shows  that  they  were  tme  wit- 
nesses for  Christ,  even  unto  death.  I  have  not  time  to  trace  this  line  of 
faithful  witnesses.  To  do  this  accurately  would  require  a  volume ;  and  it 
is  done  in  the  standard  histories  of  the  church.  It  must  suflice  to  say  tlmt 
all  history,  Catholic  as  well  as  Protestant,  reveals  the  fact  that  Gi>d,  even 
in  the  darkest  ages,  did  not  leave  himself  without  a  witness.  There  were 
always  men  who  rejected  the  idolatries,  the  immoralities,  the  superstitionSy 
and  the  false  teachings  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  held  fast  to  the  truth 


TH£  TWO  WITNXSSE8.  237 

as  tanght  by  the  Saviour  aod  his  apostles.    They  were  as  lights  shiniog  in 
a  dark  place.     They  were  witnesses  for  Ood. 

What  is  meant  when  it  is  said  that  these  witnesses  were  "  two"  in  num- 
ber ?  To  answer  this  question  we  must  turn  to  the  rules  of  evidence,  as 
laid  down  in  the  Mosaic  law  for  the  government  of  the  Jewish  nation.  No 
fiMst  could  be  established  by  the  testimony  of  one  witness ;  there  had  to  be 
in  eveiy  case  at  least  two.  The  language  of  the  law  is,  '^  at  the  mouth  of 
two  witnesses,  or  at  the  mouth  of  three  witnesses,  shall  the  matter  be  es- 
tablished."  This  language  is  repeated  more  than  once  in  the  Scriptures. 
Two  witnesses  were,  therefore,  the  least  number  which  could  establish  any 
&et  The  meaning  of  this  part  of  the  symbol  would  be  that  the  witnesses 
for  Ood,  during  the  period  here  referred  to,  would  be  few  in  number ;  that 
while  they  would  be  sufficient  to  establish  the  truth,  they  would  be  no 
more  than  sufficient.  And  history  teaches  us  that  while  there  were  true 
Christians  during  the  dark  ages,  these  Christians  were  few  in  number. 
They  were  barely  sufficient  to  keep  the  line  of  testimony  unbroken. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  condition  of  these  few 
bat  sufficient  witnesses  for  the  truth.  They  are  said  to  prophesy  "  clothed 
ia  sackcloth."  Sackcloth,  that  is,  a  coarse,  black  cloth,  commonly  made  of 
hair,  is  universally  recognised  as  an  emblem  of  sorrow  and  mourning.  The 
meaning  of  this  part  of  the  symbol  is  manifest.  God's  witnesses  were  to 
give  in  their  testimony  with  sorrow  and  mourning.  The  times  in  which 
they  were  to  live  were  to  be  times  of  calamity.  Their  witness-bearing 
would  expose  them  to  trouble  and  distress.  That  this  was  the  case,  history 
tbondantly  proves.  The  few  scattered  saints  of  Ood  were  everywhere  per- 
seeuted;  they  were  driven  firom  their  homes ;  they  were  imprisoned  ;  they 
were  put  to  death  with  the  most  cruel  tortures.  As  we  read  the  history  of 
those  times,  we  wonder  net  that  God*s  witnesses  were  so  few ;  the  wonder 
is  that  there  were  any  who  were  courageous  enough  to  continue  faithftil 
to  the  end.  All  this  is  symbolised  by  the  fiict  that  the  witnesses  were 
elothed  in  sackcloth. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  period  during  which 
the  witnesses  clothed  in  saokoloth  gave  in  their  testimony.  It  was  for 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  prophetic  days;  that  is,  for  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years.  This  does  not  mean  that  this 
was  the  whole  period  during  which  they  were  to  bear  testimony,  but 
the  period  during  which  they  were  to  bear  testimony  while  clothed  in  sack- 
cloth. They  might  bear  testimony  with  joy  before  the  beginning  of  this 
period ;  they  might  bear  testimony  in  royal  robes  afler  its  close ;  but 
daring  that  period  they  were  to  bear  testimony  with  sorrow  and  in  sack- 
cloth. This  period  carries  us  back  to  the  preceding  vision,  for  the  forty  and 
two  m(mths  of  that  vision  are  exactly  equivalent  to  the  one  thousand 
two  handred  and  sixty  days  of  this.      The   witnesses,  then,    were   to 


238  LECTURE   XXX. 

prophesy  in  sorrow  through  the  whole  time  daring  which  the  spiritual 
Gentiles  were  to  tread  the  holy  city  under  their  feet;  that  is,  as  explained 
in  the  last  lecture,  during  the  whole  time  the  church  of  Rome  persecuted 
the  memhers  of  the  true  church;  a  period  which  hegan  about  the  year  600, 
when  the  Pope  of  Borne  claimed  for  himself  supreme  authority  over 
the  earthly  church,  and  continued  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty  years,  till  the  latter  half  of  the  present  century,  when  the  pope  was 
stripped  of  his  temporal  power  and  was  no  longer  able  to  do  injury 
to  the  saints  of  God.  That  we  are  not  mistaken  in  our  inteipretation 
appears  evident  from  verse  4,  in  which  the  two  witnesses  are  described  as 
'^  the  two  olive  trees,  and  the  two  candlesticks  standing  before  the  Gk)d  of  the 
earth.''  The  reference  is«  without  question,  to  the  vision  of  Zechariah,  4: 1- 
14.  In  this  vision  the  prophet  saw  a  golden  candlestick  or  lampstand,  and 
two  olive  trees  by  its  side.  These  two  olive  trees  poured  a  continual  stream 
of  oil  through  golden  pipes  into  the  lamp,  so  that  the  lamp  was  never  extin- 
guished. When  the  prophet  declared  his  inability  to  understand  the  sym- 
bol, the  angel  explained  it  by  saying,  *' These  are  the  two  anointed  ones, 
that  stand  by  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth."  According  to  this  explanation 
the  two  olive  trees  are  symbols  of  ministers  who,  through  divine  appoint- 
ment and  grace,  supply  spiritual  oil  to  the  church,  of  which  the  candlestick 
is  the  undoubted  symbol.  Therefore,  the  two  witnesses,  who  are  compared 
to  the  candlestick  and  the  olive  trees  must  be,  not  two  individuals,  but  a 
succession  of  true  Christians,  composed  of  faithftil  ministers  and  fiuthihl 
churches. 

I  ask  that  this  explanation  be  fixed  in  memory,  and  then  we  can  with 
greater  rapidity  pass  over  the  rest  of  the  vision.  The  two  witnesses  are 
the  few  Mthfnl  saints  of  God,  who,  during  the  whole  of  Papal  supremacy, 
bore  testimony  to  the  truth  of  Gk>d. 

II.  We  are  to  consider  the  power  of  the  two  witnesses.  "And  if 
any  man  will  hurt  them,  fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth,  and  devonreth 
their  enemies:  and  if  any  man  will  hurt  them,  he  must  in  this  manner  be 
killed.  These  have  power  to  shut  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  in  the  days  of 
their  prophecy :  and  have  power  over  waters  to  turn  them  to  blood,  and  to 
smite  the  earth  with  all  plagues,  as  often  as  they  wUl."  In  the  firat  place, 
the  witnesses  had  power  over  their  enemies.  They  would  kill  and  devour 
those  who  injured  them  with  the  fire  which  proceeded  out  of  their  month. 
The  meaning  of  this  symbol  is  obvious  from  other  passives  of  Scripture. 
Thus  the  Lord  said  to  the  prophet  Jeremiah:  ^'  I  will  make  my  words  in 
thy  mouth  fire,  and  this  people  wood,  and  it  shall  devour  them"^  that  is, 
the  words  which  God's  servants  should  speak  in  his  name  should  be  as  a 
consuming  fire  to  the  workers  of  iniquity.  These  words  would  declare  the 
judgments  of  God  and  predict  their  coming;  and  in  due  time  they  would 


THE  TWO   WITNESSES.  239 

come;  and  then  those  who  would  dare  to  hurt  the  memhers  of  the  true 
church  would  be  devoured  and  killed.  That  this  part  of  the  symbol  was 
fiilfiUed  is  evident  from  history.  The  faithful  servants  of  God  during  the 
long  night  of  the  dark  ages  preached  the  truth,  denounced  the  corruptions 
of  the  church  of  Kome,  and  proclaimed  the  just  judgments  of  Ood.  And 
tbese  judgments  of  God,  when  they  came,  destroyed  the  enemies  of  the 
troth. 

In  the  second  pkoe,  these  witnesses  had  power  ^'  to  shut  heaven,  that  it 
ndn  not"  They  were  men  of  prayer,  and  through  prayer  they  had 
power  with  GK)d.  The  meaning  of  the  words  we  are  considering  may  be 
that  they  prevailed  to  shut  the  literal  heaveui  so  that  for  a  season  there 
should  be  neither  dew  nor  ndn  upon  the  earth.  The  consequences  would 
be  famine,  starvation  and  death.  We  know  that  some  of  the  saints  of  God, 
88  notably  Elijah  the  Tishbite,  were  permitted  to  exercise  such  power. 
But  it  is  more  probable  that  the  reference  is  to  figurative  rain.  By  figu- 
rative rain  is  meant  the  spiritual  blessings  which  are  revealed  in  and 
promised  by  the  word  of  God.  Thus  it  is  said  in  Isaiah,  "  for  as  the 
nun  Cometh  down  and  the  snow  from  heaven,  so  shall  my  word  be."  Thus 
it  is  said  in  the  Psalms,  ''he  shall  come  down  like 'rain  upon  the  mown 
grass,  and  as  showers  that  water  the  earth.''  Thus  it  is  said  in  the  law, 
"my  doctrine  shall  drop  as  the  rain,  and  my  speech  shall  distill  as  the 
dew.'*  The  meaning,  then,  of  this  part  of  the  symbol  would  be  that 
spiritaal  blessings  would  seem  to  be  under  the  control  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses ;  that  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  they  would  be  given  or  they  would 
be  withheld.  And  it  is  a  well  known  fact,  that  during  all  the  time  here 
referred  to,  there  was  neither  spiritual  rain  nor  dew  upon  the  earth  but  at 
the  word  of  the  two  witnesses ;  there  was  no  salvation  but  through  the 
truth  which  they  preached ;  there  was  no  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  but  in 
i^OBwer  to  their  prayers.  The  world  was  perishing  through  spiritual 
famine.  * 

In  the  third  place,  the  two  witnesses  had  power  to  bring  calamities  upon 
the  earth,  to  turn  water  into  blood,  and  to  smite  the  world  and  its  inhabi- 
tants with  plagues.  This  does  not  mean  that  they  had  this  power  in 
themselves,  but  that  calamities  were  sent  in  answer  to  their  prayers,  and 
^lurough  their  instrumentality.  Such  power  Moses  and  the  prophets  were 
pcnnitted  to  exercise.  No  one  can  read  the  history  of  the  dark  ages 
without  feeling  that  a  similar  power  was  given  to  the  saints  of  God  at  that 
time.  Wars  and  plagues,  and  famine  and  calamities  of  every  kind  visited 
the  nations.  Though  in  these  things  we  are  not  permitted  to  see  the 
uistnunentality  of  the  persecuted  saints,  yet  the  analogy  of  fiiith  leads  us 
^  beUeve  that  their  sorrows,  their  cries  and  their  blood  were  instrumental 
^  calling  down  the  vengeance  of  heaven.  If  our  eyes  were  opened,  as 
^hey  8]^J{  \^  when  we  shall  reach  the  land  of  light  and  shall  see  clearly 


240  LEOTUBE  XXX. 

the  relation  of  cause  and  effect,  and  the  hand  of  God  in  all  the  events  of 
history,  we  would  see  the  connection  between  the  prayets  and  persecutions 
of  the  martyts  and  the  calamities  which  haye  visited  the  nations  of  the 
world ;  for  it  is  a  truth  established  by  revelation  and  experience,  that  the 
fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous  man  availeth  much. 

UI.  We  are  to  consider  the  defeat  and  death  of  the  two  wit- 
nesses. "And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the  beast  that 
ascendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit  shall  make  war  against  them,  and  shall 
overcome  them,  and  kill  them.  And  their  dead  bodies  shall  lie  in  the 
street  of  the  great  city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where 
also  our  Lord  was  crucified."  In  these  verses  several  circumstances  are 
mentioned,  which  must  be  considered  separately. 

In  the  first  place,  we  are  to  determine  the  time  when  the  two  witnesses 
should  be  defeated  and  put  to  death.  It  should  be  when  they  had  finished 
their  testimony.  Does  this  refer  to  the  end  of  the  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  years,  or  to  some  period  during  the  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  years  ?  In  other  words,  does  the  finishing  here  spoken 
of,  refer  to  the  completion  of  the  time  during  which  the  witnesses  were  to 
testify,  or  to  the  completeness  of  the  testimony  which  they  were  to  give  ? 
The  word  translated  *' finished,"  is  used  in  both  senses  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. It  is  used  with  reference  to  time,  when  it  is  said,  "  till  the  thou- 
sand years  be  fulfilled  "  or  finished.  It  is  used  with  reference  to  the  com- 
plete accomplishment  of  the  object  intended  to  be  accomplished,  when  it 
is  said,  "  if  ye  fulfill "  or  finish  *Hhe  royal  law  according  to  the  Scrip- 
tures." I  believe  it  is  used  in  the  latter  sense  in  the  passage  we  are  now 
considering.  It  refers  to  any  time  during  the  one  thousand  two  hundred 
and  idxty  years  when  the  witnesses  had  borne  a  full  and  complete  testi- 
mony—a testimony  so  full  and  complete  that  it  included  the  whole  truth, 
to  which  nothing  was  to  be  added  and  from  which  nothing  was  to  be  taken. 
When  the  martyrs  had  finished  or  completed  their  testimony,  completed  it 
not  in  time  but  in  matter^  then  they  should  be  defeated .  and  killed.  Let 
it  be  remembered  that  by  the  two  witnesses  is  meant  a  line  of  true  saints, 
which  extended  through  many  centuries.  These  true  saints  testified 
against  the  corruptions  of  the  church  of  Rome.  Individuals  might  die, 
and  did  die,  but  others  were  raised  up  in  their  places.  It  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  these  true  saints  at  first  bore  a  complete  testimony.  As  they 
gradually  became  acquainted  with  the  false  teachings  of  the  Koman  church 
and  with  the  true  teaching  of  the  word  of  God,  they  would  enlarge  their 
testimony.  Thus  they  would  advance  in  their  testimony,  until  at  last  it 
would  become  complete.  This  was  actually  the  case.  In  the  creeds  and 
confessions  of  the  persecuted  church,  and  in  the  acts  and  decrees  of  its 
synods  and  councils,  we  can  trace  its  growth  in  truth,  until  a  complete 


THE  TWO  WITNESSES.  241 

testimony  was  finished.  Then  the  church  testified  agaiost  every  error  and 
in  favor  of  every  tmth  contained  in  the  word  of  God.  This  occurred  not 
long  before  the  Reformation.  The  creeds  of  some  of  the  persecuted 
churches  at  that  time,  as  for  example  the  Waldenses  and  Albigenses,  are  full 
and  evangelical,  as  full  and  evangelicalas  the  creeds  of  the  Protestant  churches 
of  to-day.  The  members  of  these  churches  were  poor,  despised,  and  little 
known,  but  they  were  enough  to  bear  competent  testimony,  and  they  did  bear 
competent  and  complete  testimony.  At  this  time,  then,  we  fix  the  defeat  and 
deadi  of  the  witnesses,  for  just  before  the  Eeformation  they  had  finished 
and  completed  their  testimony;  that  is,  they  had  borne  a  complete  testimony. 
In  the  second  place,  we  will  have  to  determine  what  is  meant  by  the 
beast,  by  which  the  witnesses  were  defeated  and  killed.  This  is  the  first 
time  in  this  book  in  which  "the  beast''  is  mentioned,  but  it  is  frequently 
mentioned  in  subsequent  chapters,  and  always  with  the  same  characteristics. 
Let  us  enumerate  some  of  the  most  prominent  of  these  characteristics,  for 
they  will  help  us  in  determining  what  the  beast  is.  Its  origin  is  from  the 
bottomless  pit.  It  has  great  power  over  the  nations,  for  it  deceived  them 
with  lying  wonders ;  and  over  the  true  followers  of  Christ,  for  it  was  able 
to  overcome  them  and  kill  them.  It  claimed  and  received  from  men  the 
wonhip  which  is  due  to  God  aJone.  It  had  one  particular  place  in  the 
world,  fit>m  which  it  exercised  its  power,  and  which  is  caUed  its  seat  or  its 
throne.  Its  power  was  to  continue  for  forty  and  two  prophetic  months, 
that  is,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years.  When  viewed  from 
oar  standpoint,  these  characteristics  can  be  fulfilled  only  in  the  Papal 
church.  It  had  its  origin  firom  beneath ,  from  the  bottomless  pit  If  judged 
by  its  teachings  or  by  its  immoral  practices,  it  must  be  the  of&pring  of  the 
father  of  lies,  the  prince  of  darkness.  Its  power  over  the  nations  has  been 
great,  for  it  has  ruled  them  with  a  rod  of  iron.  It  has  slain  thousands 
apon  thousands  of  the  followers  of  Jesus.  It  has  been  worshiped  by 
millions  as  if  it  was  God,  sitting  in  the  place  of  God.  It  had  a  particular 
phice,  which  was  the  centre  of  its  authority,  even  the  city  of  Rome,  which 
was  for  many  years  the  mistress  of  the  world.  It  began  to  exercise  its 
supreme  authority  about  the  year  600,  and  it  is  only  within  the  last  few 
yean  that  it  has  been  stripped  of  its  temporal  power.  Therefore,  it  has 
continued  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years.  We  are  then 
brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  beast  which  made  war  against  the  witnesses 
and  overcame  them  is  the  church  of  Rome.  That  the  church  of  Rome  did 
make  war  with  the  tiue  saints,  whom  she  honored  with  the  name  of  heretics, 
is  well  known.  The  stakes,  and  the  racks,  and  the  prisons,  and  the  inquis- 
itions, which  it  used  with  so  much  success,  have  not  been  foi^tten.  The 
souls  of  unnumbered  martyrs  under  the  heavenly  altar  still  testify  to  the 
tnith  of  the  description  that  the  beast  which  ascended  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit  made  war  against  the  saints  and  overcame  them. 

16 


242  LECTURE  XXX. 

Their  defeat  was  total.  It  seemed  as  if  the  line  of  true  oonfeBBors  wai 
extinct.  The  iulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  symbol  is  not  difficult  to  dis- 
cover. The  Papal  church  persecuted  the  true  church  with  success.  About 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century,  true  religion  seemed  to  be  unknown. 
The  Lollards  of  England,  the  Waldenses  of  Italy,  and  all  the  scattered  and 
organized  bands  of  Christ's  followers  had  been  reduced  to  silence.  At  the 
Council  of  Lateran,  which  assembled  in  1513,  and  continued  its  sessions 
about  four  years,  all  heretics,  as  they  were  called,  were  required  to  appear  before 
the  council  and  answer  for  their  belief.  But  none  appeared.  The  authorities 
of  the  church  of  Rome  could  find  none  to  visit  with  persecution.  As  the 
council  was  about  to  dose  its  labors,  an  orator  of  the  council  ascended  the 
pulpit,  and  amidst  the  acclamations  of  the  assembled  prelates  proclaimed : 
"  No  one  answers ;  no  one  resists ;  the  whole  body  of  Christendom  is  seen 
to  be  subject  to  its  head,  the  Pope.''  At  that  time  it  seemed  as  if  every 
true  witness  was  killed.  Listen  to  the  testimony  of  history :  "  The  six- 
teenth century  opened  with  a  prospect  of  all  others  the  most  gloomy,  in 
the  eyes  of  every  true  Christian.  Corruption,  both  in  doctrine  and  in 
practice,  had  exceeded  all  bounds  ;  and  the  general  &ce  of  Europe,  though 
the  name  of  Christ  was  everywhere  professed,  presented  nothing  that  was 
properly  evangelical.  The  Waldenses  were  too  feeble  to  molest  the  pope- 
dom ;  and  the  Hussites,  divided  among  themselves,  and  worn  out  by  a  long 
series  of  contentions,  were  reduced  to  silence.  Among  both  were  found 
persons  of  undoubted  godliness,  but  they  appeared  incapable  of  making 
effectual  impressions  on  the  kingdom  of  Antichrist.  The  Roman  pontifi 
were  still  the  uncontrolled  patrons  of  impiety ;  neither  the  scandalous  crimes 
of  Alexander  YI,  nor  the  military  ferocity  of  Julius  II,  seemed  to  have 
lessened  the  dominion  of  the  court  of  Rome,  or  to  have  opened  the  eyes  of 
men  so  as  to  induce  them  to  make  a  sober  investigation  of  the  nature  of 
true  religion."  Milner's  History  of  the  Church.  ''At  the  commencement 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  Europe  reposed  in  the  deep  sleep  of  spiritual  death, 
under  the  iron  yoke  of  the  Papacy.  That  haughty  power,  like  the  Assyrian 
of  the  prophet,  said  in  the  plenitude  of  his  insolenoe, '  My  hand  hath  found 
as  a  nest  the  riches  of  the  people ;  and  as  one  gathereth  eggs,  I  have  gathered 
all  the  earth ;  and  there  was  none  that  moved  the  wing,  or  openef  the  mouth 
or  peeped.' "  Cunninghame.  "  Everything  was  quiet ;  every  heretic  was 
exterminated,  and  the  whole  Christian  world  supinely  acquiesced  in  the 
enormous  absurdities  inculcated  by  the  Rombh  church."  Encyclopedia 
Britannica,  article  Reformation.  These  quotations  show  the  propriety  of 
the  language  we  have  been  considering. 

We  are,  finally,  to  determine  the  place  in  which  the  defeat  and  death  of 
the  witnesses  were  to  occur.  It  was  in  '*  the  great  city  which  spiritually 
is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was  crucified."  The  dtj 
was  not  Sodom,  or  Egypt,  or  Jerusalem  where  our  Lord  was  literally 


THE  TWO  WITNESSES — CONTINUED.  243 

enicified.  It  was  only  called  bo  "  Bpiritually,"  that  is,  figaratively  or 
metaphorioally.  The  great  sin  of  Sodom  was  its  wickedness,  especially 
its  licentiousness.  The  great  sin  of  Egypt  was  its  oppression  of  the  people 
of  God.  The  great  sin  of  Jerosalem  was  its  crucifixion  of  Christ.  The 
place  which  is  called  metaphorically  by  these  names  must  be  a  place  distin- 
guished for  these  sins.  Such  a  place  was  the  church  of  Rome.  The 
licentiousness  of  its  popes,  and  bishops,  and  priests,  and  members,  as 
recorded  by  its  own  writers,  is  too  shameful  to  be  repeated.  Its  oppressions 
and  persecutions  of  the  true  people  of  God  were  seven-fold  worse  than  the 
oppressions  and  persecutions  which  Israel  endured  in  Egypt.  And,  without 
eontroTersy,  it  crucified,  according  to  the  language  of  Scripture,  the  Lord 
of  gloiy  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame,  by  its  unbelief  and  its  immoralities. 
We  are,  therefore,  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  two  witnesses  were  to 
be  defeated  and  put  to  death  within  the  limits  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which 
is  well  called  metaphorically  "  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  also  our  Lord  was 
crucified."  That  this  was  the  place  in  which  the  witnesses  were  killed  is 
evident  from  what  has  already  been  siud. 


LECTURE   XXXI. 


THE  TWO  WITNESSES.— CoNTiNtrEi). 

And  they  of  the  people,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  shall  see  their 
dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be 
put  in  graves.  And  they  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over  them,  and 
make  merry,  and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another ;  because  these  two  prophets 
tormented  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth.  And  after  three  days  and  a  naif  the 
%>irit'of  life  from  God  entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet ;  and  great 
fear  fell  upon  them  which  saw  them.  And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven, 
saying  unto  them,  Come  up  hither.  And  they  ascended  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud ; 
and  their  enemies  beheld  them.  And  the  same  hour  was  there  a  great  earth- 
quake, and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earthquake  were  slain  of 
men  seven  thousand :  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted,  and  gave  glory  to  the 
God  of  heaven. — Rev.  11 : 9-18. 

In  the  present  lecture  we  continue  and  conclude  our  explanation  of  the 
vifflon  of  the  two  witnesses.  We  were  to  consider  the  vision  under  five 
heads,  viz  :  the  two  witnesses ;  their  power ;  their  defeat  and  death ;  their 
resurrection  and  triumph ;  and  the  effect  of  their  triumph  upon  the  children 
of  men.  Three  of  these  heads  were  discussed  in  the  last  lecture ;  the  other 
two  are  to  be  discussed  in  this. 

lY.  We  are  to  notice  the  rssubrection  and  triumph  of  the  wit- 
messes  as  they  are  described  in  verses  9-12.     Let  us  consider,  one  by  one, 


244  LEOTUBE  XXXI. 

the  circiunstanceB  mentioned  in  these  verseSi  for  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  several  oircumstances  will  lead  as  to  a  clear  understanding  of  the  entire 
vision. 

1.  Let  us  consider  the  indignities  which  were  heaped  upon  the  hodies  of 
the  witnesses  while  they  awaited  their  coming  resurrection.  ''And  thej 
of  the  people,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations,  shall  see  their  dead 
bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and  shall  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be 
put  in  graves.^'  The  persons  by  whom  these  indignities  were  to  be  done 
were  not  to  be  confined  to  any  one  tribe  or  nation ;  they  would  be  of  all 
people,  and  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations.  Those  who  offered  .these 
indignities  would  be  many.  The  language  of  the  verse  we  are  now  consider- 
ing, viz-,  *'  they  of  the  people,  &c.,"  may  refer,  as  this  phrase  does  sometimes 
refer,  to  some  such  representative  body  as  the  Council  of  Lateran,  which,  as 
we  have  seen,  publicly  proclaimed  the  defeat  and  apparent  overthrow  of  the 
witnesses.  But  the  phrase  in  this  instance  is  rather  to  be  understood  as 
pointing  to  the  fact  that  the  indignities  here  referred  to  were  to  be  general. 
Men  of  all  peoples  and  nations  were  to  be  engaged  in  the  disgraceful  and 
unholy  business. 

The  length  of  time  during  which  the  bodies  of  the  witnesses  were^to  be 
exposed  to  indignities,  even  three  days  and  a  half,  will  be  noticed  by  and 
by.  Let  us  now  attend  to  the  indignities  themselves.  The  dead  bodies 
of  the  martyred  saints  were  not  to  be  buried ;  their  persecutors  would  not 
suffer  them  to  be  put  in  graves.  For  a  body  to  be  cast  out  upon  the  earth  b& 
a  worthless  thing  and  to  be  left  as  a  spectacle  for  men  and  a  prey  for  beasts, 
has  in  every  age  been  counted  as  the  greatest  indignity.  Among  the  heathen 
such  a  fate  was  regarded  as  the  greatest  calamity,  for  they  thought  that  the 
spirit  was  shut  out  from  rest  and  compelled  to  endure  ceaseless  and  weary 
wanderings  till  its  body  was  decently  interred.  Though  we  know  that  it 
makes  but  little  difference  where  the  dead  body  reposes,  and  that  the  angels 
can  safely  guard  and  keep  the  lifeless  dust  of  the  saints  in  one  place  as  well 
as  in  another,  yet  we  shrink  back  in  no  feigned  horror  from  the  thought 
that  our  dead  body  may  be  unburied  and  uncared  for.  The  prospect  of 
Christian  burial  takes  away  some  terrors  from  approaching  death.  Bat  it 
appears  that  the  bodies  of  the  defeated  witnesses  were  denied  such  burial ;. 
and  this  was  true,  both  literally  and  figuratively.  It  is  literally  true  that 
the  bodies  of  the  martyred  saints,  during  the  days  referred  to,  were  not 
put  in  graves  with  the  rites  of  Christian  burial.  One  of  the  punishments 
which  was  constantly  enforced  by  the  church  of  Rome  against  heretics 
was  their  exclusion  from  burial,  as  persons  who  were  without  the  pale  of 
the  church.  Council  after  council  decreed  that  heretics  should  not  receive 
Christian  burial.  The  body  of  Wickliffe  was  exhumed.  The  ashes  of  John 
Huss  were  thrown  into  Lake  Constance.  One  of  the  penalties  which  one 
of  the  popes  decreed  against  Lather  and  his  followers  was  that  they  should 


THE  TWO   WITNESSES — CONTINUED.  245 

he  deprived  of  Christian  burial.  All  these  things  are  too  well  known  to 
require  proof.  Therefore,  it  is  literally  true  that  those  who  persecuted  the 
marfyrs  would  not  suffer  their  dead  bodies  to  be  put  into  graves.  But  it  is 
also  true  in  a  figurative  sense.  The  persecutors  showed  such  dbhonor  to 
the  witnesses  as  would  be  shown  to  the  dead  if  they  were  not  permitted  to 
be  interred  decently.  That  the  witnesses  for  Christ  were  in  those  dark  ages 
treated  with  indignity  so  great  it  can  be  compared  to  nothing  but  the  ex- 
posure of  an  unburied  body,  which  all  men  everywhere  have  counted  shame- 
ful, is  well  known.  Living  or  dead,  they  were  esteemed  no  better  than  the 
beasts  of  the  field,  no  better  than  the  worms  which  are,  without  thought 
or  compunction,  trodden  under  foot.  Therefore,  it  is  both  literally  and  fig- 
uratively true  that  the  dead  bodies  of  the  martyred  saints  were  not  suffered 
to  be  put  in  graves. 

2.  The  next  thing  which  attracts  our  attention  is  the  general  refotcinff 
which  followed  the  death  of  the  witnesses  and  preceded  their  resurrection. 
"And  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall  rejoice  over  them,  and  make  merry, 
and  shall  send  gifts  one  to  another ;  because  these  two  prophets  tormented 
them  that  dwelt  on  the  earth."  Of  the  truth  of  these  assertions,  there  can 
be  no  doubt.  There  was  always  rejoicing  in  the  church  of  Rome  whenever 
a  new  victory  was  obtained  over  those  who  were  regarded  as  heretics.  And 
there  was  special  joy  at  the  close  of  the  Lateran  Council,  which  publicly 
proclaimed  the  entire  defeat  of  the  witnesses.  Splendid  dinners  were  given 
by  the  cardinals.  "The  assembled  princes  and  prelates  separated  from  the 
council  with  complacency,  confidence  and  mutual  congratulations  on  the 
peace,  purity  and  unity  of  the  church."  Costly  presents  were  sent  to  the 
pope  irom  various  parts  of  his  dominions.  All  this  joy  was  because  the 
persecutors  thought  that  an  end  had  come  to  the  annoyance  of  the  wit- 
nesses. The  faithful  disciples  of  Christ  greatly  vexed  the  church  of  Rome. 
They  testified  against  its  immoralities ;  they  denounced  its  corruptions ; 
they  threatened  it  with  the  judgments  of  God ;  their  humble  and  holy  lives 
were  a  constant  rebuke  to  the  pride  and  wickedness  of  the  Papal  com- 
munion. It  is  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  men  hated  the  faithful  witnesses ; 
that  they  persecuted  them ;  that  they  put  them  to  death,  and  that  they 
lejoieed  and  made  meny  over  their  death,  because  the  two  prophets,  by 
their  faithful  words  and  their  holy  lives  were  ever  tormenting  those  who 
dwelt  on  the  earth. 

3.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  resurrectwn  of  the 
witnesses.  "And  after  three  days  and  a  half  the  Spirit  of  life  from  God 
entered  into  them,  and  they  stood  upon  their  feet;  and  great  fear  fell  upon 
them  which  saw  them."  In  order  to  understand  this  language,  bear  in 
mind  who  arc  meant  by  the  witnesses  and  what  is  meant  by  their  death. 
The  witnesses  are  the  faithful  ones  who  through  successive  centuries  wit- 
nessed for  the  truth.     But  they  were  persecuted  by  the  followers  of  the 


246  LECTURE  XXXI. 

beaat ;  the  persecutions  against  them  waxed  fiercer  and  fiercer.  In  one 
place  after  another  they  were  exterminated,  until  at  last  none  coold  be 
found  who  were  willing  to  acknowledge  themselves  witnesses  for  Christ.  It 
is  true  th^re  were  some  left,  but  they  were  hidden  so  securely  in  the  fast- 
nesses of  the  mountains,  that  the  emissaries  of  Kome  could  not  discover 
their  hiding  places,  and  the  Lateran  council  proclaimed,  "  No  one  answers; 
no  one  resists."  The  witnesses  seemed  to  be  dead.  There  was  no  one  to 
speak  openly  for  the  cause  pf  true  religion.  But  by  and  by,  even  while 
the  church  of  Kome  was  flattering  itself  on  its  complete  triumph,  (he  line 
of  true  witnesses  was  revived.  The  Spirit  of  God  entered  into  them  and  ^ 
they  began  to  speak.  It  was  as  if  they  had  been  raised  firom  the  dead. 
This  was  fulfilled  at  the  time  of  the  Reformation,  when  the  reformers  took 
up  the  words  which  the  true  witnesses  of  former  centuries  had  spoken,  and 
uttered  them  anew  in  the  presence  of  the  world.  For  the  reformers  were 
one  with  the  true  witnesses  who  had  preceded  them.  They  taught  the 
same  doctrines ;  they  denounced  the  same  corruptions ;  they  testified  for 
the  same  truths  and  against  the  same  errors ;  in  one  word,  they  preached 
the  same  gospel  which  the  martyrs  had  preached  during  the  long  night  of 
the  dark  ages.  The  reformers  proclaimed  no  new  doctrines ;  they  but  re- 
echoed the  doctrines  for  which  the  Waldenses,  and  Wickliffe,  and  Hubs, 
and  many  others  had  suffered.  They  were  men  of  the  same  spirit  and 
character  as  those  who  had  preceded  them.  Luther,  Calvin,  Zwingle  and 
Knox  belonged  to  the  same  fiimily  as  the  reformers  before  the  Beformation. 
Their  characters  had  been  fashioned  in  the  same  mould ;  they  were  moved 
by  the  same  power ;  they  manifested  the  same  fearlessness.  It  is  evident 
that  they  belonged  to  the  same  line  of  witnesses.  It  is  hardly  a  figure  of 
speech  to  say  that  the  old  witnesses  had  been  raised  from  the  dead.  The 
reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century  bore  so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  mar- 
tyra  who  in  preceding  centuries  had  sealed  their  testimony  with  their  blood, 
in  their  personal  character,  in  the  doctrines  which  they  taught,  and  in  their 
manner  of  teaching,  that  it  seems  as  if  the  martyrs  had  been  brought  from 
their  graves.  And  as  we  might  expect,  great  fear  fell  upon  those  who  saw 
the  revival  of  true  religion.  As  it  was  with  Herod,  who,  when  he  heard 
of  the  miracles  which  Jesus  wrought,  thought  that  John  the  Bi^tist  had 
risen  from  the  dead,  so  men  in  the  days  of  the  Beformation  were  filled  with 
fear  at  the  wonderful  events  for  which  they  could  give  no  satisfiictory 
account. 

This  is  what  is  meant  by  the  resurrection  of  the  witnesses.  Though, 
during  a  short  time  preceding  the  Beformation  true  religion  seemed  to  be 
extinct  and  true  Christians  all  seemed  to  have  been  put  to  death,  yet  when 
the  Beformation  dawned,  true  witnesses  of  the  same  line  and  fiunily  as 
those  who  had  been  martyred,  sprang  to  their  feet  and  startled  the  world 
by  their  testimony.  It  seemed  as  if  the  Spirit  of  life  from  Ood  had 
entered  into  the  dead  and  raised  them  up  to  a  new  life  and  ministry. 


THE  TWO  WITNE88S8— CONTINUED.  247 

4.  The  next  thing  which  dums  our  attention  is  the  time  which  elapaed 
between  their  death  and  reeorrection.  "After  three  days  and  a  half  the 
Spirit  of  life  from  Qod  entered  into  them."  According  to  a  well  eetabliahed 
principle  in  prophetic  interpretation,  the  three  days  and  a  half  would  xep* 
resent  three  years  and  a  half.  The  meaning,  then,  of  this  part  of  the 
symbol  wonld  be,  that  for  a  period  of  three  years  and  a  half  the  line  of 
true  witnesses  seemed  to  be  extinct,  and  that  at  the  end  of  that  period, 
it  suddenly  and  miraouloosly  revived,  as  suddenly  and  miraculously  as  if 
the  martyrs  had  been  raised  from  the  dead.  Was  there  such  a  period  of 
apparent  death,  followed  by  such  an  awakening?  Let  us  see.  We  have 
referred  to  the  Council  of  Lateran  as  being  the  time  when  the  witnesses 
were  defeated  and  killed.  And  the  particular  point  in  the  sessions  of  the 
Cooncil  of  Lateran,  when  the  defeat  and  murder  of  the  witnesses  were 
coDsnmmated,  was  that  day  when  no  heretic  appeared  to  answer  for  his 
belief,  and  when  the  orator  of  the  council,  with  the  applause  of  the  assem- 
bled prelates,  proclaimed,  *'  No  one  answers,  no  one  resists."  Then  it  was 
that  the  suppression  of  witness-bearing  for  Christ  was  publidy  recognized 
and  announced.  We  know  when  this  was.  The  very  day  has  been 
recorded  by  historians.  It  was  May  5,  1514.  After  this  date,  there  is 
for  a  time  no  witness-bearing  for  Christ.  We  turn  over  the  pages  of 
history,  but  the  name  of  a  single  witness  is  not  to  be  found;  the  voice  of 
a  siogle  witness  is  not  to  be  heard.  One  year  passes  in  silence,  so  far  as 
the  preadiing  of  the  true  gospel  is  concerned;  another  year  passes  in 
silenoe ;  three  years  pass  in  silence ;  and  the  fourth  year  is  slipping  by, 
whcDy  on  October  31,  1617,  just  three  years  and  one  hundred  and  eighty 
days  after  the  proud  boast  of  the  Lateran  Council,  to  which  we  have 
referred,  there  is  a  commotion  in  Wittenberg,  the  voice  of  a  witness  is 
heard,  which  startled  the  slumberers  in  the  Papal  church  and  astonished 
the  world.  That  witness  is  a  poor  Glerman  monk,  Martin  Luther  by  name; 
and  he  is  nailing  his  memorable  theses  to  the  door  of  his  church.  The 
Reformation  has  now  begun.  One  witness  after  another  makes  his 
appearance,  until  there  is  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses,  all  testifying  to  the 
same  truths  for  which  the  martyrs  died.  It  seems  as  if  the  Spirit  of  life 
irom  Ood  had  entered  into  the  dead ;  and  just  three  years  and  one  hundred 
and  eighty  days  after  the  Roman  church  had  officially  proclaimed  their 
extinction,  they  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  preached  anew  the  glorious 
gospel  of  the  Son  of  God. 

5.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  triumph  of  the  wit- 
nesses. "And  they  heard  a  great  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  them, 
Come  up  hither.  And  they  ascended  up  to  heaven  in  a  cloud ;  and  their 
eoemies  beheld  them."  Of  course  the  events  described  in  this  verse  are 
symbols.  And  of  what  is  the  ascent  to  heaven  a  symbol  ?  It  is  a  symbol 
of  final  victory,  of  complete  triumph.     Thus,  the  ascension  of  Christ  to 


248  LECTURE  XXXI. 

heaven  is  the  sign  that  he  had  conquered  his  enemies,  and  that  he  had 
received  the  approbation  of  his  Heavenly  Father  for  the  manner  in  which 
he  had  performed  his  work.  In  like  manner,  the  figurative  ascent  of  the 
witnesses  would  symbolize  their  triumph  and  the  favor  of  Gk>d.  This 
part  of  the  symbol  would  be  fulfilled,  if  the  truth  proclaimed  by  these  wit- 
nesses prevailed,  and  if  the  errors  against  which  they  testified  were  over- 
thrown. And  this  part  of  the  symbol  has  been  fulfilled.  The  Beforma- 
tion  was  a  success ;  the  reformers  multiplied ;  the  truths  of  revelation  were 
openly  proclaimed ;  the  errors  of  Rome  were  exposed ;  the  gospel  was 
preached  as  the  aposdes  had  preached  it.  The  progfess  of  the  Reforma- 
tion was  remarkable.  It  spread  from  individual  to  individual,  from  fiunily 
to  family,  from  nation  to  nation,  from  continent  to  continent,  till  all  men 
everywhere  beheld  the  triumphal  march  of  God's  witnesses.  It  was  as  if 
they  ascended  to  heaven  in  a  cloud  and  their  enemies  beheld  them. 

v.  It  now  remains  to  consider  the  effect  of  the  triumph  of  the 
WITNESSES,  «s  described  in  verse  13.  ^'And  the  same  hour  was  there  a 
great  earthquake,  and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell,  and  in  the  earth- 
quake were  slain  of  men  seven  thousand :  and  the  remnant  were  affrighted, 
and  gave  glory  to  the  God  of  heaven.''  These  symbols  bear  a  close  resem- 
blance to  symbols  which  have  been  explained  in  previous  lectures,  and 
therefore  it  will  be  easy  to  discover  their  meaning.  An  earthquake  is  the 
symbol  of  a  great  convulsion  or  revolution  among  the  nations  of  the  world. 
That  such  a  convulsion  followed  the  Reformation,  no  one  can  question. 
The  structure  of  the  Papal  church  trembled  to  its  foundation.  The  na- 
tions were  convulsed,  and  thrones  shook  like  afipen  leaves.  All  Europe 
received  a  shock  from  Luther  and  his  fellow  laborers  in  the  Reformation. 

A  second  effect  of  the  triumph  of  the  witnesses  was  the  downfall  of  the 
tenth  part  of  the  city.  But  what  city  is  here  referred  to  ?  We  turn  back 
to  verse  8  of  this  chapter,  and  we  read  that  the  dead  bodies  of  the 
witnesses  were  exposed  in  the  street  of  the  great  city,  which  is  spiritually 
or  metaphorically  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  and  Jerusalem  where  our  Lord 
was  crucified.  That  city,  as  has  been  explained,  was  the  church  of  Rome, 
which  was  distinguished  for  licentiousness,  oppression,  and  the  murder  of 
Christ — the  three  sins  which  have  made  Sodom,  Egypt  and  Jerusalem 
notorious.  This  is  the  city  which  is  here  referred  to.  The  tenth  part  of 
the  church  of  Rome  was  to  fall  before  the  attacks  of  the  reformers.  And 
histoiy  reveals  the  fact  that  a  very  considerable  part  of  the  church  of 
Rome  did  fall  before  the  attacks  of  the  reformers.  Many  parts  of  Grer- 
many  became  Protestant.  England  renounced  its  allegiance  to  the  pope. 
It  was  as  if  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell. 

A  third  effect  of  the  triumph  of  the  witnesses  was  the  deatli  of  seven 
thousand  men.     The  number  seven  thousand  is  not  to  be  understood  as 


THB  TWO   WITNESSES — CONTINUED.  249 

ref^Dg  to  a  definite  number,  but  to  an  indefinite  and  very  considerable 
number.  This  destruction  was  to  be  caused  by  the  earthquake ;  that  is, 
the  moral  earthquake  of  the  Reformation.  And  it  is  well  known  that  the 
Beformation  was  followed  by  bloody  wars.  The  church  of  Rome  endeay- 
ored  to  crush  out  by  force  of  arms  the  growing  kingdom  of  Christ.  That 
endeavor  was  not  crowned  with  success.  Many  faithful  disciples  were  slain, 
but  many  of  their  persecutors  were  slain  as  well.  A  great  number  of  ad- 
herents to  the  church  of  Rome,  a  number  represented  by  the  figurative 
seven  thousand,  perished  in  the  wars  that  followed. 

A  fourth  effect  of  the  triumph  of  the  witnesses  was  fear  and  consterna- 
tion. ''The  remnant  were  afirightcd."  This  does  not  mean  that  the  men 
here  referred  to  were  truly  converted,  but  that  they  were  filled  with  awe 
by  the  marvelous  changes  which  were  then  taking  place,  and  that  in  these 
changes  they  must  have  recognized  the  hand  of  God.  And  so  it  was.  In 
the  power,  which  rent  asunder  that  ecclesiastical  establishment  which  had 
long  held  the  world  in  slavery  beneath  its  iron  grasp,  which  inspired  kings 
and  peoples  with  a  sense  of  their  manhood,  which  set  free  the  human 
mind  from  the  yoke  it  had  worn  so  long,  which  planted  the  principles  of 
civil  and  religious  liberty  so  firmly  that  they  never  again  can  be  uprooted, 
and  which  accomplished  all  this  through  the  instrumentality  of  a  few 
unknown  and  feeble  men ;  in  the  power  which  had  done  all  this,  the  inluji)- 
itants  of  the  world  must  have  recognized  the  Divine  hand.  They  were 
afirighted,  and  gave  the  glory  to  God. 

This  is  the  explanation  of  the  sublime  vision  of  the  two  witnesses,  an 
explanation  which  triumphally  answers  the  sneering  question,  which  is  so 
often  thrown  at  the  members  of  the  Protestant  church.  Where  was  your 
church  before  Luther  ?  In  the  persons  of  those  represented  by  the  two 
witoesses,  the  faithful  servants  of  God,  who,  through  all  the  dark  night  of 
Papal  snpremajBy,  testified  to  the  truth  in  sorrow  and  in  poverty;  who  at 
last,  by  the  violent  persecution  of  their  enemies,  were  reduced  to  silence ; 
who,  after  three  years  and  a  half  of  apparent  death,  sprang  to  their  feet  in 
the  persons  of  ihe  reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century;  who  triumphed 
over  their  foes,  and  who  are  yet  preaching  and  living  in  all  love  and  sim- 
plicity the  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God.  These  are  God's  witnesses,  mem- 
ben  of  the  true  church,  men  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  and  who 
are  destined  to  wear  the  brightest  crowns  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

Do  we  belong  to  this  family  of  witnesses  ?  Are  we  bearing  open  testi- 
mony ?  In  a  court  of  justice  it  does  not  matter  how  much  a  man  may 
know  about  the  case  in  hand ;  if  he  does  not  tell  what  he  knows  to  the 
court  and  jury,  he  is  not  a  witness.  It  matters  not  how  much  we  may  know 
of  the  system  of  revealed  truth,  or  what  we  may  think  of  Jesus ;  if  we  do 
not  tell  openly  to  the  world  what  we  know  and  think,  we  are  not  entitled 
to  the  name  of  God's  witnesses.     The  only  way  in  which  we  can  bear  testi- 


250  LECTUBS  XXXII. 

mony  in  all  ordinary  cases  is  by  membership  in  the  choroh.  The  church 
is  the  witness  box  in  which  testimony  for  Christ  must  be  given.  Are  we 
witnesses  for  Grod?  God  help  us  to  be,  that  we  may  escape  the  woes 
which  overhang  all  others  in  life,  in  death,  and  in  eternity. 


LECTURE   XXXII. 


THE  SEVENTH  TRUMPET. 

The  second  woe  is  past ;  and  behold,  the  third  woe  cometh  quickly.  And 
the  seventh  aneel  sounded  ;  and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  Th<^ 
kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  liis  CbrUt ; 
and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  which 
sat  before  God  on  their  seats,  fell  upon  their  faces,  and  worshiped  God,  saying, 
We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to 
come  ;  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power,  and  hast  reigned.  And 
the  nations  were  angrv,  and  thy  wrath  is  come,  and  the  time  of  the  dead,  that 
they  should  be  judged,  and  that  thou  shouldest  give  reward  unto  thy  servants 
the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that  fear  thy  name,  small  and  great ; 
and  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy  the  earth. — Ret.  11  :  14-18. 

The  annoonoement  of  the  third  woe  and  the  sounding  of  the  seventh 
trnmpet  carry  the  mind  back  to  the  previous  woets  and  the  previous  trumpets. 
In  order  to  see  the  exact  position  which  the  seventh  trumpet  occupies  in  our 
plan  of  prophetic  interpretation,  it  may  be  weU  to  sketch  the  progress  we 
have  already  made.  The  history  of  the  future  was  made  known  to  the 
apostle  by  a  succession  of  visions.  We  have  considered  the  symbob  of  these 
visions  in  their  order,  and  we  have  discovered  the  events  which  these  symbols 
were  designed  to  shadow  forth.  The  first  five  seals  brought  us  down  to  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  century.  The  sixth  seal  carried  us  down  to  the 
dose  of  the  fourth  century,  and  revealed  the  consternation  and  alarm  which 
filled  the  Roman  empire  at  the  prospect  of  barbarian  invasions.  When  the 
seventh  seal  was  opened,  seven  trumpets  were  given  to  seven  angek.  The 
first  four  trumpets  fljmbolised  the  four  great  invasions  under  Alaric,  Gknseric, 
Attila  and  Odoacer,  by  which  the  Western  empire  was  destroyed.  Before 
the  fifth  trumpet  sounded,  a  great  voice  was  heard  proclaiming  three  suc- 
cessive woes  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  by  reason  of  the  three 
trumpets  which  were  yet  to  sound.  The  fifth  trumpet  sounded,  and  the 
foiling  star  and  the  scorpion-locusts  which  swarmed  forth  from  the  bottomless 
pit  symboluEed  the  Mohammedan  religion  and  the  victories  of  the  Saracens. 
This  was  the  first  woe.  The  sixth  trumpet  sounded,  and  the  loosening  of 
the  four  angels,  who  had  been  bound  by  the  river  Euphrates,  symbolised 
the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Turkish  empire.     This  was  the  second  woe. 


THE  SKYSMTH  ntUMPST.  251 

Under  the  same  trumpet,  we  saw  other  yisions,  whieh  ehadowed  forth  certain 
erentB  whioh  were  to  take  place  daring  the  Turkish  empire.  The  mighty 
ugel  descending  from  heaven  wiUi  an  open  book  in  his  hand  was  a  symbol 
of  the  great  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  measuring  of  the 
temple  and  the  altar  was  a  symbol  of  the  re^establishment  or  re-formation 
of  the  church,  which  immediately  followed  the  Reformation.  The  two 
witnesses  who  were  defeated  and  killed,  and  raised  from  the  dead,  were 
sjmbols  of  ihe  few  fiuthful  ones  who,  through  the  whole  period  of  Papal 
npremacy,  testified  for  God  and  for  the  truth  of  his  gospel,  who  by  the 
Tiolent  persecutions  of  their  enemies  were  put  to  silence,  and  who  after 
three  years  and  a  half  of  apparent  death  sprang  to  their  feet  in  the  persons 
of  the  reformers  of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  startled  the  world  by  their 
testimony.  And  now  ''  the  second  woe  is  past;  and  behold,  the  third  woe 
eometh  quickly."  What  the  second  woe  was,  we  have  seen ;  what  the  third 
woe  is  to  be,  we  will  see  when  the  seventh  angel  sounds  his  trumpet,  and 
the  heavenly  voices  and  the  songs  of  the  redeemed  are  heard  announcing 
that  the  end  has  come. 

A  few  remarks  of  a  general  nature  will  help  us  in  understanding  the 
Kventh  trumpet,  and  make  its  explanation  easier.  There  were  to  be  three 
woes  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  this  is  the  last  There  were 
U>  be  seven  trumpets,  and  this  is  the  last  These  facts  would  lead  us  to 
expect  that  the  end  had  now  come,  and  that  this  series  of  visions  was  about 
to  dose.  This  expectation  is  strengthened  by  what  is  contained  in  one  of 
the  visions  of  ihe  preceding  chapter.  The  mighty  angel,  who  stood  witli  one 
fcot  upon  the  sea  and  the  other  upon  the  dry  land,  swore  with  uplifted  hand, 
not  as  it  is  in  our  version,  ''that  time  should  be  no  longer,''  but  "that  the 
time  should  not  be  yet" ;  that  is,  the  time  for  which  men  were  then  generally 
looking,  even  the  end  of  the  world  ;  but  that  ''in  the  days  of  the  voice  of 
the  seventli  angel,  when  he  shall  begin  to  sound,  flie  mystery  of  Qod  should 
be  finished,  as  he  hath  declared  to  his  servants  the  prophets."  Gertainly 
then,  we  may  expect  that  when  the  seventh  angel  sounds  his  trumpet,  the 
mystery  of  God  will  be  finished,  the  long  looked  for  time  will  come,  and  the 
world  with  the  present  order  of  things  will  draw  to  an  end.  This  expecta- 
tion is  still  ftirther  strengthened  by  what  is  contained  in  the  vision  we  are 
now  considering.  The  announcement  is  made  in  heaven,  that "  the  kingdoms 
of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ" 
Sorely,  this  will  not  be  till  the  present  order  of  things  is  ended,  and  a  new 
order  of  things  is  begun.  It  is  also  announced  that  the  dead  are  to  be 
judged,  that  rewards  are  to  be  given  to  the  saints,  and  that  others  are  to 
be  destroyed.  Surely,  this  will  not  be  till  the  present  order  of  things  is 
ended,  and  a  new  order  of  things  is  begun. 

We  are,  therefore,  able  to  fix  the  period  covered  by  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet.     It  extends  from  the  time  when  the  church  of  Rome  will 


252  LEOTUBE  XXXII. 

be  broken,  and  the  faithful  witnesses  will  be  triumphant  in  the  presence  of 
their  foes,  till  the  day  of  judgment,  when  the  judge  upon  the  great  white 
throne  will  distribute  his  rewards  and  punishments.  We  are  then  to  look 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  symbols  of  this  trumpet  in  the  closing  scenes  of 
the  world's  history,  which  are  now  rapidly  approaching  their  consummation. 
It  is  true,  these  scenes  are  but  briefly  sketched  in  the  present  vision,  for  in 
another  series  of  visions,  contained  in  the  subsequent  chapters  of  this  book, 
they  are  to  be  described  more  at  length.  In  that  series  of  visioos,  the  events 
connected  with  the  end  of  the  world  will  be  minutely  detailed,  and  when  we 
come  to  explain  that  series  of  visions,  these  events  will  be  carefully  discussed. 
We  will  follow  the  example  of  the  Spirit  of  inspiration,  and  touch  but 
briefly  on  the  incidents  which  are  here  referred  to. 

Let  it  then  be  remembered  that  the  sounding  of  the  seventh  trumpet  is  the 
last  vision  in  the  present  series,  the  vision  which  brings  the  present  series 
to  a  close.  We  have,  from  the  beginning  of  chapter  lY,  been  following  the 
wonderful  panorama  of  the  future.  We  have  seen  the  prominent  events  of 
history,  especially  those  connected  with  the  church,  shadowed  forth  under 
expressive  symbols.  We  have  witnessed  the  persecutions,  and  conflicts, 
and  triumphs  of  the  saints,  as  described  in  symbolic  language.  And  now 
the  seventh  angel  sounds  the  trumpet  which  had  been  given  to  hinn,  and 
there  are  wonders  in  heaven  which  indicate  that  the  end  of  the  world  has 
come,  and  that  the  day  has  dawned  to  which  all  the  dwellers  on  the  earth 
have  long  looked  forward  with  many  a  misgiving. 

The  scene  of  this  vision  is  the  celestial  plain.  The  voices  which  the 
apostle  heard  and  the  sights  which  he  saw  were  in  heaven.  The  earth  has 
vanished  from  his  view.  The  consummation  of  all  things  has  come.  In 
vision,  John  saw  the  day  which  the  prophets  had  foretold,  and  for  which 
the  saints,  in  every  age,  have  waited ;  that  day  which  is  yet  future,  and 
for  which  we  are  waiting.  And  he  tells  us  what  he  saw.  While  we  study 
his  words  and  endeavor  to  understand  their  meaning,  let  us  remember  that 
they  describe  a  day  which  we  will  see,  and  a  scene  in  which  we  will  be 
deeply  interested.  The  apostle's  vision  divides  itself  into  two  parts,  vis., 
the  heavenly  voices,  and  the  worship  of  the  redeemed. 

I.  Let  us  notice  the  heavenly  yoioes.  "And  the  seventh  aagd 
sounded ;  and  there  were  great  voices  in  heaven,  saying,  The  kingdoms  of 
this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ ;  and 
he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever."  The  apostle  does  not  tell  us  by  whom 
these  words  were  uttered ;  but  certainly  we  cannot  be  wrong  if  we  suppose 
them  to  be  the  words  of  the  great  multitude  which  had  assembled  on  the 
celestial  plun.  The  holy  angels  had  long  looked  for  the  coming  of  this 
day.  They  had  watched  from  the  beginning  of  time  the  development  of 
God's  plan,  and  wondered  more  and  more  at  each  new  revelation  of  divine 


THE  SEVENTH  TRUMPET.  253 

graoe.  There  were  many  things  which  they  were  not  able  to  understand, 
for  God's  ways  were  far  above  their  comprehension,  but  they  waited 
patiently  with  full  angelic  trust.  Now  when  the  end  had  come  and  they 
saw  clearly  how  God  had  made  all  things  to  work  together  for  his  glory,  it 
18  no  wonder  that  they  sang  together  as  they  had  done  on  the  morning  of 
creation,  and  shouted  with  a  greater  joy  than  they  had  felt  when  tiiey 
beheld  the  wonders  of  creating  omnipotence.  But  voices  were  heard  now, 
which  were  not  heard  when  the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  when  the 
sonsiof  God  shouted  for  joy.  These  were  the  voices  of  the  saints.  This 
day  was  the  fulfillment  of  their  hopes.  During  their  earthly  lives,  they 
had  been  looking  forward  to  this  day.  They  looked  forward  to  it  in  their 
dying  hour.  Now,  when  that  day  had  come,  a  day  free  from  sin,  and 
sorrow,  and  death,  and  foil  of  rewards  and  victories,  they  joined  their  voices 
with  the  voices  of  the  sinless  angels  in  making  the  plains  of  heaven  ring 
with  the  praises  of  their  God.  For  the  voices  which  were  heard  were  the 
voioes  of  praise  and  exultation.  And  they  were  great  voices.  The  voice 
of  praise  here  on  earth  is  feeble,  and  it  is  often  interrupted  by  weariness 
and  by  cries  of  agony ;  but  the  praise  of  that  day  will  be  uninterrupted  and 
unbroken. 

The  first  announcement  made  by  the  heavenly  voices  was,  "the  king- 
doms of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his 
Christ";  or,  as  this  clause  reads  in  the  critical  editions  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment,  "  the  kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  his  Christ."  However,  the  meaning  is  substantially  the  same,  which- 
ever reading  is  adopted.  There  is  a  sense  in  which  the  world  and  the 
ftdlnesB  thereof  ever  have  been  the  kingdom  of  God.  He  created  it  for 
his  own  glory ;  it  belongs  to  him ;  and  he  has  never  laid  down  the  reins  of 
its  government.  But  many  parte  of  the  world  have,  since  the  beginning, 
been  in  rebellion  against  him.  Individuals  and  nations  have  not  recog- 
nised his  authority ;  they  have  not  obeyed  his  law.  There  has  not  been  a 
time  since  the  gates  of  Eden  closed  on  the  retreating  jforms  of  our  first 
parents,  when  all  men  and  all  kingdoms  have  bowed  themselves  in  humble 
submission  before  the  throne  of  their  Creator.  And  as  it  has  been  in  the 
past,  so  it  is  in  the  present.  Earth's  dark  places  are  yet  fiUed  with  the 
habitations  of  horrid  cruelty.  There  is  many  a  heart,  and  many  a  home, 
and  many  a  palace,  which  acknowledges  no  allegiance  to  the  King  of  kings 
and  the  Lord  of  lords.  And  so  it  will  continue  to  be  until  the  seventh  angel 
shall  sound  his  trumpet;  then  the  kingdom  of  this  world  will  become  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ.  Then  Qod  will  be  recognised  as  the 
Supreme  Baler,  and  his  word  will  be  obeyed  as  a  higher  law  than  any 
constitution  which  human  wisdom  has  framed.  Then  nations  ^ill  learn 
war  no  more,  and  the  instruments  of  warfiire  will  be  turned  into  the  im- 
plements of  peaoci  for  aU  will  wear  the  same  uniform  and  march  beneath  the 


254  LBOTUBE  XXXII. 

same  Great  Captain  of  their  salvation.  Then  no  man  will  need  to  teach 
his  brother  the  way  to  Zion,  for  all  will  be  traveling  thither.  Bnt  it  is  to 
be  observed  that  the  kingdom  of  this  world  is  not  only  to  beoome  the  king- 
dom of  God,  but  also  "  of  his  Christ.''  That  is,  the  kingdom  of  Uus 
world  is  not  only  to  become  the  kingdom  of  the  Godhead ;  it  is  in  a  special 
manner  to  become  the  kingdom  of  the  second  person  of  the  Godhead.  This 
is  a  truth  which  is  taught  with  great  plainness  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.  It 
is  of  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity  it  is  said,  *'  all  things  were  made  bj 
him,  and  without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made."  It  is  the 
second  person  of  the  Trinity  who  ^'upholdeth  all  things  by  the  word  of 
his  power."  It  is  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity  whom  God  has  made 
"  head  over  all  things  for  his  church."  And  it  is  to  the  second  person  of 
the  Trinity  to  whom  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  at  last  to  give  in  their 
allegiance.  , 

The  heavenly  voices  announce  not  only  that  the  universal  kingdom  ^ 
Christ  had  begun,  but  also  that  it  should  never  end.  '^  He  shall  reign  fbr 
ever  and  ever,"  This,  too,  is  in  accordance  with  repeated  dedarations  of 
Scripture.  '^  His  throne  is  an  everlasting  throne."  "  His  kingdom  hath 
no  end."  The  heavenly  voices,  then,  announce  no  new  truth;  they  only 
repeat  truths  with  which  every  reader  of  the  Bible  is  familiar,  even  the 
truths  that  Christ  is  Lord  of  all  and  that  his  kingdom  is  to  be  univenal 
and  everlasting.  When  these  predictions  begin  to  be  fulfilled,  what  a 
change  will  be  wrought  in  this  world  of  ours,  which  sin  has  so  long  defiled 
and  subdued  1  According  to  inspiration,  the  time  is  to  come  when  the 
Saviour  is  to  reign  in  the  earth,  when  all  men^  everywhere  will  recognise 
his  authority  and  obey  his  laws,  when  from  every  city,  and  hamlet,  and 
home,  and  heart,  the  words  of  loving  adoration  will  be  heard  ever  more. 
This  time  will  be  when  the  seventh  angel  shall  sound  his  trumpet  and  the 
heavenly  voices  will  be  heard  saying,  "  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ ;  and  he  shall  rriign 
for  ever  and  ever." 

II.  We  were  to  notice  the  worship  of  the  bbdeeubd,  as  it  is  de- 
scribed in  verses  16-18. 

1.  In  the  first  place,  we  will  have  to  notice  ikt^wuyM  by  whom  this 
worship  was  offered.  It  was  offered  by  '<  the  four  and  twenty  elders  whidi 
sat  before  God  on  their  seats."  When  these  elders  were  first  introduced, 
in  chapter  lY,  into  this  series  of  visions,  their  symbolical  character  was 
explained  and  the  persons  they  symbolised  were  pointed  out.  The  argu- 
ments which  were  then  advanced  need  not  now  be  repeated.  It  will  be 
sufficient  to  state  the  conclusion  which  was  then  reached,  vis.,  that  the  four 
and  twenty  elders  symbolise  and  represent  the  church  triumphant,  the  re- 
deemed in  heaven.     And  when  the  seventh  angel  has  sounded  his  tram- 


THE   8BVENTH  TRUMPET.  255 

pet  and  the  Saviour  takes  to  himself  his  great  power,  the  redeemed  in 
heaven,  who  have  long  heen  waiting  fyr  the  coming  of  this  time,  unite  in 
singing  a  song  of  thanksgiving,  in  which,  for  some  reason  we  are  not  ahle 
to  discover,  the  four  living  creatures  who  are  the  representatives  of  the 
church  on  the  earth  are  not  permitted  to  join. 

•2.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  aUitude  of  the 
worshipers.  ''They  fell  upon  their  faces  and  worshiped  Qod"  Theirs 
was  no  formal  worship.  They  were  full  of  adoration  and  love ;  and  they 
manifested  their  adoration  and  love  by  prostrating  themselves  before  the 
throne. 

3.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  song  of  thanks- 
giving which  the  four  and  twenty  elders  sang,  for  it  is  evident  that  the 
worship  of  the  redeemed  on  this  occasion  was  not  made  up  of  confession 
and  petition,  but  of  thanksgiving.  This  song  b  contained  in  verses  17 
and  18,  and  it  will  be  best  expluned  by  considering  its  several  parts  one 
by  one.  In  the  first  place,  they  worshiped  Qod  and  gave  him  thanks,  as 
"the  Lord  Gt)d  Almighty";  that  is,  as  the  all  powerful  Gk)d.  It  was  by 
the  omnipotence  of  his  arm  that  the  work  had  been  accomplished,  whose 
completion  was  now  celebrated.  Nothing  but  omnipotenoe  could  have 
defended  the  church  through  all  its  trials,  and  established  it  over  all  the 
world  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  wicked  men  and  angels.  Therefore, 
these  worshipers  first  of  all  mention  the  divine  omnipotenoe  in  their  song 
of  thanksgiving,  saying,  ''  We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lwd  Qod  Almighty." 

In  the  next  place,  they  worship  God  and  give  him  thanks,  as  the  God 
"which  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to  come"  ;  that  is,  as  the  eternal  and 
unchanging  one.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  the  last  phrase,  ''art 
to  come,"  is  omitted  by  nearly  all  the  recent  editors  of  this  book  as  being 
without  sufficient  authority.  This  phrase  is  to  be  fi>und  in  similar  passages 
elsewhere,  as  for  example,  in  chapter  1:8.  And  it  is  supposed  that 
some  transcriber  inserted  it  in  this  verse,  thinking  that  some  previous 
copyist  had  by  mistake  omitted  it.  But  it  has  no  place  here.  This 
passage  refers  to  the  end  of  time,  and  while  it  would  be  proper  to  say  that 
God  was,  and  God  is,  it  would  not  be  proper  to  say  that  God  is  to  be,  for 
then  time  would  be  no  longer,  and  eternity  would  be  an  eternal  now,  The 
nnchangeableness  of  God  must  ever  be  a  theme  of  thanksgiving.  The 
reason  why  the  church  and  the  members  of  the  church  are  always  safe,  \& 
because  God  is  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever.  The  redeemed 
in  heaven  know  this  truth,  even  better  than  the  redeemed  en  the  earth, 
and  they  make  mention  of  it  in  their  song  of  praise. 

And  now  there  fbllows  an  enumeration  of  the  things  for  which  the  re- 
deemed in  heaven  give  thanks  to  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  then  was 
and  ever  had  been  the  same.  They  praise  him  because,  to  use  their  own 
language,  <'  Thou  hast  taken  to  thee  thy  great  power  and  hast  reigned." 


256  LSGTU&S  XXXII. 

It  had  Beemed  to  the  saints,  at  times,  as  if  the  Saviour  had  abdicated  his 
universal  throne,  or  had,  at  least,  relaxed  his  government  over  the  world. 
Sin,  anarchy  and  rebellion  prevailed.     But  he  had  now  shown  his  divine 
power;  he  had  subdued  his  enemies;  he  had  established  his  kingdom; 
he  had  shown  himself  a  king.     This  called  forth  the  praise  of  those  who 
had  long  wondered  at  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked  and  their  oppressic^n 
of  the  church.    The  next  theme  of  thanksgiving  is  the  manifestation  of 
the  divine  wrath.  "The  nations  were  angry,  and  thy  wrath  is  come.''  The 
nations  had  long  shown  their  anger  against  the  church  and  the  church's 
King  and  Head.     They  had  opposed  the  truth  ;  they  had  persecuted  the 
witnesses ;  they  had  slain  the  sainta ;  they  had  laid  waste  the  church.  But 
now  the  divine  patience  was  exhausted  and  the  divine  wrath  was  kindled. 
Let  those  who  are  the  enemies  of  the  great  King  tremble,  and  let  those  who 
are  his  friends  rejoice  with  exceeding  joy  ;  for  the  awakening  of  the  divine 
wrath  is  an  occasion  of  thanksgiving  to  those  who  are  redeemed.   Such  an 
occasion  of  thanksgiving  is  to  be,  if  the  Scriptures  are  to  be  relied  on,  when 
the  world  is  drawing  to  an  end.     The  final  establbhment  of  the  kingdom 
of  Qod  on  the  earth  will  be  preceded  and  accompanied  by  such  calamities 
as  will  show  that  the  king  has  arisen  in  his  might  to  cut  off  his  foes  and 
vindicate  his  people.     The  next  theme  of  thanksgiving  is  the  coming  of 
the  day  of  judgment.    "  The  time  of  the  dead  is  come  that  they  should  be 
judged."     Many  will  not  be  able  to  see  in  the  near  approach  of  the  day 
of  judgment  any  reason  for  joy.     They  will  cry  to  the  mountains  and 
rocks  to  fiiU  on  them  and  cover  them  from  the  Lamb,  when  the  greatday  of 
his  wrath  has  come.     But  it  will  not  be  so  with  the  saints.     To  them  the 
day  of  judgment  is  the  day  of  complete  vindication  and  overflowing  joy. 
For  then,  in  the  language  of  these  heavenly  worshipers,  ''Thou  shouldest 
give  reward  unto  thy  servants  the  prophets,  and  to  the  saints,  and  them  that 
fear  thy  name,  small  and  great."  When  that  day  shall  come,  the  people  of 
Qodj  whatever  be  the  name  by  which  they  were  known  on  the  earth,  or 
whatever  be  the  station  which  they  occupied,  will  receive  their  reward. 
And  what  a  reward  it  will  be  1    It  may  not  be  described.    It  cannot  be 
conceived.   The  inspired  word  hints  at  thrones,  and  crowns,  and  pleasuresv 
and  ftillness  of  joys,  and  life  everlasting;  but  these  things  are  too  strange 
for  us  to  understand.    "  It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be."  Do  not 
fail  to  see  and  feel  the  comfort  which  the  words  we  are  now  considering 
are  well  calculated  to  impart.     We  dare  not  claim  for  ourselves  the  name 
of  prophets ;  we  may  not,  when  we  remember  our  sinfulness,  dare  to  claim 
for  ourselves  the  name  of  saints ;  but  we  may  claim  for  ourselves  the  name 
of  those  who  fear  the  Lord.    If  so,  however  low  we  may  be  in  the  esteem 
of  men,  we  may  look  up  and  expect  the  reward ;  for  the  song  of  the  heavenly 
worshipers  assures  us  that  the  judge  will  reward  not  only  his  servants  the 
prophets,  not  only  the  saints,  but  also  them  "  that  fear  his  name,  both  small 


THE  SEVENTH  TRUMPET.  257 

and  great,"     For  these  words  let  as  be  thankful.     There  is  a  reward  for 
them  that  fear  the  Lord.  The  last  theme  of  thanksgiving  is  the  destruction 
of  the  church's  enemies.    *'And  shouldest  destroy  them  which  destroy  the 
earth."     Then  the  long  reign  of  Satan  will  be  ended,  and  his  followers, 
who  have  made  our  world  a  battle  field  and  a  sepulcher,  will  be  destroyed. 
This  is  the  conclusion  of  the  first  series  of  visions,  for  verse  19  of  this 
chapter  belongs  rather  to  the  next  chapter,  and  marks  the  beginning  of  a 
new  series  of  visions.  We  have  now  traced  the  history  of  the  world  through 
successive  symbols,  from  the  time  when  John  was  an  exile  in  Patmos  to 
the  day  of  judgment.   Where  are  we  and  the  church  standing  to-day  ?    If 
we  have  been  correct  in  our  exposition,  this  question  is  not  difficult  to 
answer.    We  are  near  the  close  of  the  period  marked  by  the  sounding  of  the 
sixth  trompet,  and  near  the  beginning  of  the  period  marked  by  the  sounding 
of  the  seventh  trumpet.     The  period  of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
years,  a  period  insisted  on  not  only  in  this  book,  but  also  in  the  prophecy 
of  Daniel,  covers  the  tiipe  of  Papal  supremacy.     K  we  knew  the  exact 
date  when  the  church  of  Rome  began  to  be  supreme,  we  would 'know  the 
exact  date  of  its  overthrow.     But  the  former  date  is  not  easy  to  fix.     We 
know  that  it  was  about  the  seventh  century.  If,  for  example,  it  was  in  the 
year  600,  then  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  would  bring  us 
down  to  the  latter  half  of  the  present  century.  And  as  we  have  within  these 
recent  years  seen  the  Pope  stripped  of  his  temporal  power,  and  the  mighty 
ecclesiastical  system  of  which  he  is  the  head  lying  like  a  helpless  wreck 
in  the  very  path  of  human  progress,  we  may  well  believe  that  the  echoes  of 
the  sixth  trumpet  will  soon  die  away,  and  that  the  seventh  trumpet  will 
soon  begin  to  sound.   How  long  a  period  of  time  is  covered  by  the  seventh 
trompet,  no  man  can  tell.  The  events  occurring  under  it,  which  have  been 
so  briefly  sketched  in  the  present  lecture,  are  described  at  greater  length  in 
some  of  the  subsequent  chapters ;  and  in  future  lectures  we  will  have  occa- 
sion to  speak  of  them  more  particularly.    But  standing,  as  we  do  to-day, 
ahnost  on  the  dividing  line  which  separates  the  sixth  trumpet  from  the 
seventh,  we  know  that  the  time  will  soon  come,  if  it  has  not  already  come, 
when  the  heavenly  voices  will  b^in  to  say,  "The  kingdoms  of  this  world 
sre  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ,"  and  when  the 
redeemed  will  begin  their  song  of  final  triumph,  "We  give  thee  thanks,  O 
liord  Ood  Almighty,  which  art,  and  wast ;  because  thou  hast  taken  to  thee 
^y  great  power  and  hast  reigned." 


17 


258  LECTURE   XXXIII. 


LECTURE    XXXIIl. 


THE  WOMAN  CLOTHED  WITH  THE  SUN. 

And  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was  seen  in  his 
temple  the  ark  of  his  testament :  and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voioesj  and 
thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great  hail.  And  there  appeared  a  great 
wonder  in  heaven ;  a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her 
feet,  and  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars :  and  she  being  with  child,  cried, 
travailing  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered. — Rev.  11 :  19 ;  12 : 1,  2. 

It  was  intimated  in  the  last  lecture  that  the  seventh  trumpet  closed  one 
series  of  visions,  and  that  the  subject  of  the  present  diseouise  begins  a  new 
series.  In  that  series,  we  traced  the  prominent  events  in  the  history  of  the 
church  and  the  world,  from  the  time  of  the  apostle's  exile  in  Patmos  to 
the  day  of  judgment ;  but  this  series  does  not  continue  the  history  and  de- 
scribe what  is  to  be  after  the  judgment.  It  is  retrospective.  It  tarns 
back  and*  gives  a  more  detailed  account  of  some  things  which  have  already 
been  noticed.  In  other  words,  the  visions  upon  whose  oonsideration  we 
now  enter  refer  to  events  before  the  judgment,  and  not  to  events  after  the 
judgment,  as  their  place  in  this  book  might  seem,  at  first  sight,  to  imply. 
This  series  of  visions  is  parallel,  to  a  certain  extent,  with  the  one  which 
has  been  engaging  our  attention. 

That  this  theory  is  correct  is  evident  from  two  considerations.  In  the 
first  place,  the  period  of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  which 
was  insisted  on  in  the  previous  visions,  is  insisted  on  in  the  visions  which 
are  to  follow.  And  the  events,  occurring  during  this  period  in  both  series 
of  visions,  bear  a  very  dose  resemblance  to  each  other.  It  is  far  more 
natural  to  suppose  that  the  two  series  of  visions  refer  to  the  same  period, 
than  to  two  successive  periods  of  equal  length.  In  the  second  place,  the 
seventh  trumpet  broi^ht  us  without  question  to  the  time  when  the  king- 
doms of  this  world  would  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his 
Christ,  and  when  the  Judge  would  give  rewards  to  his  servants  on  the  day 
of  judgment;  but  many  of  the  incidents  described  in  the  following 
chapters,  such  as  the  dominion  of  Satan,  the  persecution  of  the  saints,  the 
downfall  of  mystical  Babylon  and  the  plagues  poured  out  upon  the  worid, 
could  not  by  any  possibility  occur  after  the  day  of  judgment.  The  major- 
ity of  expositors,  feeling  the  force  of  these  reasons,  agree  in  the  oondnsion 
that  this  new  series  of  visions  is  retrospective,  and  that  it  is,  to  a  certain 
extent,  parallel  with  the  former  series  in  which  we  saw  the  seals  broken 
and  heard  the  trumpets  sounded. 

But  though  the  two  series  of  visions  are  parallel,  they  are  diverse.  The 
former  series  described  what  may  be  called  the  external  history  of  the 
church;  that  is,  the  history  of  the  church  as  related  to  the  kingdoms  of 


THE  WOMAN  CLOTHED   WITH  THE  SUN.  259 

the  world,  especially  the  great  Boman  empire ;  the  latter  describes  what 
may  be  called  the  internal  history  of  the  church.  In  the  former,  we  saw 
the  prosperity  and  calamities  of  the  Roman  world,  the  barbarian  invasions 
by  which  the  western  kingdom  was  destroyed,  the  victories  of  the  Saracens, 
the  rise  and  progress  of  the  Turkish  empire,  and  the  influence  of  all  these 
things  upon  the  church  ;  in  the  latter,  we  are  to  see  the  church  in  its 
growth,  in  its  internal  conflicts,  and  in  its  perils  from  more  spiritual  foes. 
It  may  therefore  be  said,  for  the  sake  of  clearness,  that  the  former  series 
of  visions  contains  the  history  of  the  world,  and  that  the  latter  contains 
the  history  of  the  church ',  though  the  statement  must  be  understood  in  a 
modified  sense,  because  the  history  of  the  church  and  the  history  of  the 
worid  are  so  intimately  connected  that  they  cannot  always  be  kept  separate. 

This  arrangement  in  parallel  narratives  is  not  by  any  means  uncommon. 
Many  histories,  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  first  give  an  account  of 
political  events,  and  then  turn  back  and  go  over  the  same  period,  giving  an 
account  of  ecclesiastical  events.  In  the  same  way  the  Spirit  of  inspiration 
has  arranged  the  Apocalypse.  In  the  first  place,  in  those  chapters  we  have 
already  considered,  we  have  the  external  history  of  the  church ;  in  the 
second  place,  in  those  chapters  we  are  yet  to  consider,  we  have  the  internal 
history  of  the  church.  Let  it  then  be  remembered,  that  with  the  present 
lecture  we  enter  upon  a  new  series  of  visions,  which  is  parallel  with  the 
former  series  and  which  has  to  do  for  the  most  part  with  the  internal 
history  of  the  church. 

The  scene  of  these  visions  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  preceding  ones. 
It  is  the  celestial  plain.  The  introduction  to  these  visions,  which  is  con- 
tained in  chapter  XI :  19,  reminds  us  of  the  introduction  to  the  preceding 
ones,  which  is  contained  in  chapter  lY.  Then  the  apostle  saw  the  heavens 
opened,  and  the  first  voice  which  he  heard  was  a  voice  saying  unto  him, 
"  Come  up  hither,  and  I  will  show  thee  things  which  must  be  hereafter." 
Now  the  apostle  saw  the  heavenly  temple  opened,  and  he  was  permitted 
to  see,  not  the  outer  court  alone,  but  also  the  innermost  shrine  where  the 
ark  of  the  covenant  rested.  And  the  things  seen  on  these  two  occasions 
indicate  very  clearly  that  there  was  to  be  a  difference  in  the  visions  which 
they  introduced.  Then  he  saw  a  great  white  throne  encircled  by  the  rain- 
bow and  surrounded  by  God's  servants  and  messengers.  This  would  indi- 
cate that  he  was  about  to  see  the  works  of  the  King  of  kings,  as  from  his 
throne  in  the  heavens  he  ruled  the  universe  for  his  glory.  Now  he  saw 
the  heavenly  temple  and  its  most  sacred  furniture.  To  this  heavenly  tem- 
ple our  attention  has  already  been  called,  for  the  scenery  of  the  celestial 
landscape  remains  substantially  the  same  in  both  series  of  vbions^  though 
those  parts  of  which  little  has  been  said  hitherto,  are  now  to  be  the  centre 
of  attraction.  The  heavenly  temple  stood  not  far  from  the  throne  on  that 
plain  which  resembled  a  crystal  sea.     It  was  in  all  respects  similar  to  the 


260  LECTURE  XXXIII. 

temple  in  Jerusalem,  in  which  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  worship,  and 
with  whose  plan  every  Jew  was  familiar.  It  had  its  outer  courts  which  in 
the  previous  visions  we  saw  trodden  under  foot  by  the  enemies  of  God  for 
forty  and  two  months.  It  had  its  inner  court,  whose  worshipers  in  the 
previous  visions  John  was  commanded  to  number  and  whose  altar  he  was 
commanded  to  measure.  It  had  its  most  holy  place,  whose  vail  was  now 
withdrawn  so  that  the  apostle  was  permitted  to  see  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant. The  earthly  temple  is  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures  as  a  symbol  of 
the  church.  The  church  is  described  as  a  glorious  temple,  whose  comer 
stone  is  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  whose  foundations  are  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  and  whose  walls  are  builded  of  the  saints  as  living  stones,  fitly 
framed  together.  So  the  heavenly  temple  is  a  symbol  of  the  church.  We 
have  so  regarded  it  in  former  visions,  and  we  must  so  regard  it  here.  The 
&ct  that  this  temple  was  now  opened,  so  that  John  could  see  into  its  in- 
most recesses,  even  to  the  ark  of  the  testimony,  symbolizes  the  fact  that 
those  visions  which  were  about  to  pass  before  his  eyes  were  to  reveal  the 
internal  history  of  the  church. 

In  this  introductory  visioui  there  was  not  only  an  open  temple,  but  also 
"  lightnings,  and  voices,  and  thunderings,  and  an  earthquake,  and  great 
hail."  These  natural  phenomena  are  well  known  symbols  of  wars,  and 
revolutions,  and  dire  calamities  of  every  kind.  Their  appearance  in  this 
introductory  vision  would  indicate  that  in  the  internal  history  of  the  church 
which  was  to  be  revealed,  there  would  be  calamities,  great  and  sore,  such 
calamities  as  would  be  seen  of  men  if  lightnings^  and  thunderings,  and  an 
earthquake,  and  a  great  hail  would  simultaneously  visit  the  earth. 

This  is  the  significance  of  this  introductory  vision.  It  is  one  well  calcu- 
lated to  prepare  the  mind  for  what  is  to  follow.  Let  us  get  it  firmly  fixed 
in  our  memory.  As  in  the  former  introductory  vision,  the  sight  of  the 
throne  and  the  powerful  ones  gathered  around  it  would  lead  the  apostle  to 
expect  an  insight  into  the  Divine  government  over  the  world,  so  in  the 
present  introductory  vision,  the  sight  of  the  interior  of  the  temple  would 
lead  the  apostle  to  expect  an  insight  into  the  history  of  the  church  ;  and 
the  accompanying  thunderings  and  earthquake  would  lead  him  to  expect 
that  the  history  of  the  church  would  be  one  of  trouble  and  calamity.  It 
was  as  if  this  introductory  vision  said  to  him  in  language  too  plain  for  him 
to  misunderstand  :  *'  You  are  now  to  see  the  internal  history  of  the 
church,  which  will  be  smitten  by  lightnings,  and  alarmed  by  thunders,  and 
shaken  by  earthquakes.  Prepare  yourself  for  what  you  are  about  to  see." 
May  this  introductory  vision  prepare  us,  as  it  prepared  the  apostle,  for  the 
remarkable  scenes  which  are,  one  after  another,  to  pass  in  review  before  us. 

The  first  of  these  scenes,  one  whose  grandeur  and  beauty  is  not  surpassed 
by  any  which  has  gone  before,  or  by  any  which  is  to  follow,  is  the  vision  of 
the  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  great  red  dragon.     The  prominent 


THE  WOMAN  CLOTHED  WITH  THE  SUN.  261 

features  of  this  vision  may  be  thus  described :  A  beautiful  woman,  who 
is  about  to  become  a  mother,  clothed  with  more  magnificent  raiment  than 
the  queens  of  the  East  were  accustomed  to  wear,  and  with  a  diadem  of 
stars,  appears  on  the  heavenly  plain.  But  her  enemy,  in  the  shape^f  a 
seven-headed  dragon,  also  appears  and  threatens  her  destruction.  Her  child 
is  removed  from  the  reach  of  danger ;  she  herself  is  hidden  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  the  dragon  is  disappointed  in  his  prey;  and  shouts  of  victory  are  heard. 
This  is  the  vision.  What  does  it  mean  ?  What  did  the  Spirit  intend  to 
represent  by  it?  What  is  symbolized  by  the  woman?  What  by  the 
dragon  ?  To  the  answers  to  these  questions,  we  now  address  ourselves ; 
and  in  so  doing  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  all  the  details  of  the  vision. 
We  must  first  notice  the  woman  who  is  the  central  figure  of  this  vision, 
and  inquire  of  what  she  is  the  symbol.  ^'And  there  appeared  a  great 
wonder  in  heaven ;  a  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under 
her  i«et,  and  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars;  and  she  being 
with  child,  cried,  travailing  in  birth,  and  pained  to  be  delivered."  Without 
any  question,  this  woman  is  a  symbol.  Our  version  reads,  "  There  appeared 
a  great  wonder  in  heaven*';  but  the  word  translated  "wonder"  is  more 
correctly  translated  in  the  margin,  "  sign.''  This  is  the  way  in  which  the 
word  is  usually  translated,  and  if  the  usual  translation  had  been  followed 
in  the  present  instance,  the  reader  would  not  have  been  so  likely  to  be 
misled.  The  woman  is  introduced  upon  the  scene,  not  as  a  thing  to  be 
wondered  at,  but  as  a  sign  or  symbol.  But  as  a  symbol  of  what  ?  Is  the 
symbol  so  obscure  that  we  are  lefl  in  doubt  ?  Let  us  see.  John  was  a 
Jew  and  he  was  familiar  with  the  Jewish  Scriptures.  We  know  that  he 
belonged  to  a  pious  family,  and  like  the  children  of  every  pious  Jewish 
family,  he  must  have  been  made  acquainted  with  the  law  and  the  prophets. 
Is  there  anything  in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  which  will  throw  light 
upon  this  symbolic  representation  ?  We  turn  to  the  Song  of  Solomon, 
that  book  of  the  Bible  which  the  church  b  not  now  spiritual  enough  fully 
to  understand  and  appreciate,  and  we  find  that  the  church  is  described 
under  the  figure  of  a  beautiful  woman,  who  is  the  bride  of  the  Great  King. 
We  turn  to  the  Psalms,  and  find  the  same  figure  in  Psalm  45,  which 
describes  the  church  as  being  brought  home  to  the  palace  of  her  divine 
husband,  with  songs  of  joy  on  every  side.  We  turn  to  ihe  prophets,  and 
we  find  the  same  figure  often  introduced  to  describe  the  love  of  God  and 
the  duty  of  the  church.  "  Thy  Maker  is  thy  husband."  "  I  have  espoused 
thee  to  myself."  In  other  passages,  especially  in  the  prophecies  of  Ezekiel 
and  Hosea,  an  unfaithful  church  is  described  as  an  unfaithful  wife,  and 
her  unfaithfulness  is  described  as  adultery.  These  descriptions  arc  better 
calculated  than  almost  any  others  contained  in  the  inspired  word  to  impress 
us  with  the  unworthiness,  and  ingratitude,  and  vileness  of  the  professed 
people  of  God,  when  they  turn  away  from  him  to  follow  afler  idols.     The 


262  LEGTURB   XXXIII. 

figure  is  repeated  so  oflen,  that  no  reader  of  the  Old  Testament  can  be  in 
donbt  as  to  what  is  meant  by  the  daughter  of  Zion,  whom  the  Lord  has 
espoused  to  himself.  As  John  was  familiar  with  the  Old  Testament,  we 
may  be  sure  that  in  this  woman  who  appeared  in  heaven,  he  recognized 
the  church.  It  is  a  figure  which  is  to  be  found  again  and  agun  in  the 
course  of  these  visions.  <^And  I,  John,  saw  the  Holy  City,  the  New 
Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for 
her  husband."  ''The  marrii^e  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  has 
made  herself  ready."  '^  Blessed  are  they  who  are  called  to  the  marriage- 
supper  of  the  Lamb."  In  view  of  these  passages,  there  can  be  no  doabt 
as  to  the  meaning  of  this  part  of  the  vision.  Other  parts  of  the  vision 
may  be  encompassed  with  difficulties,  but  this  much  is  plain ;  the  woman 
is  the  symbol  of  the  church.  And  the  symbol  is  an  appropriate  one.  The 
Saviour  is  the  husband  of  the  church.  The  church  is  the  bride  of  the 
Saviour.  This  figure  reveals,  in  a  way  which  we  can  in  some  measure 
understand,  the  greatness  of  the  Saviour's  love,  the  high  honor  to  which 
the  church  is  called,  and  the  intimate  union  which  exists  between  the  two 
for  ever. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  appearance  of  this 
woman.  She  was  ''  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  moon  under  her  feet, 
and  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars."  The  sun,  moon  and  stars  are 
generally  used  in  this  book  as  symbols  of  kings,  and  princes,  and  governments. 
If  they  are  used  in  this  sense  in  the  present  instance,  then  the  meaning 
would  be  that  the  church  at  the  time  referred  to  was  surrounded  and  defended 
by  kings,  and  princes,  and  governments ;  that  the  church  had  received  the 
support  of  the  civil  power.  We  know  that  there  have  been  periods  in  the 
history  of  the  church  when  this  was  the  case.  For  example,  in  the  days 
of  Constantine,  the  Christian  religion  was  the  established  religion  of  the 
empire,  and  the  emperor  and  his  subordinates  were,  by  profession  at  least, 
servants  of  the  church,  and  all  the  power  of  the  civil  authority  was  used  to 
extend  the  earthly  kingdom  of  the  Saviour.  Such  a  state  of  things  would 
be  described  in  figurative  language  by  the  words  we  are  now  considering. 
Principalities  and  powers,  symbolized  by  the  sun,  moon  and  stars,  adorned 
the  church  and  heightened  its  beauty  and  majesty.  But  while  all  this  is 
true,  it  does  not  seem  necessary  to  a  fair  understanding  of  this  vision  to  regard 
the  sun,  moon  and  stars  in  the  present  instance  as  symbols  of  earthly  rulers 
It  seems  more  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  this  vision  ta  regard 
them  as  accessories  to  the  central  figure  of  the  vbion ;  that  is,  as  symbols 
of  beauty  and  majesty.  The  woman  was  clothed  with  the  sun ;  that  is, 
her  robes  were  bright  and  glorious,  as  if  her  raiment  was  woven  of  sunbeams. 
A  similar  thought  is  to  be  found  in  the  bridegroom's  description  of  his 
bride,  as  contained  in  the  Song  of  Solomon  ;  "  who  is  she  that  looketh  forth 
as  the  morning,  fair  as  the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible  as  an  army 


THE  WOMAN  CLOTHED  WITH  THE  SUN.  263 

with  banners."  The  woman  had  also  the  moon  under  her  feet.  She  rode 
through  the  heavens  in  calm  and  silent  majesty,  as  if  the  moon  was  her 
chariot.  Se  had  on  her  head  a  crown  of  twelye  stars.  Such  a  diadem, 
with  twelve  sparkling  jewels,  would  of  course  increase  the  beauty  of  the 
vision.  And  without  doubt,  the  number  twelve  is  significant.  It  looks 
back  to  the  original  division  of  the  earthly  church  into  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel,  just  as  the  stripes  in  our  national  flag  point  to  the  thirteen  original 
States  in  the  Union.  Besides  this,  twelve  is  the  symbolic  number  which 
represents  completion  ;  and  therefore  the  twelve  stars  in  the  woman's  crown 
would  teach  us  that  she  represents  not  a  part  or  denomination  of  the  church, 
but  the  complete  church. 

The  circumstances  mentioned  in  verse  2  indicate  that  the  church  seemed 
about  to  be  enlarged.  The  members  of  the  church  are  often  described  as 
its  sons  and  daughters.  The  church's  increase  is  often  described  in  the 
Scriptures  as  the  multiplication  of  her  children.  Many  passages  might  be 
quoted  in  proof  of  this  assertion,  but  a  single  one  will  be  sufficient  for  my 
present  purpose.  ^*  The  children  which  thou  shalt  have  after  thou  hast  lost 
the  other,  shall  say  again  in  thine  ears,  the  place  is  too  strait  for  me ;  give 
place  to  me  that  I  may  dwell."  The  comparison  of  the  church  with  a 
mother  with  her  children  is  one  which  no  reader  of  the  Bible  is  likely  to 
misunderstand. 

Let  us  now  get  clearly  fixed  in  our  minds  the  things  which  this  symbol  is 
designed  to  teach.  We  are,  in  this  crowned  and  beautiful  woman,  to  see 
the  church.  And  we  are  to  see  the  church  at  some  period  of  its  history 
when  it  was  enjoying  prosperity.  If  it  was  in  tribulation  and  persecution, 
it  would  be  more  properly  represented  by  a  woman  who  was  in  distress,  who 
was  a  fugitive,  whose  crown  was  dimmed  and  whose  robes  were  in  disoixler. 
And  before  the  vision  ends,  we  wOl  see  the  church  thus  represented.  But 
DOW,  at  the  beginning  of  the  vision,  it  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  prosperity. 
Her  robes  of  sunlight  are  without  a  stain  ;  she  goes  forth  on  her  mission 
with  the  calm  majesty  of  the  midnight  moon  ;  and  her  crown  of  sparkling 
stars  is  undimmed.  Appearances  seem  to  indicate  that  the  church  is  to  be 
increased,  that  her  children  are  to  be  multiplied.  But  as  we  shall  see  in 
another  lecture,  though  the  fact  must  be  briefly  referred  to  here  in  order  to 
understand  this  part  of  the  vision,  this  period  of  prosperity  was  to  be 
followed  by  a  period  of  persecution.  A  great  enemy  would  come  against 
her,  ready  to  devour  her  and  her  child.  She  would  be  driven  into  the 
wilderness.  Her  ofispring  would  be  snatched  from  the  earth.  The  confident 
expectation  of  the  church's  increase  would  be  disappointed,  and  for  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  she  would  live  on  alone  without 
giving  birth  to  sons  and  daughters  who  would  fill  the  world  with  their 
presence,  and  rule  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron. 

These  are  the  things  which  the  expressive  symbols  of  the  vision  would 


264  LECTURE  XXXIII. 

lead  us  to  expect.  Are  there  such  things  to  be  found  in  the  history  of  the 
church  ?  We  can,  without  hesitation,  answer  these  questions  in  the  affirm- 
ative. We  will  not,  in  this  ponnection,  enter  into  any  detail.  Details  will 
be  more  properly  considered  hereailer.  Nor  will  I  quote  at  large  irom  the 
recorded  history  of  the  church.  Our  general  knowledge  of  ecdesiastical 
history  will  be  sufficient  for  my  present  purpose.  For  a  time  during  and 
after  the  apostolic  age,  the  church  enjoyed  wonderful  prosperity.  It  is 
true,  there  were  sore  persecutions,  but  these  persecutions,  under  the  divine 
blessing,  were  the  very  means  by  which  Christianity  was  promoted.  The 
disciples  were  scattered  far  and  near,  and  in  their  journeying  through  the 
world  they  carried  with  them  the  word  of  Ood  and  the  invitations  of  the 
gospel.  Churches  sprung  up  in  every  prominent  city ;  the  voice  of  praise 
and  prayer  was  heard  in  the  most  unlikely  places ;  saints  were  to  be  found 
even  in  Caesar's  household ;  the  temples  of  the  pagan  gods  began  to  be 
deserted ;  and  at  last  a  Christian  sat  upon  the  imperial  throne  and  exerted 
all  his  immense  power  and  influence  to  evangelize  the  world.  To  a  spectator, 
who  was  not  acquainted  with  the  plans  of  an  all-wise  Father,  it  must  have 
seemed  that  in  a  few  years,  or  at  most  in  a  century  or  two,  the  oharch 
would  so  increase  that  her  sons  and  daughters  would  fill  the  world.  But 
such  expectations  are  not  to  be  fulfilled.  A  great  enemy  appears,  an  enemy 
symbolized  in  this  vision  by  the  red  dragon ;  the  period  of  prosperity  comes 
to  an  end  ;  the  true  church  is  driven  into  obscurity ;  year  after  year,  and 
century  afler  century,  even  all  the  years  and  centuries  which  are  described 
in  history  as  the  dark  ages,  pass  away ;  and  the  church  makes  no  advance- 
ment towards  its  final  triumph.  It  does  not  grow  or  increase ;  it  gives 
birth  to  no  expected  offspring  ;  it  remains  the  same  from  age  to  age,  barely 
holding  its  own  against  prevailing  wickedness.  The  same  thought  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  vision  of  the  two  witnesses.  They  were  but  two  in  number 
when  the  vision  began ;  they  were  but  two  in  number  when  it  ended  ;  they 
remained  but  two  in  number  during  the  whole  period  of  their  witness- 
bearing.  Thus  the  vision  of  the  two  witnesses  and  the  vision  of  the  woman 
in  the  wilderness  point  to  the  same  period  in  the  history  of  the  church, 
when  the  true  church  was  barely  able  to  maintain  its  existence,  so  great 
was  the  power  of  its  foes.  But  in  the  verses  discussed  in  the  present 
lecture,  we  see  the  church  before  the  beginning  of  this  period,  while  it  was 
yet  enjoying  its  great  prosperity,  when  it  was  clothed  with  the  sun,  when 
it  had  the  moon  under  its  feet,  when  it  was  crowned  with  a  diadem  of 
sparkling  stars,  and  when  it  gave  promise,  that  through  its  children  who 
were  about  to  be  bom,  it  would  fill  the  whole  earth.  The  enemy  whose 
power  brought  this  period  of  prosperity  to  a  close,  the  long  and  weaiy 
pei-secutions  of  the  church,  and  its  final  deliverance,  must  be  considered  ia 
another  lecture. 


THE  WOMAN  ANB  THE  DRAGON.  265 


LECTURE    XXXIV. 


THE  WOMAN  AND  THE  DRAGON. 

And  there  appeared  another  wonder  in  heaven;  and  behold,  a  great  red 
<lra£on,  havine  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads. 
And  his  tail  drew  the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven,  and  dia  cast  them  to 
the  earth  :  and  the  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready  to  be  deliv- 
ered, for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  And  she  brought  forth  a 
man-child,  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  her  child  was 
caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  his  throne.  And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilder- 
ness, where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there 
a  thousand  two  hundrea  and  threescore  days. — Bev.  12  :  8-C. 

In  the  last  lecture  we  have  shown  that  we  have  now  entered  upon  a  new 
series  of  visions  which  is  parallel,  to  a  certain  extent,  with  the  one  contained 
in  the  preceding  chapters  of  this  book.  In  that  lecture  we  took  up  the 
first  vision  of  Uiis  new  series,  and  we  showed  that  the  woman  who  appeared 
in  the  vision  was  a  symbol  of  the  church  during  a  period  of  prosperity.  It 
was  also  shown  that  this  was  the  condition  of  the  church  during  the  cen- 
turies which  immediately  followed  the  time  of  the  apostles.  When  we  look 
at  the  church  during  these  centuries — as  symbolized  by  a  crowned  and 
beautiful  woman — its  purity,  its  progress,  and  its  growing  power,  we  are 
ready  to  believe  that  the  time  has  come  when  the  church  is  to  fill  the 
earth,  and  we  are  ready  to  begin  the  song  of  final  victory,  "  The  king- 
doms of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ." 
But  these  glowing  expectations  are  doomed  to  disappointment.  There  is  a 
dark  side  to  this  picture  which  we  have  not  yet  seen.  The  woman  is  not  the 
only  symbol  which  appears  on  the  celestial  plain.  There  is  a  second,  which 
differs  from  the  first  as  widely  as  light  differs  from  darkness.  This  second 
symbol  is  the  great  red  dragon.  To  the  description  of  this  symbol,  and  to 
the  discovery,  if  possible,  of  the  power  symbolized  by  it,  let  us  now  turn 
our  attention. 

L  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  no  such  beast  as  A  dragon  is  to  bo 

found  in  nature.    It  is  one  of  those  fabulous  monsters,  like  the  Hydra  and 

the  Centaur,  which  the  ancients  so  often  imagined,  and  to  which  ancient 

literature  so  often  refers.     In  those  days,  when  the  knowledge  of  natural 

history  was  limited,  it  was  believed  that  there  were  many  such  hideous 

uoDsters  living  in  those  parts  of  the  earth  which  men  had  rarely  or  never 

visited.    Such  a  hideous  monster  of  the  imagination  was  the  dragon.   The 

cootemporaries  of  the  inspired  writers  of  the  Bible  believed  in  its  existence, 

as  thejr  believed  in  the  existence  of  the  lion  and  the  camel.   It  is  sometimes 

referred  to  in  the  Old  Testament,  as  one  of  the  things  of  which  men  might 

^el^  he  afraid.     Thus  the  Psalmist,  in  Psalm  74,  when  describing  the 


266  LECTURE   XXXIV. 

power  of  the  Almighty,  mentions  this  as  one  of  the  works  which  none  but 
Ood  could  perform :  "Thou  breakest  the  heads  of  the  dragons  in  the 
waters."  Thus  the  Psalmist,  in  Psalm  91,  when  describing  the  safety  of  the 
righteous,  mentions  this  as  among  his  privileges:  "The  young  lion  and  the 
dragon  shalt  thou  trample  under  foot."  In  the  New  Testament  the  dragon 
is  referred  to  only  in  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  then  only  as  a 
symbol ;  and  it  is  always  referred  to  as  the  symbol  of  some  great  power. 

In  order  to  understand  the  symbol  and  its  meaning,  we  must  bear  in 
mind  the  characteristics  which  were  generally  ascribed  to  this  fabulous 
monster  by  popular  belief.  These  characteristics  can  easily  be  ascertained 
from  the  allusions  and  descriptions  which  are  to  be  found  in  ancient  writ- 
ingsi  According  to  the  common  belief  of  antiquity,  the  dragon  was  an 
immense  serpent  of  a  dark  red  color ;  it  had  a  wide  mouth  which  enclosed 
three  rows  of  gigantic  fangs ;  its  inhalations  were  so  strong  that  the  very 
birds  flying  over  it  were  drawn  into  its  mouth  by  its  breath ;  and  its  hiss 
was  terrible.  It  is  also  sometimes  described  as  having  feet  and  wings,  and 
a  lofty  and  bloody  crest.  Such  was  the  fabulous  monster  which  John  saw 
in  heaven;  and  its  characteristics,  as  it  appeared  on  the  celestial  plain, 
agree  with  the  description  which  has  just  been  given.  The  dragon  of  the 
vision  was  of  great  size ;  its  color  was  red ;  like  many  others  of  the  fabulous 
monsters  of  antiquity,  it  was  many-headed.  As  Cerberus,  who  guarded  the 
gates  of  the  unseen  world  had  three  heads — as  Hydra,  which  was  slain  by 
Hercules  had  fifty  heads,  so  this  dragon  is  represented  as  having  seven 
heads.  Upon  these  heads  were  ten  horns,  and  they  were  crowned  with 
seven  crowns.  Its  immense  tail  seemed  to  be  entangled  with  the  stars  of 
heaven,  so  that  one- third  of  them  were  blotted  out  and  apparently  cast 
down  to  the  earth.  It  stood  before  the  woman,  ready  with  open  mouth 
to  destroy  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born.  How  vivid  is  this  description  ! 
Let  us  create  in  our  imagination  such  a  monster  as  the  ancients  created  and 
called  by  the  name  of  the  dragon.  We  may  let  our  imagination  take  its 
wildest  flight,  for  there  is  no  danger  of  overdrawing  the  picture.  If  we 
can  succeed  in  this,  we  will  see  the  vision  as  it  appeared  to  the  apostle. 
On  the  one  hand  is  the  beautiful  woman,  with  her  magnificent  raiment, 
majestic  carriage^  and  sparkling  crown.  On  the  other  hand  is  the  great 
red  dragon,  "  of  most  frightful  mien,"  with  its  heads  and  its  horns,  full 
of  wrath  against  the  woman  and  her  child. 

All  the  characteristics  of  this  dragon,  as  it  appeared  in  heaven,  are  sym- 
bolical. Without  any  reference  to  any  preconceived  theory  of  interpretation, 
let  us  inquire  what  these  characteristics  would  lead  us  to  expect  in  the  thing 
symbolized.  If  we  have  rightly  explained  the  beast  ascending  out  of  the 
bottomless  pit,  and  the  horses  of  the  previous  visions,  we  would  naturally 
expect  that  the  dragon  would  shadow  forth  some  earthly  nation  or  power. 
The  size  of  the  dragon,  which  was  great,  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  this 


THE  WOMAN  AND  THE  DBAQON.  267 

power  would  be  mighty.  The  color  of  the  dragon,  which  was  red,  would 
lead  us  to  expect  that  this  power  would  be  cruel  and  bloody.  The  seven 
Beads  and  ten  horns  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  this  power  would  be  a 
kiDg  or  a  kingdom ;  for  a  crown  is  always  and  everywhere  a  symbol  of  royal 
aathority.  Its  open  and  marked  hostility  to  the  woman  would  lead  us  to 
expect  that  this  power  would  be  the  bitter  enemy  of  the  true  church,  of 
which  the  woman  was  the  symbol.  The  casting  down  aud  blotting  out  of 
the  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  this 
power  would  be  so  successful  in  its  enmity  that  a  very  considerable  part  of 
the  human  race  would  be  entangled  by  its  influence  and  overthrown  by  its 
might.  This  is  the  symbol ;  and  these  are  the  things  which  the  symbol 
would  naturally  lead  us  to  expect.  Are  these  expectations  to  be  realized  ? 
Can  we  find  events  in  history  which  fully  meet  the  requirements  of  this 
Tision? 

Ib  there  anything  in  the  Old  Testament  which  will  help  us  in  answering 
these  questions  ?  If  we  turn  to  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel,  we  will, 
without  hesitation,  answer  in  the  affirmative.  The  prophet  saw,  in  vision, 
four  beasts  rising  out  of  the  sea.  The  first  was  like  a  lion ;  the  second  was 
like  a  bear ;  the  third  was  like  a  leopard  ;  the  fourth  was  diverse  from  the 
others,  and  though  no  name  is  given  to  it,  its  description  corresponds  very 
nearly  with  John's  description  of  the  dragon,  so  nearly  that  we  may  be 
sore  that  the  two  symbols  are  the  same,  and  that  they  both  shadow  forth 
the  same  power.  The  prophet  could  not  understand  the  meaning  of  the 
beasts  which  he  saw ;  and  when  he  asked  for  an  interpretation  the  angel 
replied  :  **  These  great  beasts,  which  are  four,  are  four  kings  which  shall 
arise  out  of  the  earth."  Still  the  prophet  was  not  satisfied.  He  asked  to 
be  further  instructed  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  fourth  dreadful  beast, 
with  its  iron  teeth,  its  brazen  nails,  its  ten  horns,  and  with  its  little 
horn,  which  came  up  after  the  others,  speaking  blasphemous  things  and 
niaking  war  with  the  saints.  To  his  question  the  angel  answered  :  *'  The 
fourth  beast  shall  be  the  fourth  kingdom  upon  earth,  which  shall  be  diverse 
from  all  kingdoms,  and  shall  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  shall  tread  it 
down,  and  break  it  in  pieces.  And  the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are 
ten  kings  that  shall  arise :  and  another  shall  rise  after  them  ;  and  he  shall 
be  diverse  from  the  first,  and  he  shall  subdue  three  kings.  And  he  shall 
speak  great  words  against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the  saints  of 
the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change  times  and  laws :  and  they  shall  be 
given  into  his  hand,  until  a  time  and  times  and  the  dividing  of  time."  Dan. 
7 :  23-25. 

What  kingdoms  were  symbolized  by  these  beasts,  especially  by  the  fourth 
beast,  which  corresponds  with  the  dragon  of  the  Revelation  ?  The  expla- 
nation of  the  angel  is  so  plain  that  expositors,  at  least  Protestant  exposi- 
tors, are  almost  unanimous  in  their  interpretation.     The  first  beast  is  tbo 


268  LECTURE  XXXIV. 

symbol  of  the  Chaldean  kingdom,  which  was  at  the  time  of  Daniers  vision 
the  mistress  of  the  world.  The  second  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  Per- 
sian kingdom,  which  overthrew  and  succeeded  the  Chaldean.  The  third 
beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  Grecian  kingdom,  which  overthrew  and  suc- 
ceeded the  Persian.  The  fourth  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  king- 
dom, which  overthrew  and  succeeded  the  G-recian.  The  little  horn  which 
grew  up  out  of  the  head  of  the  fourth  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  Papal 
power,  which  grew  up  out  of  the  midst  of  the  Eoman  empire,  from  its 
very  capital,  speaking  blasphemous  things  and  making  war  against  the 
saints. 

There  is  such  a  resemblance  between  the  fourth  beast  of  DanieFs  vision 
and  the  dragon  of  John's  vision,  that  the  apostle,  who  was  familiar  with 
the  Old  Testament  Scriptures,  must  have  r^arded  them  as  symbolizing 
the  same  power.  And  no  one  can  read  attentively  the  two  visions  without 
being  forced  to  the  same  conclusion.  Whatever  the  fourth  beast  and  the 
dragon  symbolize,  they  must  both  symbolize  the  same  kingdom,  even  the 
kingdom  which  the  angel  described  as  the  fourth  kingdom  on  the  earth. 
If  the  theory  is  correct  that  the  fourth  beast  with  its  horns  symbolizes 
the  Roman  kingdom,  both  pagan  and  Papal,  then  we  have  a  key  which 
unlocks  the  vision  we  are  now  considering.  The  dragon  is  the  symbol  of 
the  Roman  power,  first  under  pagan  emperors,  and  afterwards  under 
popes. 

This  exposition  is  confirmed  by  the  conclusion  which  we  reached  in  our 
last  lecture.  The  crowned  and  beautiful  woman  was  the  symbol  of  the 
church  during  the  years  which  followed  the  apostolic  age,  when  it  was  in  a 
prosperous  condition,  and  when  it  gave  promise  of  a  speedy  and  rapid 
increase  which  would  fill  the  whole  world.  But  an  enemy  appeared, 
who  successfully  resisted  the  progress  of  Christianity,  and  who  drove  the 
church  into  obscurity.  Who  was  this  enemy  ?  Who  could  it  be  but  the 
Roman  power,  which,  first  under  pagan  emperors  and  afterwards  under 
popes,  showed  itself  the  great  foe  of  true  religion,  and  which  so  long  and 
successfully  persecuted  the  followers  of  Jesus  ? 

But  let  us  see  whether  the  things  which  the  characteristics  of  the  dragon 
naturally  led  us  to  expect  are  to  be  found  in  the  Roman  power.  If  they 
are  not,  then  our  theory  cannot  be  true ;  if  they  are.  then  we  are  con- 
firmed in  our  belief  that  the  dragon  is  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  power. 
The  Roman  power  was  mighty.  Under  the  emperors  it  extended  over  the 
world.  The  mightiest  kingdoms,  and  the  richest  cities,  and  the  poorest  and 
weakest  tribes  of  the  most  distant  lands  were  alike  the  vassals  of  Rome. 
And  the  power  of  the  popes  was  even  greater  than  that  of  the  emperors. 
All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that  the  dragon  was  great.  Again : 
the  Roman  power  was  cruel  and  bloody.  Under  the  emperors,  the  church 
suffered  the  most  violent  persecutions ;  and  under  the  popes,  hundreds  of 


THE   WOMAN  AND   THE  D&AQON.  269 

m 

tboosands  of  saints  were  compelled  to  seal  their  testimony  with  their  blood. 
All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that  the  dragon  was  red  in  color. 
Again :  the  dragon  had  seven  heads.  What  is  there  in  the  Roman  power, 
of  which  this  is  the  symbol?  We  might  not  have  been  able  to  answer  this 
qnestion,  if  in  a  parallel  vision  an  angel  had  not  given  an  explanation  so 
dear  that  it  cannot  be  misunderstood.  "  The  seven  heads  are  seven  moun- 
tams,  on  which  the  woman  sitteth."  Rev.  17 :  9.  It  may  therefore  be 
said,  without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  that  the  seven  heads  of  the  dragon 
are  the  seven  mountains  on  which  the  Roman  power  sat.  Rome,  the  cap- 
ital of  the  Roman  power  and  the  centre  from  which  both  emperors  and 
popes  rhled  the  world,  was,  as  is  well  known,  builded  upon  seven  hills. 
And  Rome  is,  not  in  theological  writings  alone,  but  also  in  classical  litera- 
ture, called  *'  the  seven-hilled  city.''  Again  :  the  dragon  had  ten  horns. 
Of  what  are  they  the  symbols  ?  *'  The  ten  horns,"  says  the  angel  in  his 
explanation  of  DaniePs  parallel  vision,  '*  are  ten  kings  that  shall  arise.'' 
It  is  well  known  that  the  Roman  empire  was  divided  and  broken  up  into  a 
nnmber  of  provinces  or  subordinate  kingdoms,  each  one  of  which  had  its 
king  or  ruler ;  but  all  these  kings  or  rulers  were  subject  to  the  central  gov- 
ernment at  Rome.  And  it  is  easy  to  see  that  the  principal  sub-divisions  in 
the  Roman  empire  were  ten  in  number.  Thus  Machiavelli,  in  his  History 
of  Florence,  without  any  design  of  explaining  this  vision,  and  without  any 
reference  to  it,  mentions  the  following  divisions  :  1.  The  Ostrogoths ;  2. 
The  Visigoths ;  3.  The  Sueves  and  Alans ;  4.  The  Vandals ;  5.  The  Franks ; 
6.  The  Rurgundians ;  7.  The  Heruli  and  Turingi ;  8.  The  Saxons  and  An- 
gles ;  9.  The  Huns ;  10.  The  Lombards.  At  other  periods  of  Roman  his- 
tory, the  dividing  lines  were  differently  drawn,  but  it  is  always  easy  to  find 
ten  principal  sub-divisions.  These  sub-divisions,  subordinate  to  and  united 
in  the  central  government  at  Rome,  are  shadowed  forth  by  the  ten  horns, 
growing  out  of  the  heads  of  the  same  dragon.  Again :  the  dragon  had 
seven  crowns  upon  his  heads.  This  shadows  forth  the  fact  that  the  Roman 
power  claimed  supreme  authority,  a  fact  which  history  establishes  beyond 
the  possibility  of  a  doubt.  Both  emperors  and  popes  claimed  to  be  su- 
preme on  the  earth,  and  to  wear  the  crown  of  the  world*  Again :  the 
Roman  power  exerted  a  mighty  influence  over  the  world  and  the  church. 
In  its  persecution  of  the  church,  both  under  the  emperors  and  under  the 
popes,  it  blotted  out  many  who  were  bright  and  shining  lights.  We  know 
that  in  this  book  the  stars  are  used  as  symbols  of  ministers  of  the  gospel ; 
for  he  that  liveth,  and  was  dead,  and  is  alive  for  ever  more,  tells  us  in  the 
opening  chapter,  that  *Hhe  seven  stars  are  the  angels  of  the  seven 
churches."  And  the  Roman  power  put  many  of  the  ministers  of  the  gos- 
pel to  death.  Though  the  history  of  those  ages  is  not  full  enough  to  show 
us  that  precisely  one-third  of  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  was  put  to  death 
for  the  sake  of  the  gospel,  yet  we  know  that  a  very  large  proportion  of 


270  LECTURE   XXXIV. 

them  suffered  a  martyr's  death  and  are  wearing  a  martyr's  orown.  All  this 
is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that  the  tail  of  the  dragon  drew  the  third 
part  of  the  stars  of  heaven  and  cast  them  down  to  the  earth.  Again :  the 
Boman  power  was  the  deadly  foe  of  the  true  church.  Both  emperors  and 
popes  did  their  best  to  crush  out  the  truth  and  believers  in  the  truth,  and 
they  were  so  far  successful  that  the  expectations  of  the  church's  increase 
were  disappointed,  and  for  many  centuries  the  true  church  was  barely  able 
to  maintain  its  existence,  without  making  a  single  step  towards  its  final 
triumph  and  universal  dominion.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact, 
that  "the  dragon  stood  before  the  woman  which  was  ready  to  be  deliv- 
ered, for  to  devour  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  born." 

From  this  brief  review,  it  will  be  seen  that  all  the  characteristics  of  the 
great  red  dragon  are  adequately  and  strikingly  fulfilled  in  tbe  Boman 
power.  We  are  therefore  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  great  red 
dragon  is  a  symbol  of  the  Boman  power.  This  conclusion  rec^ves  con- 
firmation from  a  fact  which  deserves  mention.  In  the  days  of  the  repub- 
lic, the  eagle  was  the  standard  under  which  the  Boman  armies  marched 
forth  to  victory ;  but  at  a  later  period,  the  dragon,  in  the  form  of  a  great 
purple  serpent,  was  also  used  as  a  standard.  In  the  third  century  of  the 
Christian  era,  it  had  become  as  notorious  among  the  Boman  ensigns  as 
the  eagle  itself.  There  is,  therefore,  a  peculiar  propriety  in  considering 
the  dragon  as  a  symbol  of  that  kingdom,  whose  well  known  standard  was 
a  dragon, 

I  know  that  in  a  subsequent  verse  of  thb  chapter,  the  dragon  is  said  to 
to  be  '*  that  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  which  deoeiveth  the 
whole  world."  But  this  does  not  contradict  the  explanation  which  has 
been  given.  We  cannot  suppose  that  the  dragon  represents  Satan 
in  his  own  proper  form  and  character,  for  then  it  would  be  no  symbol.  It 
represents  some  Satanic  power,  some  instrument  used  by  Satan,  for  the 
overthrow  of  the  church.  That  instrument  I  believe  to  be,  and  I  think 
I  have  shown  it  to  be,  anti-Christian,  persecuting  Bome,  both  under  the 
government  of  the  emperors  and  under  the  government  of  the  popes. 

We  have  now  fixed  the  meaning  of  the  two  main  symbols  in  the  present 
vision.  The  crowned  and  beautiM  woman  is  a  symbol  of  the  true  ohuroh; 
the  great  red  dragon  is  a  symbol  of  pagan  and  Papal  Bome,  the  great 
enemy  of  the  true  church.  However  humiliating  and  distasteful  this  inter- 
pretation must  be  to  the  pride  of  the  Boman  Catholic  church,  it  is  builded 
on  a  firm  foundation.  All  the  several  parts  of  this  vision,  the  parallel 
vision  in  the  book  of  Daniel,  as  explained  by  the  angel  himself,  and  the 
facts  of  history,  all  unite  in  proving  that  the  great  red  dragon  is  the  symbol 
of  Bome.  Bearing  this  in  mind,  we  will  have  little  difficulty  in  understand- 
ing the  rest  of  the  vision. 


THE  WOMAN   AND   THS  DRAGON.  271 

II.  We  have  now  to  notice  the  church's  beli7SRANCE  from  impeDd- 
iog  danger,  and  ita  escape  into  the  wilderness,  as  described  in  verses  5  and 
6.  "And  she  brought  forth  a  man-child,  who  was  to  rule  all  nations  with 
a  rod  of  iron  j  and  her  child  was  caught  up  unto  God,  and  to  his  throne. 
And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  hath  a  place  prepared 
of  God,  that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  throe- 
score  days.''  The  first  thing  that  claims  our  attention  here  is  the  fact  that 
the  woman^s  child,  as  soon  as  he  was  bom,  was  snatched  away  from  her,  and 
she  was  left  alone.  You  will  please  bear  in  mind  that  the  woman's  son  is 
a  symbol  of  the  members  of  the  church.  This  is  a  figure  very  frequently 
employed  in  the  Scriptures,  and  one  which  no  reader  of  the  Bible  will  be 
Hkely  to  misunderstand.  And  the  church,  through  her  sons,  is  to  rule  over 
all  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron ;  that  is,  a  scepter  which  will  crush  out  all 
opposition,  and  which  it  will  be  in  vain  to  attempt  to  resist.  The  word  of 
God  assures  us  that  this  is  to  be.  But  the  hour  of  the  church's  universal 
dominion  had  not  come  at  the  time  referred  to  in  this  vision.  It  has  not 
yet  come.  The  sons  of  the  church  who  are  to  rule  the  nations  with  a  rod 
of  iron,  are  yet  to  be  born.  In  some  of  the  centuries  which  are  yet  future, 
the  principles  of  truth  and  righteousness  will  universally  prevail ;  continent 
wUl  vie  with  continent,  island  with  island,  city  with  city,  home  with  home, 
'in  doing  honor  to  the  church  and  the  church's  Bedeemer.  As  has  been 
said,  it  seemed  as  if  that  time  was  about  to  come  in  the  days  which  followed 
the  apostolic  age.  The  church  increased  with  unprecedented  rapidity. 
Persecutions  scattered  the  disciples  far  and  near,  and  wherever  they  went 
they  preached  the  truth,  and  men  believed  it.  Christians  thought  that  the 
day  of  which  the  prophets  had  spoken  was  about  to  dawn,  and  that  the 
knowledge  of  the  Lord  was  about  to  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea.  But  these  expectations  are  disappointed.  A  great  enemy  appears 
and  puts  an  end  to  the  church's  increase.  It  is  as  if  her  children,  as  soon 
as  they  are  born,  are  snatched  away  from  her,  and  she  is  left  in  all  the 
loneliness  of  a  bereaved  mother.  The  fact  that  her  child  was  caught  up 
to  Qod  and  to  his  throne  is  not  specially  significant.  The  meaning  is  that 
the  child  was  taken  away  beyond  her  reach  and  beyond  her  knowledge. 

This  part  of  the  symbol  was  fulfilled  during  the  fierce  persecutions  which 
filled  the  dark  ages.  The  church  labored  as  hard  as  she  had  done  during 
the  apostolic  age,  but  all  her  labor  and  travail  were  in  vain.  She  preached, 
and  prayed,  and  suffered,  but  sons  and  daughters  did  not  multiply  around 
her.  She  was  left  in  all  the  loneliness  of  a  childless  widow.  All  this  is 
symboliaed  by  the  fact  that  her  child  was  caught  up  to  God,  and  to  his 
throne.  The  enemy  prevailed  not  only  against  the  church's  increase,  but 
^  against  the  church  herself.  She  was  compelled  to  flee  to  the  wilder- 
Dfiifl,  where  she  remained  in  the  place  prepared  for  her  for  one  thousand  two 
handred  and  sizty^years.     Here,  the  same  period  of  time  to  which  our 


272  LECTURE  XXXIV. 

attention  has  already  been  called,  is  brought  onoe  more  to  our  notice.    The 
outer  court  of  the  temple  was  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  the  Gentiles  for 
forty-two  prophetic  months,  that  is,  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
years ;  the  two  witnesses  gave  in  their  testimony  clothed  in  sackcloth  for 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years ;  and  now  the  woman  hides  in 
the  wilderness  for  the  same  length  of  time.    This  helps  us  to  understand 
the  vision,  and  confirms  the  interpretation  we  have  already  given.     The 
woman  is  the  true  church ;  the  great  red  dragon  is  the  power  of  Rome  ; 
and  the  church  is  compelled  to  remain  in  obscurity  during  the  whole  period 
of  Papal  supremacy.    That  this  part  of  the  symbol  has  been  fulfilled,  no 
one  who  is  acquainted  with  ecclesiastical  history  will  question.     The  per- 
secutions of  Rome  not  only  stopped  the  increase  of  the  church,  it  drove  the 
church  into  the  obscure  places  and  dark  comers  of  the  earth.     Where  was 
the  church  during  those  ages  to  which  reference  has  just  been  made  ?     On 
the  thrones  of  the  kingdoms  ?    In  the  public  places  of  great  cities  ?     No. 
To  find  the  church,  we  must  go  to  the  dens  and  caves  of  the  earth,  to  the 
fastnesses  of  the  mountains,  to  the  catacombs  of  Rome,  and  to  the  most 
'  inaccessible  parts  of  the  Roman  empire.    The  true  followers  of  Christ,  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  were  hiding  like  partridges,  and  were 
hunted  like  wild  beasts.    The  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  the  heir  of  the  throne 
of  heaven,  is  a  fugitive  on  earth.     But  still  she  is  safe.     Ood  prepares  a 
place  for  her  in  the  wilderness.     He  provides  her  with  food.     He  gives  her 
manna  from  heaven  to  eat,  and  the  water  of  endless  life  to  drink.     And 
when  the  end  of  the  appointed  time  shall  come,  she  shall  come  forth  from 
her  retirement  to  take  her  proper  place,  her  seed  shall  increase,  and  through 
her  sons  and  daughters,  who  are  yet  to  be  born,  she  shall  fill  the  earth  vid 
rule  the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron. 

But  to  return  to  the  vision.  The  woman's  child  is  snatched  away.  The 
woman  herself  is  driven  to  seek  a  refuge  in  the  wilderness.  The  dragon  is 
lefl  alone  on  the  celestial  plain.  .  Can  it  be  that  he  has  completely  triumphed  ? 
Can  it  be  that  the  church  is  finally  subdued  before  his  power  ?  No.  Unex- 
pected help  appears.  Michael  and  his  angels  draw  their  glittering  swords, 
and  through  these  angelic  champions  the  church  finds  deliverance,  and 
Satan  finds  a  foe  stronger  than  himself.  The  war  in  heaven  must  be 
reserved  for  ftiture  consideration.  In  the  meantime  let  us  rejoice  in  the 
church's  safety.  She  may  have  mighty  enemies,  but  Michael  and  his  angels, 
and  he  who  is  the  Lord  of  the  angels,  are  her  friends.  She  may  have 
her  seasons  of  persecution  and  obscurity^  but  the  times  and  the  seasons 
are  in  God's  hand,  and  when  the  appointed  period  shall  come  to  an  end, 
persecution  shall  be  changed  into  victory,  and  obscurity  into  glory.  She 
may  be  exposed  to  dangers,  many  and  great,  but  nothing  can  shake  the 
faithfulness  of  the  promisor  or  annul  the  promise ;  "  no  weapon  that  is 
formed  against  thee  shall  prosper":  "the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  thee." 


THE  WOMAN  AND  THE   DRAGON — CONTINUED.  273 


LECTURE    XXXV. 


THE  WOMAN  AND  THE  DRAGON— Continued. 

And  there  was  war  in  heaven :  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the 
dragon ;  and  the  dragon  fought  and  his  angels,  and  prevailed  not ;  neither 
was  their  place  found  any  more  in  heaven.  And  the  great  draeon  was  cast  out, 
that  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil,  and  ^3atan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world  : 
he  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him.  And  I 
heard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven,  Now  is  come  salvation,  and  strength,  and 
the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ:  for  the  accuser  of  our 
brethren  is  cast  down,  which  accused  them  hefore  our  God  day  and  night.  And 
they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the  word  of  their  testi- 
mony ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto  the  death.  Therefore  rejoice,  ye 
heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them.  Woe  to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  and  of 
the  sea  1  for  tne  devil  is  come  down  unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he 
knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short  time.  And  when  the  dragon  saw  that  he  was 
cast  unto  the  eartli,  he  persecuted  the  woman  which  brought  forth  the  man- 
child.  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she 
might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  ner  place,  where  she  is  nourish(3  for  a  time, 
ana  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face  of  the  serpent.  And  the  serpent  cast 
out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood,  after  the  woman,  that  he  might  cause  her  to 
be  carried  away  of  the  flood.  And  the  earth  helped  the  woman ;  and  the  earth 
opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed  up  the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his 
mouth.  And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman,  and  went  to  make  war 
with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  commandments  of  Gk)d,  and  have 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ. — Kev.  12  :  7-17. 

In  the  concluding  verses  of  this  chapter,  there  are  three  points  which 
claim  onr  attention,  and  tbey  will  be  discussed  in  their  order,  vi2 :  1. 
The  war  in  heaven.  2.  The  song  of  victory.  3.  The  persecuted  church 
in  the  wilderness. 

L  Let  us  notice  the  wab  in  heaven.  *'And  there  was  war  in 
heaven ;  Michael  and  his  angels  fought  against  the  dragon ;  and  the  dragon 
fonght  and  bis  angels,  and  prevailed  not;  neither  was  their  place  found  any 
more  in  heaven.  And  the  great  dragon  was  cast  out,  that  old  serpent, 
called  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  world ;  he  was  cast 
oat  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  out  with  him."  In  order  to 
understand  these  verses,  we  must  remember  the  method  in  which  the  truth 
was  revealed  to  the  apostle  John,  He  was  carried  in  the  Spirit  into 
heaven,  and  on  the  celestial  plain,  as  on  the  stage  of  the  future,  one  scene 
after  another  was  made  to  pass  before  him.  It  was  as  if  he  looked  upon  the 
successive  pictures  of  a  panorama.  The  things  which  he  saw  were  not 
actual  occurrences;  they  were  symbolic  representations.  Therefore,  in 
our  exposition,  our  plan  has  always  been  to  reach  a  clear  conception  of  the 
representation,  and  then  to  discover,  if  possible,  the  events  in  history 
which  the  representation  was  designed  to  shadow  forth; 

In  the  vision  we  are  now  considering,  the  first  thing  which  the  apostle  saw 

18 


274  LECTURE  XXXV. 

was  a  crowned  and  beautiful  woman,  who  was  a  symbol  of  the  true  church. 
He  then  saw  a  great  red  dragon,  which  was  a  symbol  of  pagan  and  Papal 
Rome.  There  they  stood  upon  the  celestial  plain,  the  dragon  full  of  wrath 
against  the  woman,  and  ready  to  destroy  her  child  as  soon  as  it  was  bom. 
But  her  child  is  snatched  from  her  side  and  she  is  left  alone.  She  herself 
is  compelled  to  retire  to  the  place  prepared  for  her  in  the  wilderness.  The 
dragon  stands  alone  on  the  celestial  plain.  Can  it  be  that  he  is  completely 
successful  ?  Get  the  scene  clearly  fixed  in  the  imagination.  The  dragon 
walks  up  and  down  the  stage  of  the  heavenly  theater  in  triumph.  But  lo ! 
an  unexpected  enemy  appears,  and  the  war  in  heaven  begins,  as  if  in 
panoramic  representation. 

1.  The  first  thing  which  claims  our  attention  here  is  the  parties  in  this 
conflict.  On  the  one  side  were  Michael  and  his  angels ;  on  the  other  side 
were  the  dragon  and  his  angels.  Who  was  Michael  ?  His  name  is  men- 
tioned in  the  visions  of  Daniel,  where  he  is  described  "  as  one  of  the  chief 
princes."  His  name  is  also  mentioned  in  the  epistle  of  Jude.  Though 
it  does  not  become  us  to  speak  positively  on  spiritual  matters  which  the 
Scriptures  have  not  made  plain,  yet  the  common  opinion,  that  Michael  was 
an  angel  and  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  heavenly  host,  seems  to  be  the  cor- 
rect one.  We  know  that  there  are  degrees  in  rank  among  the  angels. 
There  are  principalities  and  powers ;  there  are  seraphs,  and  cherubs,  and 
archangels.  OF  all  this  heavenly  host,  but  two  are  mentioned  by  name 
in  the  word  of  Ood,  viz. :  Qabriel  and  Michael.  The  fact  that  they  are 
mentioned  by  name  leads  us  to  believe  that  they  are  first  among  the  angels 
and  the  leaders  of  the  rest.  From  what  we  are  told  in  the  epistle  of 
Jude,  we  are  led  to  believe  that  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  Michael  and 
Satan  to  come  into  conflict.  *'  Yet  Michael,  the  archangel,  when  contend- 
ing with  the  devil,  (he  disputed  about  the  body  of  Moses,)  durst  not  bring 
against  him  a  railing  accusation,  but  said,  the  Lord  rebuke  thee."  What- 
ever the  meaning  of  this  passage  may  be,  it  certainly  teaches  us  that 
Michael  and  the  devil  were  accustomed  to  measure  swords.  And  in  this 
symbolic  conflict  which  John  saw,  Michael  was  not  alone.  His  angek 
fought  by  his  side  and  under  his  leadership. 

Michael  and  his  angels  were  opposed  by  the  dragon  and  his  angels.  As  in 
an  indictment  against  a  criminal,  all  the  names  he  has  assumed  are  carefiilly 
included,  so  in  verse  9  the  dragon  is  described  by  his  various  aliases.  He 
is  called  the  serpent,  because  in  the  form  of  a  serpent  he  deceived  our  first 
parents.  He  is  called  "  the  old  serpent,"  because  from  the  banning  of 
human  hist<Ny  he  has  been  the  enemy  of  the  race.  Another  alias  by  which 
he  is  known  is  "  the  devil  '* ;  that  is,  the  accuser,  for  he  accuses  the  people 
of  God.  Sometimes  he  accuses  them  to  God  himself,  as  he  did  in  the  oase 
of  Job,  the  patriarch  of  Uz ;  sometimes  he  accuses  them  to  their  fellow 
men,  misrepresenting  their  motives  and  their  conduct.     Another  alias  be 


THE   WOMAN    AND   THE   DRAGON — CONTINUED.  275 

has  won  for  himself  is  "  Satan"  ;  that  is,  the  adversary,  for  he  is  the  great 
enemy  of  the  church  and  the  church's  head.  Another  alias  he  has  won 
for  himself  is  "  the  deceiver  of  the  whole  world,"  for  he  has  been  so  suc- 
cess^l  in  deceiving  the  race  by  his  wiles,  that  he  leads  them  captive  at  his 
will.  This  great  red  dragon,  alias  the  old  serpent,  alias  the  devil,  alias 
Satan,  alias  the  deceiver  of  the  world,  together  with  his  angels,  are  those 
who  fought  against  Michael  and  his  angels. 

The  parties  in  this  symbolical  conflict  are  themselves  symbolical.  Michael 
and  his  angels  are  a  symbol  of  the  powers  of  heaven  and  holiness,  which 
are  ever  engaged  in  the  defence  of  the  church  and  the  divine  gloiy ;  the 
dragon  and  his  angels  are  the  symbol  of  pagan  and  Papal  Rome,  which 
through  all  its  history  is  the  enemy  of  the  true  church,  and  which,  as  the 
instrument  of  Satan,  has  been  so  successful  in  hindering  the  progress  of 
Christianity.  This  symbolic  conflict  represents  to  us  this  fact :  the  wicked 
angels  set  themselves  in  deadly  hostility  against  the  church  and  everything 
that  Ood  loves ;  the  holy  angels  fight  for  the  church  and  the  kingdom  of 
their  divine  Lord.  It  is  well  for  us  to  remember  this  &ct.  It  explains  the 
safety  of  the  church  and  the  continued  miracle  of  its  preservation  through 
all  the  ages.  If  our  eyes  were  only  opened  to  see  things  which  are  beyond 
the  reach  of  mortal  vision,  we  would  see  the  marshalled  hosts  of  Michael 
and  Satan  ever  contending,  not  about  the  body  of  Moses,  but  about  the 
mystical  body  of  Christ,  the  church  of  God. 

2.  The  second  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  tJie  result  of  this  sym- 
bolic conflict.  Satan  and  his  angels  were  defeated  and  cast  out  of  heaven. 
Through  a  few  hints  which  are  dropped  in  the  inspired  word,  we  are  led  to 
the  conclusion  that,  sometime  in  the  unmeasured  ages  which  preceded  the 
creation  of  man,  there  was  a  rebellion  in  heaven^  and  that  Satan  and  those 
who  espoused  his  cause  in  that  rebellion  were  driven  out  and  banished  to 
a  region  of  everlasting  punishment*  But  the  words  we  are  now  considering 
do  not  refer  to  this  rebellion  and  its  result.  We  also  know  that  there  is  a 
sense  in  which  Satan  and  his  hosts  were  defeated  when  Christ  came  into 
the  world,  established  the  Christian  church,  and  gave  his  disciples  power 
to  cast  out  demons  and  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.  It  is  of  this 
defeat  Jesus  speaks  when  he  says,  *^  I  saw  Satan  fall  like  lightning  from 
heaven."  But  the  words  we  are  now  considering  do  not  refer  to  this  defeat; 
they  are  symbolic  ;  and  if  we  have  been  correct  in  our  previous  interpreta- 
tions, they  refer  to  the  attempt  of  Satan  to  destroy  the  church  during  the 
ages  which  are  known  in  history  as  the  dark  ages.  At  that  time  the  Roman 
power,  both  under  the  emperors  and  under  the  popes,  came  near  blotting 
true  religion  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  It  would  have  been  successful  if 
the  church  had  not  been  supematurally  sustained  by  the  unseen  armies  of 
Ood.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbolical  war  in  heaven,  in  which 
the  great  red  dragon  and  his  hosts  were  defeated  and  cast  out  upon  the 
earth.     This  defeat  was  celebrated  by  a  song  of  victory. 


276  lIsoture  xxxv. 

II.  This  song  of  victory  is  the  second  point  announced  for  consid- 
eration. *'And  I  beard  a  loud  voice  saying  in  heaven.  Now  is  come  salvation, 
and  strength,  and  the  kingdom  of  our  God,  and  the  power  of  his  Christ  ^ 
for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast  down,  which  accused  them  before 
our  God  night  and  day.  And  they  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
and  by  the  word  of  their  testimony ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives  unto 
the  death.  Therefore  rejoice,  ye  heavens,  and  ye  that  dwell  in  them.  Woe 
to  the  inhabiters  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  sea  I  for  the  devil  is  come  down 
unto  you,  having  great  wrath,  because  he  knoweth  that  he  hath  but  a  short 
time."  Such  a  song  of  victory  is  fitting  and  customary.  As  Moses  sang 
a  song  of  victory  when  Pharaoh  and  his  host  were  overwhelmed  in  the  Bed 
sea,  as  David  sang  a  song  of  victory  when  his  foes  were  subdued,  so  now 
there  is  a  song  to  celebrate  the  conclusion  of  the  symbolieal  war  in  heaven 
between  Michael  and  Satan.  We  are  not  told  who  sang  this  song,  but  we 
can  easily  discover  from  the  song  itself  It  was  sung  in  heaven  ;  and  there- 
fore it  must  be  the  song  either  of  the  angels  or  of  the  redeemed  saints* 
That  it  is  the  song  of  the  glorified  saints  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  the 
saints  on  earth  are  spoken  of  as  "  our  brethren."  The  angels  call  the  saints 
"  our  fellow  servants."  None  but  saints  may  speak  of  other  saints  as  "  our 
brethren,"  a  name  which  shows  the  intimate  relation  which  exists  between 
the  members  of  the  family  of  the  redeemed,  both  those  who  have  crossed 
the  flood  and  those  who  are  yet  battling  on  the  earthly  side. 

Their  song  is  easily  understood.  They  sing  of  the  "  salvation  "  which 
had  now  come ;  that  is,  of  the  deliverance  from  Satan  which  had  been 
wrought  out  in  their  behalf.  The  power  of  this  enemy  they  had  long  felt; 
their  weakness  they  had  long  known ;  but  now  when  they  saw  the  angelic 
hosts  drawing  their  glittering  swords  on  the  side  of  the  church,  they  knew 
that  salvation  and  deliverance  had  come.  They  sing  of  the  "  strength  " 
which  had  now  come ;  that  is,  of  the  power  of  God  which  had  been  put 
forth  for  their  salvation  and  deliverance,  for  no  strength  save  divine  strength 
could  cope  with  that  of  Satan.  They  sing  of  the  *' kingdom  of  God" 
which  had  now  come.  In  the  defeat  of  Satan  and  his  hosts,  they  saw  the 
promise  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  church,  they  saw  the  beginning  of  the 
glorious  end,  when  earth  redeemed  from  Satan*s  thndldom  would  be  the 
kingdom  of  the  Lord.  They  sing  of  the  "power  of  Christ"  the  anointed, 
the  Messiah,  who,  under  the  appointment  of  the  Father,  is  head  over  all 
things  for  the  church. 

The  occasion  of  this  song  of  victory  Lb  plainly  unfolded.  It  was  because 
of  the  overthrow  of  Satan ;  "for  the  accuser  of  our  brethren  is  cast  down." 
Of  the  propriety  of  this  alias  of  Satan,  we  have  already  spoken.  When  he 
is  cast  down  there  is  occasion  for  thanksgiving.  There  is  a  second  oocasion 
for  thanksgiving,  and  though  it  is  closely  connected  with  the  fiist^  it  has 
received  separate  mention.     This  second  occasion  for  thanksgiving  is  the 


THE   WOMAN   AND   THE   DRAGON — CONTINUED.  277 

victory  of  the  saints.  They  obtained  their  victoiy  by  the  blood  of  the 
Lamb,  that  is,  through  the  atonement  of  Christ ;  and  by  the  word  of  their 
testimony,  that  is,  by  their  faithiiil  adherence  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel ; 
and  because  they  loTed  not  their  own  lives  unto  the  death,  that  is,  they 
preferred  death  rather  than  life,  if  life  could  be  purchased  only  by  renouncing 
Ohiist  and  his  truth.  These  are  the  means  by  which  Satan  is  always  over- 
thrown, and  by  which  Christianity  is  always  established  on  the  earth. 
Satan  is  ever  accusing  Christians,  but  by  their  holy  lives,  and  their  faithful 
testimony,  and  their  patient  suffering,  even  unto  death,  they  show  that  his 
accusations  are  false.  As  the  saints  of  to-day.  may  use  the  same  means, 
they  may  be  as  sure  of  victory  as  were  any  of  the  Christian  heroes  of  the 
past.  We  can  rely  on  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  we  can  be  faithful  in  the 
testimony  we  bear ;  and  though  we  are  not  now  called  to  die  for  Christ,  we 
are  called  to  live  for  him ;  and  the  latter  is  as  hard  to  do  as  the  former,  and 
as  great  a  power  against  Satan.  Never  was  a  mightier  power  brought  to 
bear  against  the  church  than  at  the  time  referred  to  in  this  vision  ;  never 
was  the  church,  humanly  speaking,  in  greater  danger  than  when  Satan  used 
all  the  machinery,  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  of  Rome  for  her  overthrow ;  and 
as  she  was  not  crushed  then,  we  may  be  sure  that  she  will  never  be.  They 
who  are  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  are  invulnerable.  They  who 
fight  with  the  word,  which  is  the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  have  a  weapon  whose 
keen  edge  will  cleave  through  all  opposition. 

The  glorified  saints  in  this  war  in  heaven  and  in  the  defeat  of  Satan,  saw 
the  promise  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  church.  Therefore,  they  sang 
their  song  of  victory ;  they  called  upon  the  heavens,  and  upon  all  whose 
home  was  in  the  heavens,  to  rejoice  with  them.  They  would  have  the 
angels  join  in  their  thanksgivings,  for  there  is  such  a  sympathy  among  the 
inhabitants  of  heaven,  both  those  of  angelic  and  those  of  earthly  origin, 
that  their  joys  are  one.  But  though  they  saw  in  the  symbolic  defeat  of 
Satan  the  promise  of  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  church,  they  knew  that 
the  end  was  not  yet,  and  that  before  the  end  would  come,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  and  of  the  islands  of  the  sea  would  have  to  endure  a  great 
fight  of  afflictions.  The  devil,  cast  out  of  heaven,  would  be  filled  with 
wrath,  and  he  would  do  all  he  could  to  destroy  the  souls  of  men,  and  to  fill 
the  earth  with  misery  and  woe.  And  his  wrath  would  bum  all  the  fiercer, 
because  he  knew  that  the  time  was  limited  in  which  he  could  wage  war 
with  the  saints,  and  that  this  limited  time  was  drawing  to  a  close. 

This  is  the  glorified  saints'  song  of  victoiy  ;  but  it  ends  with  a  note  of 
woe,  not  for  their  own  sakes,  but  for  the  sake  of  their  brethren  on  the  earth, 
who  were  yet,  for  a  time,  to  feel  the  power  of  the  adversary.  It  will  be 
seen  that  there  was  occasion  for  this  sorrow  and  warning,  when  we  turn  to 
the  third  point  which  was  announced  for  consideration,  viz. : 


278  LBCTUBE  XXXV. 

III.  The  pebsecoted  ohurch  in  the  wilderness.  In  the  oon* 
eluding  verses  of  this  chapter,  which  describe  the  persecuted  church,  there 
is  a  change  in  the  scene  of  the  vision.  In  the  preceding  part  of  the  chapter 
the  scene  has  been  laid  in  heaven.  But  when  Satan  is  cast  out  by  the 
victorious  Michael  and  his  angels,  we  are  to  follow  him  in  his  descent  to 
the  earth.  Though  he  is  defeated,  his  enmity  against  the  church  is  not 
lessened.  He  at  once  renews  his  persecution  of  the  woman.  "And  when 
the  dragon  saw  that  he  was  cast  unto  the  earth,  he  persecuted  the  woman 
which  brought  forth  the  man-child."  On  this  verse  it  is  not  necessary  tq 
dwell,  for  it  but  introduces  us  to  the  more  important  words  that  foUow. 

1.  Let  us,  then,  notice  ths  church  in  obscurity.  "And  to  the  woman 
were  given  two  wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness^ 
into  her  place,  where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  timet 
from  the  face  of  the  serpent."  Bear  in  mind  that  the  woman  is  the  symbol 
of  the  true  church,  and  that  the  dragon  is  the  symbol  of  pagan  and  Papal 
Rome.  For  a  time  the  church  had  been  occupying  a  prominent  place  in 
the  earth.  But  when  these  fierce  persecutions  came,  the  church  was  com- 
pelled to  retire  to  obscure  places  and  dark  comers  of  the  earth.  Where 
do  we  find  the  church  at  the  period  referred  to  in  this  vision  ?  In  dens 
and  caves  of  the  earth ;  in  the  fastnesses  of  the  mountains ;  in  the  most 
inaccessible  parts  of  the  Roman  empire.  It  was  as  if  the  wings  of  a 
great  eagle  had  been  given  to  it,  that  it  might  escape  to  places  which  the 
feet  of  man  could  not  reach.  In  these  obscure  places  the  church  was 
comparatively  safe. 

2.  In  the  next  place,  ths  church  was  nourished  in  obscurity,  God  gave 
her  bread  from  heaven  to  eat,  and  the  water  of  an  endless  life  to  drink. 
During  this  long  period  the  church  was  kept  alive.  So  deep  was  its 
obscurity  that,  in  the  history  of  those  ages,  it  is  hard  to  find  any  trace  of 
its  existence;  still,  we  can  find  enough,  even  in  the  testimony  of  its 
enemies,  to  convince  us  that  it  never  became  extinct. 

3.  TTie  church  uxu  nourished  ^^for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time^ 
The  word  "  time  "  as  used  in  this  connection  may  mean  any  definite  period 
of  time,  as  a  day,  or  a  month,  or  a  year.  However,  when  we  compare  this 
passage  with  other  parallel  passages  in  this  book,  and  especially  with  the 
two  parallel  passages  in  the  book  of  Daniel,  we  are  brought  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  word  "  time ''  is  here  used  to  describe  a  year.  If  this  interpretation 
is  correct,  then  the  phrase,  "  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,''  would  be 
equivalent  to  this :  a  "year,  two  years,  and  a  half  year" ;  or  three  years  and 
a  half;  or  forty-two  months;  or  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days. 
Here,  then,  the  same  period  of  time  to  which  our  attention  has  so  often 
been  called,  is  once  more  brought  to  our  notice.  The  outer  court  of  the 
temple  was  to  be  trodden  under  foot  of  the  Gentiles  for  forty-two  prophetic 
months ;  the  two  witnesses  were  to  bear  their  testimony  clothed  in  sack> 


THE  WOMAN   AND  THB  BRAGON^ONTINUED.  279 

doth  for  one  thouaand  two  hundred  and  sixty  prophetic  dajs ',  and  now  the 
woman  is  to  he  nourished  in  the  wilderness  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
In  Tiew  of  what  has  already  been  said  with  reference  to  this  period,  it  will 
be  sufficient  to  eay,  in  the  present  connection,  that  the  true  church  was  to 
remain  in  obscurity  during  the  whole  period  of  Papal  supremacy,  a  period 
which  is  to  endure  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  which 
b^n  about  the  seventh  century,  and  which  is  now  drawing  towards  its 
close. 

4.  TVke  church  tcai  often  endangered  during  these  years  of  obscurity. 
*'And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his  mouth  water  as  a  flood,  afler  the  woman, 
that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  carried  away  of  the  flood.''  A  flood  of 
water  is  a  common  Scriptural  figure  to  describe  great  multitudes  and 
mighty  armies.  And  this,  without  doubt,  is  its  meaning  here.  Rome  sent 
out  army  after  army,  expedition  after  expedition,  to  destroy  the  church. 
More  than  once  it  seemed  aB  if  the  last  vestige  of  true  Christianity  would 
be  swept  away,  just  as  every  living  creature  was  swept  away  by  the  deluge 
in  the  days  of  Noah. 

5.  The  church  vms  mireumloutly  defended  from  its  dangers.  "And  the 
earth  helped  the  woman  ;  and  the  earth  opened  her  mouth,  and  swallowed 
up  the  flood  which  the  dragon  cast  out  of  his  mouth."  For  the  fulfill- 
ment of  this  part  of  the  vision,  w6  have  only  to  remember  the  deliveran- 
ces of  the  church.  When  it  seemed  about  to  be  destroyed,  some  new  in- 
tervention waB  granted,  an  intervention  as  striking  and  miraculous  as  if  the 
earth  had  opened  her  mouth  to  swallow  up  her  enemies,  as  Korah,  Datham 
and  Abiram  were  swallowed  up.  Such  a  deliverance  is  described  by  almost 
the  name  figure  in  Psalm  124  :  *'  If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord  who  was  on 
our  aide,  when  men  rose  up  against  us  :  then  the  waters  had  overwhelmed 
us,  the  stream  had  gone  over  our  soul ;  then  the  proud  waters  had  gone 
over  our  soul.'' 

6.  In  the  last  place,  we  have  Satan*$  enmity  againBt  the  individual 
members  of  the  church,  "And  the  dragon  was  wroth  with  the  woman, 
and  went  to  make  war  with  the  remnant  of  her  seed,  which  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God,  and  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  When 
stripped  of  the  imagery,  the  meaning  is  simply  this :  when  Satan  found 
that  he  could  not  destroy  the  church  as  such,  he  directed  all  his  energies 
against  the  individual  members  of  the  church,  who  are  here  described  as 
the  remnant  of  the  woman's  seed.  They  are  still  further  described  as 
those  *'  who  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  have  the  testimony 
of  Jesus  Christ";  that  is,  as  those  who  live  holy  lives  and  bear  faithful 
witness  for  Christ  as  their  Saviour.  There  were  such  faithful  ones  not 
only  among  the  Waldenses,  and  Albigenses,  and  Lollards,*  and  other  com- 
munities of  faithful  Christians,  but  even  in  the  monasteries  of  Rome, 
where  they  longed  for  Christ  and  the  truth,  but  dared  to  give  no  expres- 


280  LECTURE   XXXV. 

sion  to  their  longing.  As  a  striking  example  of  such  a  case,  I  quote  the 
words  of  D'Auhigne.  "A  poor  Carthusian,  brother  Martin,  wrote  this 
affecting  confession :  *  Oh,  most  merciful  God  1  I  know  that  I  can  only  be 
saved  and  satisfy  thy  righteousness,  by  the  merit,  the  innocent  suffering, 
and  death  of  thy  well-beloved  Son.  Holy  Jesus !  my  salvation  is  in  thy 
hands.  Thou  canst  not  withdraw  the  hands  of  thy  love  from  me ;  for  they 
have  created,  and  formed,  and  redeemed  me.  Thou  hast  inscribed  my 
name  with  a  pen  of  iron  in  rich  mercy,  and  so  as  nothing  can  efface  it,  on 
thy  side,  thy  hands  and  thy  feet.'  After  this  the  good  Carthusian  placed 
his  confession  in  a  wooden  box,  and  enclosed  the  box  in  a  hole  he  had 
made  in  the  wall  of  his  cell.  The  piety  of  brother  Martin  would  never 
have  been  known,  if  his  box  had  not  been  found  on  December  21, 1776, 
in  taking  down  an  old  building  which  had  been  part  of  the  Carthusian 
convent  at  Basle.  How  many  convents  may  have  concealed  similar  treas- 
ures ! ''     History  of  the  Beformation,  vol.  1,  p.  21. 

When  the  thrones  are  set  and  the  books  are  opened,  it  will  be  found 
that  many  a  saint  whose  name  is  unknown,  kept  the  commandments  of 
God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  and  suffered  from  the  wrath  of 
Satan.  Such  men  as  Wickliffe,  and  John  Huss,  and  Jerome  of  Prague, 
belonged  to  the  woman's  seed,  but  they  were  not  alone.  Thousands  of 
others,  every  whit  as  godly  and  faithful  as  they,  suffered  every  form  of 
cruelty ;  and  in  their  cruel  suffering  and  triumphant  death,  this  word  of 
prophecy  was  fulfilled :  "  the  dragon  made  war  with  the  woman's  seed." 

This  is  the  vision  of  the  woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  and  the  great  red 
dragon.  The  crowned  and  beautiful  woman  is  the  symbol  of  the  true 
church.  The  great  red  dragon  is  the  symbol  of  pagan  and  Papal  Borne. 
If  the  correctness  of  the  interpretation  of  these  two  symbols  is  granted, 
then  all  the  rest  of  the  vision  is  easily  understood.  And  how  beaatifully 
and  touchingly  does  this  vision  describe  the  history  of  the  church  these 
many  years.  Satan  has  long  been  persecuting  the  church,  the  remnant  of 
the  woman's  seed.  But  the  time,  times  and  a  half  are  drawing  to  an  end. 
The  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  spoken  of  so  often  by  the 
inspired  writers,  will  soon  be  past.  Then  the  church  will  come  forth  from 
her  retirement ;  persecution  will  be  changed  into  victory ;  obscurity  will  be 
changed  into  renown.  Whether  we  will  be  alive  to  soe  the  end  of  the  ap- 
pointed time  or  not,  we  cannot  tell :  but  it  will  come,  the  dragon  will  be 
defeated,  and  the  church  will  be  crowned  with  glory  and  universal  domin- 
ion, for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 


THE  BEA8T  WITH  TEN  HORNS.  281 


LECTURE  XXXVI. 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TEN  HORNS. 

And  I  .stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and  saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea, 
having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon 
his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy.  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a 
leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of 
a  lion  :  and  the  dragon  gave  him  his  power  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority. 
And  I  8aw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death  ]  and  his  deadly  wound 
was  healed :  and  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast.  And  they  worshiped 
the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the  beast :  and  they  worshiped  the  beast, 
saying,  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast  ?  who  is  able  to  make  war  witn  him  ?  And 
there  was  given  unto  him  a  mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies ;  and 
power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months.  And  he  opened 
nis  mouth  in  blasphemy  against  God,  to  blaspheme  his  name,  and  his  taberna- 
cle, and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven.  And  it  was  given  unto  him  to  make  war 
with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them :  and  power  was  given  him  over  all  kin- 
dreds, and  tongues,  and  nations.  And  all  that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  wor- 
ship him,  whose  names  are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  If  any  man  have  an  ear,  let  him  hear.  He 
that  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  captivity:  he  that  killeth  with  the 
sword,  must  be  killed  with  the  sword.  Here  is  tiie  patience  and  the  faith  of  the 
taints. — Rev.  18  : 1-10. 

The  vision  of  the  preceding  chapter  is  a  symbolic  revelation  of  the 
dangers  and  deliverances  of  the  tme  church  daring  the  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  years  of  its  obscurity  and  persecution.  These  dangers 
and  deliverances  have  been  described  in  previous  lectures.  But  in  our  ex- 
position of  that  vision,  our  attention  was  occupied  mostly  with  the  church. 
We  saw  the  symbol  by  which  it  was  represented,  a  beautiftil  woman 
clothed  with  the  light,  going  forth  with  all  the  majesty  of  the  moon,  and 
crowned  with  a  diadem  of  stars.  We  saw  her  great  expectations  that, 
through  her  children  who  were  about  to  be  bom,  she  would  fill  the  earth 
and  rule  it  with  a  rod  of  iron.  We  saw  how  bitterly  her  expectations 
were  disappointed  ;  her  child  was  snatched  from  her  side  and  beyond  her 
knowledge  ;  and  she  was  left  alone.  We  saw  her  driven  into  the  wilder- 
ness, nourished  in  obscurity,  threatened  with  overwhelming  dangers,  and 
marvelouslj  delivered.  We  saw  how  the  remnant  of  her  seed  were  hunted 
like  partridges  upon  the  mountains.  But  in  all  this,  our  attention  was 
only  inddentally  called  to  the  persecuting  power.  It  is  true,  the  dragon 
was  introduced  upon  the  stage  of  the  heavenly  theater,  but  only  to  enable 
us  to  understand  the  danger  to  which  the  church  was  exposed,  and  the 
deliverance  she  experienced.  The  woman  was  the  central  figure  of  the 
vision ;  the  dragon  only  the  secondary  one.  In  other  words,  the  vision  of 
the  preceding  chapter  has  to  do  for  the  most  part  with  the  persecuted 
church,  and  not  with  the  power  which  persecuted  the  church.     But  who 


282  LBOTUBE  XXXVI. 

does  not  desire  to  know  something  more  of  this  persecuting  power  ?  Surely 
the  apostle  would  desire  greater  knowledge ;  and  surely  we,  who  lire  near 
the  conclusion  of  this  prophetic  period,  may  well  desire  to  know  more  of 
this  power,  its  characteristics  and  its  methods.  To  gratify  this  natural  de- 
sire, and  to  make  the  revelation  full  and  complete,  we  have  the  vision  of 
the  chapter  upon  whose  consideration  we  enter  in  the  present  lecture;  a 
vision  in  which  the  persecuting  power  is  made  the  central  figure,  and  in 
which  our  attention  is  directed  not  so  much  to  the  church  as  to  the  church's 
great  enemies.  These  enemies  are  described  as  two  beasts,  one  coming 
up  out  of  the  sea,  and  the  other  coming  up  out  of  the  land;  one 
having  ten  horns  and  seven  heads,  and  the  other  the  horns  of  a  lamb 
and  the  voice  of  a  dragon.  The  first  of  these  beasts  will  occupy  our 
attention  in  the  present  lecture.  If  the  remarks  which  have  just  been 
made  are  founded  on  truth,  we  would  expect  this  beast  to  be  similar  to  the 
great  red  dragon  of  the  previous  vision^  and  to  shadow  forth  the  same 
power ;  and  as  we  proceed  in  our  exposition,  we  will  find  this  expectation 
fully  met.  The  characteristics,  the  appearance  and  the  power  of  the  dragon 
and  the  wild  beast  from  the  sea  are  so  similar,  that  the  two  symbols  must 
be  one  and  the  same.  In  our  exposition  we  will  follow  our  usual  order.  We 
will  first  notice  the  symbols ;  then  the  things  which  the  symbols  would 
naturally  lead  us  to  expect ;  then  the  fulfillment  of  these  symbob. 

I.  What  did  John  see  ?  What  were  thb  symbols  which  were  made 
to  pass  before  him  in  this  vision  ?  In  the  opening  words  of  this  chapter 
the  apostle  says,  "  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea."  John  was  statiding, 
in  vision,  upon  the  shores  of  some  sea,  and  he  saw  coming  up  out  of  the 
waves  of  the  sea  a  fabulous  monster,  as  terrible  in  appearance  as  the  red 
dragon  of  the  previous  vision,  if  not  more  terrible.  It  had  seven  heads, 
on  which  were  names  of  blasphemy ;  it  had  ten  horns,  on  which  were  ten 
crowns.  Its  general  appearance  was  that  of  a  leopard,  but  it  had  the  feet 
of  a  bear  and  the  mouth  of  a  lion.  Great  power  and  authority  were  given 
to  it  by  the  dragon,  or  rather  by  Satan,  of  whom  the  dragon  was  the  sym- 
bol. And  while  the  apostle  was  looking  on,  one  of  the  heads  of  the  wild 
beast  was  wounded  to  death.  It  was  not  merely  a  severe  wound— *it  was  a 
deadly  wound,  and  one  for  which  there  seemed  to  be  no  cure.  But  the 
beast  did  not  die.  Strange  to  relate,  the  deadly  wound  was  healed,  and 
the  world  wondered  and  worshiped  the  beast  and  the  dragon.  The  beast, 
marvelously  healed  of  his  fatal  wound,  spake  against  the  name  of  Qtody 
and  against  the  tabernacle  of  God,  and  against  them  that  dwelt  in  heaven. 
He  made  war  with  the  saints  and  overcame  them.  His  blasphemies  and 
victories  continued  for  forty  and  two  months,  and  all  the  nations  and 
countries  of  earth,  save  the  few  whose  names  were  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life,  worshiped  him  as  God.     Then  the  vision  concludes  with  the 


THE  B£A8T  WITH  TEN  HORNS.  283 

ooDUBon  Scriptural  note  of  warning,  '^  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him 
hear/'  and  with  a  word  of  encouragement,  that  those  who  led  into  eaptivitj 
would  themselves  be  led  into  captivity,  and  that  those  who  drew  the  sword 
would  themselves  perish  with  the  sword,  a  word  of  eneouragement  which 
foreshadows  the  overthrow  of  the  persecuting  power  by  the  same  means 
which  it  had  used  for  the  overthrow  of  others. 

II.  And  now,  laying  aside  for  the  present  any  theories  we  may  have 
adopted  concerning  the  explanation  of  this  vision,  let  us  inquire  what  these 
SYMBOLS  WOULD  NATTJKALLT  LEAD  US  TO  SXPEOT.  The  Central  figure 
of  this  vision  is  the  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea.  If  we  have  been  correct 
in  our  explanations  of  the  beasts  which  have  been  brought  to  our  notice 
in  previous  visions,  analogy  would  lead  us  to  explain  this  beast  as  a  symbol 
of  some  earthly  power,  for  in  this  way  the  previous  beasts  have  been  ex- 
plained. This  beast  rose  out  of  the  sea.  The  sea  is  a  symbol  oi  great 
multitades  and  nations,  especially  when  such  multitudes  and  nations  are 
in  commotion.  This  part  of  the  symbol  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  the 
earthly  power  of  which  the  beast  was  the  symbol  would  grow  up  oUt  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  probably  out  of  the  midst  of  great  commotions 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  The  seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns  would 
lead  us  to  expect  that  this  power  would  somehow  be  divided,  and  yet  united 
in  one  powerful  body.  The  ten  crowns  would  lead  us  to  expect  thtft  this 
power  would  be  a  kingdom,  for  a  crown  is  always  and  everywhere  the  sym- 
bol of  authority.  The  names  of  blasphemy  would  lead  us  to  expect  that 
this  power  would  claim  for  itself  names  to  which  it  had  no  right,  and  which 
belong  alone  to  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  universe.  The  appearance  of  the 
beast  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  this  earthly  power  would  be  as  rapid  in 
its  progress  as  a  leopard,  as  strong  as  a  bear,  and  as  fierce  and  ravenous  as 
a  lion.  The  fact  that  this  beast  received  its  power  from  the  dragon  would  lead 
us  to  expect  that  this  earthly  power  would  be  anti-Christian,  and  an  instru- 
ment of  Satan  in  accomplishing  his  purposes  in  the  world.  The  fact  that  one 
of  the  heads  of  this  beast  received  a  deadly  wound  would  lead  us  to  expect 
that  this  earthly  power  would  in  some  way  receive  a  deadly  blow  from 
which  there  would  seem  no  possibility  of  recovery,  and  that  in  some  mar- 
velous way  it  would  be  restored  to  its  former  prosperity.  The  fact  that  the 
beast  spoke  blasphemies  and  made  war  with  the  saints,  would  lead  us  to 
expect  that  this  earthly  power  would  be  a  reviler  of  the  true  God  and  the 
enemy  of  the  true  church.  The  fact  that  the  beast  exercised  authority 
over  all  the  nations  except  those  whose  names  were  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life,  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  this  earthly  power  would  be  the 
acknowledged  ruler  of  the  whole  world,  except  the  remnant  of  the  scattered 
Baints.  These  are  the  prominent  symbols  in  this  vision,  and  these  are  the 
things  which  these  symbols  would  naturally  lead  us  to  expect.  It  therefore 
dulf  remains  to  ask  and  answer  the  question, 


284  LECTURE  XXXTI. 

III.  Hare  these  symbols  receiyed  an  adequate  fulfillment  in  actual 
history  ?  In  answering  this  question,  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  sepa- 
rately and  carefully  the  several  parts  of  the  vision. 

1.  Let  us  consider  the  appearance  of  the  symbolic  beast.  '^And  I  stood 
upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and  saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his 
heads  the  name  of  blasphemy.  And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto 
a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the 
mouth  of  a  lion."  In  the  introduction  of  this  diBCOurse  it  was  intimated 
that  this  viedon  is  a  supplement  to  the  vision  of  the  great  red  dragon,  and 
that  it  unfolds;  more  fully  than  has  been  done  before,  the  characteristics  of 
the  great  enemy  of  the  church.  If  this  is  so,  then  the  wild  beast  fix>m  the 
sea  is  a  symbol  of  the  Roman  power.  That  this  explanation  is  correct,  will 
appear  more  evident  as  we  proceed  and  see  how  exactly  all  the  things 
which  are  recorded  of  the  beast  find  their  fulfillment  in  the  history  of  the 
Roman  power.  The  Roman  power  grew  up  out  of  great  commotion  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  There  had  been,  according  to  the  prophecy  of 
Daniel,  to  which  I  have  referred,  and  to  which  I  will  have  occasion  to  refer 
hereafter,  three  universal  kingdoms.  The  Babylonian  kingdom  had  been 
overthrown  by  the  Persian,  and  the  Persian  by  the  Greek  ;  and  when  the 
Greek  kingdom  crumbled  to  pieces  the  Roman  rose  out  of  its  ruins,  and 
becaiAe  even  greater  than  any  which  had  preceded  it.  All  this  is  shadowed 
forth  by  the  fiict  that  the  beast  rose  out  of  the  sea.  for  the  sea  is  a  symbol 
of  great  multitudes  or  peoples,  especially  in  commotion. 

We  might  not  have  been  able  to  explain  what  was  symboliied  by  the 
seven  heads,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  parallel 
vision  which  is  contained  in  chapter  XYII  of  this  book.  He  tells  us  that 
the  seven  heads  are  the  seven  hills  upon  which  the  woman  sitteth.  It  is 
well  known  that  Rome,  the  capital  of  the  Roman  power,  and  the  centre 
from  which  she  ruled  the  world,  was  builded  on  seven  hills.  The  meaning 
of  the  expression,  '*  the  seven-hilled  city,"  is  known  to  every  school  boy  in 
the  land.  But  the  angel  gives  another  explanation  of  the  seven  heads  in 
Rev.  17: 10.  "And  they  are  seven  kings,"  or  rather  seven  forms  of  gov- 
ernment. "  Five  are  fallen,  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come.*'  What 
are  meant  by  these  kings  or  forms  of  government  ?  Without  entering 
into  any  lengthy  discussion,  I  will  simply  state  that  there  have  been  in  the 
Roman  power  seven  forms  of  government,  vis.,  by  kings,  consuls,  dic- 
tators, decemvirs,  military  tribunes,  emperors,  and  imperial  tyrants.  In  the 
days  of  John  ^Ye  had  fallen ;  the  sixth,  that  of  the  emperors,  was  then 
bearing  rule ;  the  seventh  was  yet  to  come.  If  this  is  the  correct  inter- 
pretation of  the  vision  of  chapter  XVII,  and  if  that  vision  is  parallel  with 
the  one  we  are  now  considering,  then  we  have  clearly  revealed  the  meaning 
of  this  part  of  the  vision.    The  seven  heads  shadow  forth  the  seven-hilled 


THX  BXA8T   WITH  TEN   HORNS.  ^  285 

eity  which  was  the  seat  of  the  Roman  power,  and  the  seven  forms  of  gov- 
ernment under  which,  in  saccession,  the  Roman  power  ruled  the  world. 

The  Roman  power  was  divided  into  provinces  and  subordinate  kingdoms. 
At  the  time  supposed  to  be  referred  to  in  this  vision,  the  principal  subor- 
dinate kingdoms,  as  enumeiited  by  historians,  are  ten  in  number.  Their 
names  were  mentioned  in  a  previous  lecture,  and  they  need  not  now  be 
repeated.  This  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  ten  horns  which  grew  up  out  of 
the  beast's  heads.  The  Roman  power,  under  all  its  various  forms  of  gov- 
ernment, and  in  all  its  subordinate  kingdoms,  exercised  supreme  authority. 
This  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  ten  diadems  upon  the  ten  horns.  The  Roman 
power  arrogated  to  itself  more  than  human  authority ;  it  claimed  for  itself 
some  of  the  attributes  of  God.  This  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  names  of 
hlasphemj  upon  the  heads  of  the  beast.  We  will  have  occasion  to  say 
something  more  hereafter  concerning  the  blasphemies  of  which  the  Roman 
power  was  guilty.  The  Roman  power  combined  in  itself  all  the  terriblo 
and  cruel  elements  which  existed  in  the  great  empires  which  preceded  it. 
In  Daniel's  vision,  Dan.  7,  which  throws  so  much  light  upon  these  visions 
of  the  Apocalypse,  the  lion  is  introdueed  as  the  symbol  of  the  Babylonian 
power ;  the  bear  is  introduced  as  the  symbol  of  the  Persian  power ;  the 
leopard  is  introduced  as  the  symbol  of  the  Grecian  power;  and  a  non- 
descript monster  as  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  power.  But  in  John's 
vision,  the  Roman  power  is  represented  by  an  animal  made  up  of  all  three. 
It  was  partly  a  leopard,  partly  a  bear,  and  partly  a  li6n.  There  is  an. 
obvious  propriety  in  this  mixed  symbol,  for  the  Roman  power  was  made 
up  of  the  empires  represented  by  the  other  symbols  of  Daniel's  vision,  and 
it  combined  in  itself  all  the  terrible  and  cruel  elements  which  existed  ia 
the  great  empires  which  preceded  it. 

Thus  the  appearance  of  the  beast  confirms  the  oondnsion  that  the  beast 
is  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  power.  If  there  had  been  a  resemblance  in  only 
one  or  two  points,  it  would  not  have  carried  conviction  to  any  mind ;  but 
sach  a  striking  resemblance  in  every  point  cannot  be  accidental.  The  beast, 
rising  up  out  of  the  sea,  like  the  fourth  beast  in  Daniel's  vision,  like  the 
dragon  of  John's  previous  vision,  and  like  the  scarlet  colored  beast  of 
chapter  XYIIi  must  be  a  symbol  of  the  Roman  power. 

2.  Let  us  consider  the  source  of  the  beast^s  power ^  and  see  whether  this 
confirms  the  conclusion  at  which  we  have  arrived.  **And  the  dragon  gave 
him  his  power  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority."  These  words  carry  us 
back  to  the  previous  vision,  where  it  is  said  that  the  dragon  was  that  ''old 
serpent,  called  the  devil,  and  Satan,  which  deceiveth  the  whole  worid." 
The  only  question  we  have  to  answer  here  is,  did  the  Roman  power  receive 
its  authority  from  Satan  ?  To  answer  this  question  we  must  apply  the 
Saviour's  rule :  *'  by  their  fraits  ye  shall  know  them."  Those  who  receive 
their  power  from  God^  do  the  works  of  God;  those  who  receive  their  power 


286  ^  LECTURK  XXXVI. 

from  the  prince  of  this  world,  do  the  works  of  Bfttan.  Do  the  acts  of 
Roman  power  belong  to  the  works  of  Qod  or  to  the  works  of  Satan  ?  The 
worship  of  images,  the  adoration  of  relics  and  saints  so-called,  the  persecu- 
tion of  the  church,  the  oppression,  and  murders,  and  licentiousness  which 
prevailed,  all  these  things  are  evidently  of  their  father,  the  devil.  No  one 
can  read  Roman  history  without  being  convinced  that  the  great  Roman 
power  was  the  servant  of  Satan,  and  that  it  did  the  works  of  Satan.  All 
this  is  shadowed  forth  in  symbol  by  the  fact  that  the  dragon  gave  the  beast 
his  power,  and  his  seat,  and  his  authority. 

3.  Let  us  consider  the  heaHng  of  the  wounded  head,  "And  I  saw  one 
of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death ;  and  his  deadly  wound  was 
healed  ]  and  all  the  world  wondered  after  the  beast."  Is  there  anything 
in  the  histoiy  of  the  Roman  power  which  this  symbol  adequately  shadows 
forth  ?  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  seven  heads  represent  seven  succes- 
sive forms  of  government.  Therefore,  the  fatal  wounding  of  one  of  these 
heads  would  indicate  that  the  Roman  empire  was  in  danger  of  destruction. 
There  was  a  time  when  such  destruction  seemed  to  be  impending.  That 
time  wsB  when  paganism  was  being  superseded  by  Christianity.  So  great 
were  the  political  convulsions  of  that  time,  that  it  seemed  as  if  Rome,  and 
the  power  of  which  Rome  was  the  capital,  were  about  to  be  blotted  out  from 
the  face  of  the  earth.  Let  me  refer  to  him  who  is  the  unconscious  inter- 
preter of  the  Apocalypse,  and  whose  researches,  more  than  those  of  any 
other  man,  have  unfolded  the  meaning  of  these  prophetic  visions  which  he 
did  not  believe.  I  mean  the  historian  Gibbon.  Speaking  of  this  very 
time,  and  using,  in  some  instances,  the  very  figure  of  the  verse  we  are  now 
considering,  he  says:  'Hhe  sword  of  the  Christian  struck  down  the  last 
pagan  head  of  the  Roman  empire."  Again:  "the  heathens  cherished  a 
secret  hope  that  some  auspicious  revolution  would  yet  restore  to  them  all 
that  they  had  lost,  ^  *  'f'  till  the  violent  and  repeated  strokes  of  the 
Christians  gradually  destroyed  the  pagan."  Again:  ''Theodoeius inflicted 
a  deadly  wound  on  the  superstitions  of  the  pagans."  Again :  "like  Thebes, 
or  Babylon,  or  Carthage,  the  name  of  Rome  must  have  been  erased  from 
the  earth,  if  the  city  had  not  been  actuated  by  a  vital  principle,  which 
restored  her  to  honor  and  dominion."  Listen  to  the  testimony  of  two 
other  historians.  Augustine  Steuchus  writes,  "  the  empire  having  been 
overthrown,  unless  God  had  raised  up  the  pontificate,  Rome  would  have 
become  uninhabitable."  Blondus  writes,  ''the  princes  of  the  world  now 
adore  and  worship  as  perpetual  dictators  the  successors,  not  of  Caesar,  but 
of  the  fisherman,  Peter ;  that  is,  the  supreme  pontiff,  the  substitute  of  the 
aforementioned  emperor." 

What  is  the  plain  meaning  of  all  this  ?  It  is  that  at  the  period  referred 
to,  the  Roman  power  trembled  upon  the  very  verge  of  utter  destruction. 
To  a  looker  on  it  seemed  as  if  its  continued  existence  could  not  be  hoped 


THK   BSA8T  WITH  TEN  HORNS.  287 

for.  But  lo  1  Rome  pagan  waa  changed  into  Rome  Papal ;  dying  paganism 
was  revived  in  popery ;  and  the  Roman  power  entered  upon  a  new  lease  of 
life  and  proaperity,  to  the  wonder  of  the  world.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth 
by  the  words,  ''  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were  wounded  to  death  ;  and 
his  deadly  wound  was  healed/' 

4.  Let  us  consider  the  worship  which  was  paid  to  the  dragon  and  the 
beast.  '^And  they  worshiped  the  dragon  which  gave  power  unto  the  beast; 
and  they  worshiped  the  beast,  saying,  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast  ?  who 
is  able  to  make  war  with  him"?  I  do  not  suppose  the  world  in  those  days 
worshiped  the  devil  in  his  proper  form  and  character;  but  those  who 
worship  the  instruments  of  Satan  may  be  said  with  exact  truth  to  worship 
Satan.  And  I  have  shown  that  the  Roman  power  was  such  an  instrument 
of  Satan.  Therefore,  if  men  worshiped  the  Roman  power,  it  may  be 
said  in  figurative  language  that  they  worshiped  both  the  dragon  and  the 
beast  That  the  pagan  emperors  received  divine  homage  from  Uieis  subjects 
is  well  known.  That  the  popes,  who  were  the  successoiB  of  the  emperors 
in  Rome,  claimed  and  received  divine  homage,  is  too  well  known  to  require 
proof*  The  worship  which,  according  to  Scripture,  should  be  paid  to  Ood 
alone,  has  been  through  many  centuries  given  to  those  who  sat  upon  the 
throne  of  Roman  auUiority. 

5.  Let  us  consider  the  bkuphemies  of  the  beast.  '^And  there  was  given 
unto  him  a  mouth  speaking  great  things  and  blasphemies ;  and  power  was 
given  unto  him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months.  And  he  opened  his 
mouth  in  blasphemy  against  Gk>d,  to  blaspheme  his  name,  and  his  taber- 
nacle, and  them  that  dwell  in  heaven.''  The  time  during  which  power 
was  given  to  the  beast  to  continue  his  blasphemies  was  for^  and  two 
months.  With  r^ard  to  this  time,  nothing  need  now  be  said.  It  is  the 
same  period  to  which  our  attention  has  so  often  been  called.  It  is  the 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  the  three  years  and  a  half,  the 
time,  times  and  a  half  time,  of  the  preceding  visions.  But  bear  this  in 
mind :  this  period  during  which  the  beast  was  to  continue  his  blasphemies 
shows  that  this  vision  is  parallel  with  the  ones  we  have  already  explained, 
and  that  it  refers  to  the  same  era  in  human  history.  To  blaspheme  is  to 
speak  evil  of  any  one.  To  blaspheme  God  is  to  speak  evil  of  him,  or  to 
claim  for  mere  creatures  the  divine  attributes  or  names.  The  beast  also 
blasphemed  the  tabernacle  of  Ood ;  that  is,  his  dwelling  place,  the  church, 
for  of  his  church  he  has  said,  ^'  This  is  my  rest,  here  will  I  stay,  for  I  have 
desired  it."  The  beast  also  blasphemed  them  that  dwelt  in  heaven;  Uiat  is, 
the  saints  of  God,  whose  everlasting  home  is  in  heaven.  The  only  question 
to  be  answered  here  is:  did  the  Roman  power  blaspheme  God,  and  his  church, 
and  his  saints  ?  To  answer  this  question,  we  have  only  to  read  extracts 
from  the  history  of  the  past  In  the  confession  of  the  Catholic  fidth, 
which  had  to  be  taken  by  all  Protestants  in  Hungary,  conforming  to  that 


288  LBOTURE  XXXVI. 

&ith,  we  find  the  following:  ''2.  We  confess  that  the  Pope  of  Borne  !» 
the  head  of  the  churchy  and  cannot  err.  8.  We  confess  and  are  certain 
that  the  Pope  of  Rome  is  vicar  of  Christ  and  has  plenary  power  of  retain- 
ing and  remitting  sins,  according  to  his  will,  and  of  thrusting  men  down 
into  hell.  4.  We  confess  that  whatever  new  thing  the  Pope  of  Borne  may 
have  instituted,  whether  it  he  in  Scripture  or  out  of  Scripture,  is  true, 
divine,  and  full  of  salvation,  and  therefore  ought  to  be  regarded  as  of  higher 
value  by  lay-people  than  even  the  precepts  of  the  living  God.  5.  We 
confess  that  the  most  holy  pontiff  ought  to  be  honored  by  all  with  divine 
honor,  with  more  prostration  than  even  what  is  due  to  Christ  himself.  IL 
We  confess  that  the  Pope  has  the  power  of  altering  Scripture,  or  increas- 
ing or  diminishing  it  according  to  his  will."  In  the  fourth  session  of  the 
Lateran  Council,  a  prelate  thus  addressed  the  Pope:  '^Thou  art  our 
shepherd,  our  physician,  in  short,  a  second  God  upon  earth.''  At  the 
sixth  session,  a  bishop  called  the  Pope,  ^'  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah, 
the  promised  Saviour.  Thou  shalt  rule  from  sea  to  sea."  In  the  ninth 
session,  it  was  said  to  the  Pope  by  one  of  the  high  officials, ''  the  sight  of 
thy  divine  majesty  does  not  a  little  terrify  me,  for  I  am  not  ignorant  that 
all  power,  both  in  heaven  and  in  earth;  is  given  unto  you ;  the  prophetic 
saying  is  fulfilled  in  you, '  all  the  kings  of  the  earth  shall  worship  him, 
and  all  the  nations  shall  serve  him.'  **  Cardinal  Bellarmine  says,  '^  the 
Pope  la  the  father  of  fathers,  the  pontiff  of  Christians,  the  prince  of  priests, 
the  vicar  of  Chrbt,  the  head  of  the  body  of  the  church,  the  foundation  of 
the  building,  the  universal  bishop."  Pope  Nicholas  says,  "  the  Pope» 
who  is  called  God  by  Constantino,  can  never  be  bound  or  released  by  man, 
for  God  cannot  be  judged  by  man."  Of  Alexander  YI,  it  was  said, 
"  CsBsar  was  a  man,  Alexander  was  a  God." 

What  need  we  of  any  further  proof  ?  The  names  and  homage  which 
the  popes  ever  claimed  for  themselves,  and  which  their  followers  have  ever 
been  so  ready  to  give^  their  assumption  of  infallibility  and  of  miraculous 
power,  their  mockery  of  the  church  and  of  the  saints,  all  prove,  as  plainly 
as  history  can  prove  anything,  that  the  Boman  power  has  blasphemed  the 
name  of  God,  and  his  tabernacle,  and  them  whose  home  is  in  heaven. 

6.  Let  us  consider  the  becut^s  per$ecutt<m  of  the  8aitU$,  *'And  it  was 
given  unto  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints,  and  to  overcome  them :  and 
power  was  given  him  over  all  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations.  And  all 
that  dwell  upon  the  earth  shall  worship  him,  whose  names  are  not  written 
in  the  book  of  life  of  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 
The  Saviour  is  here  described  as  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world.  He  is  well  called  the  Lamb  of  God,  for  he  is  the  Great  Sacrifice 
which  alone  can  take  away  the  sin  of  the  world*  He  is  the  Lamb  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  not  because  he  was  then  actually  put  to 
death,  but  because  his  sacrifice  was  then  determined  ]  and  the  purpose  of 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TEN  HORNS.  289 

God  IB  80  certain,  that  what  he  determines  may  be  spoken  of  as  actually 
aooomplished.  The  saints  are  described  as  those  whose  names  are  written 
in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  In  this  beautiful  figure  the  Lord  Jesus  is  rep- 
resented as  keeping  a  register,  in  which  the  names  of  all  those  who  are  to 
obtain  eternal  life  are  recorded.  Surely,  then,  none  can  be  lost,  none  can 
be  forgotten ;  for  the  name  of  every  one,  written  in  the  book  of  life,  is 
ever  before  the  Lamb.  And  the  words  we  are  now  considering  teach  us 
that  the  beast  persecutes  the  saints,  and  persecutes  them  with  so  much 
success  that  all  the  world  save  the  saints  will  be  subject  to  his  authority. 
The  only  question  we  have  to  answer  here  is :  did  the  Roman  power  thus 
persecute  the  saints  ?  To  answer  this  question,  we  have  only  to  read  ex- 
tracts  from  the  history  of  the  past.  Listen  to  a  sketch  of  the  massacre 
of  St.  Bartholomew:  "At  length  Charles  IX.  gave  the  fatal  order  for  the 
murder  of  his  subjects.  The  alarm  bell  of  St.  Germain  was  instantly  rung 
and  in  a  moment  the  Palais,  the  Tuilleries,  the  banks  of  the  river,  the  pub- 
lic places,  the  streets,  the  churches  and  edifices  of  Paris  were  brilliantly 
Dluminated. 

Guided  by  those  terrible  lights,  which  enveloped  them  as  in  a  circle  of 
fire,  they  distinguished  the  dwellings  of  heretics  by  the  fresh  made  marks. 
'  Open,  by  the  command  of  the  king  *  1  was  the  order  given  by  the  mur- 
derers. Some  hastened  to  obey,  and  their  lives  were  extinguished  with 
the  lights  which  they  brought  to  see  who  called  them  ]  others,  opening 
their  windows  to  discover  who  knocked  at  so  unseasonable  an  hour,  fell 
struck  by  twenty  balls  at  once ;  another,  burying  himself  in  the  bed  clothes, 
would  perhaps  pretend  to  be  fast  asleep ;  his  door  was  shattered  in  pieces, 
and  two  or  three  assassins,  separating  from  the  rest,  ran  and  slaughtered 
him  in  his  bed.  Sometimes  they  left  the  house  unstained  with  blood;  but, 
dragging  the  victim  from  his  couch  into  the  street,  they  gave  him  up  to 
the  weapons  of  the  populace.  As  the  spoils  of  the  doomed  were  to  be- 
long to  those  who  should  despatch  them,  a  thousand  blades  were  raised  at 
once  over  the  unfortunate  wretch,  whose  death,  swift  as  lightning,  lefb  no 
time  for  pain.  Happy  they,  who  were  thus  surprised  in  their  first  sleep  ; 
their  sufiferings  were  brief ;  but  when  the  hands  of  the  murderers  became 
wearied  with  slaughter,  the  agony  of  the  sufferer  was  prolonged  for  hours. 

While  blood  was  thus  spilt  in  torrents  before  the  eyes  of  the  queen 

mother,  the  bell  of  the  Palais  rang,  and  the  general  massacre  b^an.     At 

this  signal,  Tavennes  and  the  duke  of  Nevers  drew  their  swords,  crying, 

'  Kill  1  kill '  1     The  night  guards,  the  citizens,  among  whom  arms  had  been 

distributed,  the  whole  tribe  of  murderers  sallied  forth  from  their  lurking 

places,  repeating, '  Kill !  kill '  1     The  shrill  sound  of  the  bells,  the  clatter 

of  arms,  the  vagabond  tramp  of  the  assassins,  the  fiickering  glare  of  torches, 

mingled  with  shouts,  which  the  night  echo  rendered  still  more  horrible. 

The  maasacre  then  became  general ;  there  was  no  pity  for  sex,  age  or  con- 

19 


290  LBGTURB  XXXVI. 

dition;  no  blood  came  amies,  provided  that  it  circulated  in  heretic  veins; 
and  these  were  the  signs  by  which  the  heretics  were  distinguished :  whoever 
shuts  his  door  at  the  approach  of  an  armed  band  is  a  heretic ;  whoever  re- 
fuses to  answer  or  begs  his  life  is  a  heretic;  whoever  has  not  a  white  badge 
on  his  arm  is  a  heretic ;  whoever  does  not  come  when  the  murderer  calls 
is  a  heretic.  The  assassins  had  no  need  to  speak ;  here  were  no  judges ; 
all  were  executioners ;  but  if  words  did  now  and  then  drop  from  their  lips, 
it  was  to  complain  to  one  another  of  their  fatigue,  or  to  insult  the  sufferer; 
nay,  it  was  often  an  infernal  laugh  that  greeted  his  last  sigh. 

Pursued  on  all  sides  by  those  insidious  flames  with  which  the  c^>ital 
was  lit  up,  driven  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  tracked  like  deer,  in  vain  did  the 
Protestants  endeavor  to  fly  from  fate.  If  they  would  have  sought  reftige 
in  the  Catholic  churches,  armed  men  guarded  the  doors  of  the  sanctuary ; 
if  they  approached  the  Louvre,  the  Swiss  awaited  them  with  presented 
muskets  ;  if  they  burst  open  the  prison  doors,  to  conceal  themselvcB  among 
tha  malefactors  whom  the  justice  of  men  had  condemned,  the  jailoia  de- 
nounced and  drove  them  out  by  main  force.  If  they  attempted  to  gain 
the  banks  of  the  river,  the  implements  of  destruction  were  quite  ready  ; 
boat  hooks  to  catch  them  in  their  flight;  and  to  knock  them  on  the  head; 
poles  to  thrust  them  into  the  water ;  if  they  took  shelter  in  the  dark,  they 
fell  into  the  snares  of  an  assassin  lurking  for  human  prey ;  if  they  sought 
the  light,  the  light  was  deadly  as  the  darkness  ;  death  was  everywhere,  in 
their  beds,  on  their  housetops,  within,  without,  in  the  public  places,  and 
in  the  very  waters  of  the  river. 

They  were  flung  alive  into  the  Seine,  and  dragged  out  to  be  plunged  in 
again ;  if  the  unfortunate  creatures,  struggling  against  the  current,  con- 
trived to  reach  the  shore,  invisible  hands,  armed  with  sharp  spikes,  thrust 
them  back  into  the  stream,  which  drove  some  upon  the  sand  of  an  islet 
facing  the  Louvre,  and  carried  others  towards  Ohaillot,  Auteuil,  St  Cloud, 
and  the  acljacent  parts,  to  which  these  carcasses  carried  terror  and  infection. 
The  grave  diggers  were  too  few  in  number,  or  worked  to  death.  The  P^vot 
des  Marchands  and  the  Echevins  were  obliged  to  double  their  wages  to  in- 
duce them  to  go  to  those  distant  places  to  bury  the  corpses  of  heretics ;  a 
column  of  them  started,  carrying  along  with  them  all  the  ordinary  imple- 
ments of  their  calling,  and  it  was  several  days  before  they  returned  to 
Paris.  It  is  calculated  that  in  this  interval  about  eleven  hundred  drowned 
persons  were  interred.  The  boatmen  distinguished  themselves  in  this 
abominable  night.  Standing  up  in  their  light  barks,  they  cleft  the  water 
with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  striking  the  heads  that  rose  above  the  sur- 
face, separating  the  hands  clasped  in  the  last  prayer,  and  lifUng  up  bodies 
by  the  garments,  and  dropping  them  back  into  the  abyss,  till  they  were 
sure  they  were  suffocated. 

Suspended,  not  interrupted,  the  carnage  recommenced  at  eight  in  the 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TEN  HORNS.  291 

morning,  but  with  colder  and  more  ingenious  cmeltj  than  before ;  if  the 
victims  were  multiplied,  so  were  the  executioners.  Darkness  no  longer 
shrouded  the  abode  of  the  heretic  from  the  eye  of  suspicion  ;  there  was 
now  no  inaccessible  retreat,  and  places  were  ransacked  to  which  the  light  of 
day  never  penetrated.  How  many  of  the  Protestants  now  regretted  that 
darkness  and  deplored  the  return  of  that  light  which  they  had  so  earnestly 
solicited  of  €h)d  in  their  prayers  !  The  sun,  it  is  true,  beamed  upon  the 
vengeance  of  some  of  those  who  sold  their  lives  dearly  and  stained  the 
thresholds  of  houses  with  the  blood  of  the  victors.  Almost  all  expired 
with  folded  hands  and  faces  turned  toward  the  palace  of  the  sovereign. 
Such  were  the  last  scenes  of  the  ever-memorable  drama  of  St.  Bartholo- 
mew." 

And  this  is  but  one  instance  out  of  hundreds  and  thousands  which 
might  be  quoted.  But  the  persecutions  of  the  saints  are  well  known. 
Eyery  land  over  which  the  Roman  power  exercised  authority  was  deluged 
with  blood.  Every  page  of  the  history  of  the  Roman  power  contains  ac- 
counts of  massacres  every  whit  as  bloody  and  sickening  as  that  of  St. 
Bartholomew.  It  is  too  true  that  the  Roman  power  made  war  with  the 
saints  and  overcame  them  in  all  the  kindreds,  and  tongues,  and  nations  of 
the  earth. 

Tell  mo  not  that  these  resemblances  are  accidental.  One  or  two  points 
of  resemblance  might  be  accidental,  but  so  perfect  a  resemblance  in  so 
many  points  is  beyond  the  power  of  accident.  We  are  therefore  brought 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  beast,  which  arose  from  the  sea,  was  designed  by 
the  Spirit  of  inspiration  to  be  the  symbol  of  the  Roman  power. 

On  the  concluding  verses  of  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  dwell  at  length.  The  note  of  warning,  "if  any  man  have  an 
ear,  let  him  hear,"  so  often  repeated  in  the  New  Testament,  reminds  us 
that  the  revelation  of  this  vision  is  an  important  one,  and  that  it  deserves 
the  special  attention  of  every  reader  of  the  gospel.  It  is  added,  for  the 
comfort  of  the  church,  "  He  that  leadeth  into  captivity  shall  go  into  cap- 
tivity: he  that  killeth  with  the  sword,  must  be  killed  with  the  sword. 
Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith  of  the  saints."  The  Saviour  teaches  the 
same  truth  when  he  says,  "  all  they  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  with 
the  sword."  It  is  a  well  known  principle,  established  both  by  inspiration 
and  by  observation,  that  God  will  punish  every  transgressor  of  his  law ; 
and  the  punishment  often  beam  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  transgression. 
Jacob  deceived  his  father,  and  he  was  deceived  by  his  children.  David 
violated  the  purity  of  the  family  relation,  and  the  purity  of  his  own  family 
was  violated.  AdonibeEek  was  mutilated  with  the  mutilation  he  had  in- 
flioted  on  his  prisoners.  Those  who  lead  into  captivity  will  be  led  into 
captivity  ;  those  who  slay  with  the  sword  will  be  slain  with  the  sword. 
The  Roman  power  has  led  into  captivity,  and  it  shall  some  day  be  led 


292  LEOTURB   XXXVII. 

into  captivity;  it  has  slain  with  the  sword,  and  it  shall  some  day  he  slain 
with  the  sword.  The  fulfillment  of  this  word  of  prophecy  is  for  the  most 
part  yet  future,  hut  it  shall  be  fulfilled,  for  the  month  of  the  Lord  hath 
spoken  it.  In  believing  that  this  time  shall  come  is  the  faith  of  the  saints ; 
in  waiting  for  its  coming  is  the  patience  of  the  saints.  And  why  should 
they  not  believe  ?  Their  God  is  true.  Why  should  they  not  wait  patient- 
ly ?  Not  one  word  God  has  spoken  shall  fail.  And  this  God  is  our  God ; 
these  promises  are  our  promises.  Therefore  it  is  our  duty  and  privil^e, 
as  well  as  the  duty  and  privilege  of  those  who  lived  and  died  in  the  days 
when  the  beast  was  at  the  height  of  his  power,  to  strive  after  and  reach 
the  faith  and  patience  of  the  saints. 


LECTURE    XXXVII 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TWO   HORNS. 

And  I  beheld  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth,  and  he  had  two  horns 
like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon.  And  he  exerciseth  all  the  power  of  the 
first  beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  them  which  dwell  therein  to 
worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed.  And  be  doeth  great 
wonders,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the 
sight  of  men,  and  deceiveth  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  those 
miracles  which  he  had  power  to  do  in  the  si^ht  of  the  beast ;  saying  to  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth,  that  they  should  make  an  image  to  the  beast,  which 
had  the  wound  by  a  sword,  and  did  live.  And  he  had  power  to  give  life  unt4> 
the  image  of  the  beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  shoula  both  speak,  and  cause 
that  as  many  as  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast  should  be  killed. 
And  he  caused  all,  both  small  and  great,  rich  and  poor,  ft-ee  and  bond,  to 
receive  a  mark  in  their  right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads ;  and  .that  no  man 
might  buy  or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the 
number  of  his  name.  Here  is  wisdom.  Let  him  that  hath  understanding  count 
the  number  of  the  beast :  for  it  is  the  number  of  a  man ,-  and  his  number  is  six 
hundred  threescore  and  six. — Rev.  13  :  11-18. 

This  vision  is  one  of  no  ordinary  difficolty,  and  many  different  ezplanatioos 
have  been  suggested  as  to  its  meaning.  If  we  bear  in  mind  the  points  we 
have  established  in  our  previous  lectures,  we  will  not  be  entirely  baffled  in 
our  attempt  to  explain  the  passage  before  us.  First  of  all,  we  must  endeayor 
to  reach  a  clear  conception  of  the  symbols  as  they  presented  themselves  to 
the  apostle  in  his  vision.  Let  us  in  spirit  stand  by  his  side  and  see,  as  far 
as  the  inspired  description  enables  us,  what  he  saw.  He  saw  another  beast 
coming  up,  not  out  of  the  sea  as  the  former  beast  had  done,  but  out  of  the 
land.  This  beast,  in  many  important  particulars,  differed  from  the  one 
which  had  preceded  it  The  former  had  seven  heads,  this  had  but  one  ^ 
the  former  had  ten  horns,  this  had  the  two  horns  of  a  lamb.    But  though 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TWO   HORNS.  293 

it  had  the  horns  and  general  appearance  of  a  lamb,  it  had  the  voice  of  a 
dragon.  Though  it  was  not  as  terrible  in  its  outward  appearance  as  the 
first  beast,  it  exercised  all  the  first  beast's  power.  It  was  the  servant  of 
the  first  beast,  and  its  great  mission  was  to  make  men  worship  the  first 
beast.  To  accomplish  this  mission,  it  made  fire  come  down  from  heaven 
and  wrought  many  miracles.  It  caused  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  to 
make  an  image  of  the  first  beast ;  and  to  this  image  it  gave  life  and  speech. 
It  compelled  men  to  worship  this  imi^,  and  it  killed  those  who  revised  to 
worship.  It  set  a  mark,  which  consisted  either  of  the  name  of  the  beast 
or  the  number  of  his  name,  upon  the  right  hand  and  forehead  of  the 
worshipers  of  the  beast,  and  none  but  those  who  carried  this  mark  could 
engage  in  the  pursuits  of  life.  And  the  vision  concludes  with  a  strange 
and  dark  enigma.  The  number  of  the  beast's  name  is  given,  even  six 
hundred  and  sixty-six;  and  from  this  number,  the  man  of  understanding 
and  wisdom  is  exhorted  to  discover  the  beast's  name. 

These  are  the  B3rmbols  of  this  vision,  and  they  lead  us  to  expect  that  the 
thing  S3rmbolized  by  the  second  beast  would,  in  its  origin  and  its  appearance, 
differ  from  the  thing  symbolized  by  the  first  beast.  They  lead  us  to  ex- 
pect that  the  things  symbolized  would  be  similar  in  power.  They  lead  us 
to  expect  that  the  thing  symbolized  by  the  second  beast  would  be  the  crea- 
ture and  the  servant  of  the  thing  symbolized  by  the  first  beast ;  and  that 
the  great  mission  of  the  former  would  be  to  compel  men  to  worship  the 
latter.  To  do  this,  he  would  perform  great  wonders,  make  an  image  of  the 
first  beast,  give  it  life  and  speech,  kill  those  who  refused  to  give  their  alle- 
giance to  the  first  beast,  set  a  mark  upon  the  worshipers  by  which  they 
could  be  dbtinguished  from  all  other  men,  and  suffer  none  but  those  who 
were  thus  marked  to  engage  in  trade  or  in  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life. 
These  are  the  things  which  these  symbols  would  naturally  lead  us  to  expect; 
and  whatever  interpretation  we  adopt,  these  things  must  be  found  in  it,  or 
the  interpretation  will  be  incorrect  We  have,  therefore,  only  to  inquire 
whether  these  expected  things  are  to  be  found  in  actual  history.  In  other 
words,  we  have  to  inquire  whether  there  ever  has  been  on  the  earth  a 
power,  which  is  adequately  symbolized  by  the  lamb-like  and  dragon-voiced 
beast.  Of  course,  if  the  theory  on  which  wo  are  interpreting  the  Apoca- 
lypse is  correct,  there  is  a  particular  time  when  we  are  to  look  for  this 
power.  We  are  not  to  look  for  it  before  the  coming  of  Christ,  or  in  the 
earlier  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  or  in  the  glorious  day  of  the  millen- 
nium, which  has  not  yet  dawned.  We  are  to  look  for  it  in  those  centuries 
which  are  called  in  history  the  dark  ages,  while  the  outer  court  of  the 
temple  was  being  trodden  under  foot  by  the  spiritual  Gentiles,  while  the 
two  witnesses  were  giving  in  their  testimony  clothed  in  sackcloth,  while 
the  crowned  and  beautiful  woman  was  nourished  in  obscurity,  and  while 
the  beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  continued  to  speak  his  blasphe- 


294  LEOTURB  XXXYII. 

mieB  against  Ood,  and  the  charoh,  and  the  sabts.  In  other  words,  we  are 
to  look  for  this  power  daring  the  period  of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and 
sixty  prophetic  days,  or  forty-two  prophetic  months,  or  three  and  a  half 
prophetic  years,  the  period  which  is  so  often  referred  to  in  these  visions, 
and  which  has  been  explained  as  the  period  of  the  Papal  church's  suprem- 
acy and  the  true  church's  obscurity.  The  question,  then,  which  we  have 
now  to  answer  is  this :  is  there,  in  the  history  of  this  period,  any  power 
which  is  adequately  symbolized  by  the  lamb-like  and  dragon-voioed  beast  ? 
We  answer  this  question  in  the  affirmative.  We  believe  the  power 
symbolized  by  the  second  beast  to  be  the  Papal  deigy,  including  popes, 
and  cardinals,  and  bishops,  and  abbots,  and  priests,  and  monks,  and  all  the 
various  orders  of  ecclesiastics  in  the  Papal  church.  Do  not  suffer  the 
things  symbolised  by  the  first  and  the  second  beast  to  become  confounded 
with  one  another ;  for  though  in  some  respects  they  are  similar  and  closely 
related,  yet  they  are  separate  and  distinct.  The  first  beast  symbolises 
pagan  and  Papal  Rome  ;  that  is,  Rome  as  a  political  power,  for  it  is  well 
known  that  the  popes  as  well  as  the  emperors  exercised  civil  authority. 
The  second  beast  symbolizes  Rome  as  an  ecclesiastical  power — a  power 
which  was  exercised  by  the  popes,  bishops  and  priests,  not  in  their 
character  of  temporal  rulers,  but  in  their  character  as  ecclesiastical 
rulers.  Though  the  popes,  bishops  and  priests  exercised  both  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  authority,  yet  these  things  need  not  be  united. 
There  may  be  civil  power  without  eqclesiastical ;  and  there  may  be 
ecclesiastical  power  without  civil.  Let  it  then  be  remembered  that 
the  beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  is  the  symbol  of  Rome  civil;  and 
that  the  beast  with  the  two  horns  of  a  lamb  is  the  symbol  of  Rome  eccle- 
siastical, that  is,  of  the  Papal  clergy ;  for  the  Papal  clergy  was  the  ^nbodi- 
ment  of  the  ecclesiastical  power  of  Rome.  Now  the  question  presents 
itself  for  an  answer,  does  the  symbol  of  the  lamb-like  and  dragon-voiced 
beast  find  an  adequate  Ailfillment  in  the  Papal  dei^?  In  order  to  answer 
this  question,  we  must  consider  separately  and  carefully  the  different  parts 
of  the  vision. 

I.  Let  us  notice  the  paiaiN  of  thi  bboond  beast.  ''And  I  be- 
held another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  earth."  Its  origin  is  in  striking 
contrast  with  that  of  the  first  beast,  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea.  If  the 
origin  of  the  first  beast  symbolizes  the  ^t  that  the  civil  power  of  Rome 
took  its  rise  out  of  the  midst  of  great  commotions  among  the  nations  of 
the  world,  then  the  origin  of  the  second  beast  would  symbolize  the  fiust 
that  the  power  of  the  Papal  clergy  grew  up  without  commotion  and  with- 
out excitement.  And  this  was  actually  the  case.  The  Papal  hierarchy 
grew  up  so  quietly  and  gradually,  that  it  is  difficult  to  say  when  the  dergy 
ceased  to  be  true  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  became  lords  over  God's  her- 


THE  BEAST  WITH  TWO  H0BN8.  295 

itage.  No  sadden  and  marked  commotion  marks  the  time  of  their  full 
investm^it  with  the  power  they  claimed  over  the  church.  All  this  is 
shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that  the  second  beast  came  up  "  out  of  the 
earth." 

II.  Let  us  notice  the  appeabanoe  or  the  second  beast.  ^'And 
he  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  he  spake  as  a  dragon."  The  two  horns 
as  of  a  lamb  may  point  to  the  two-horned  mitre  which  the  Papal  clergy 
wear ;  it  may  point  to  the  two  orders  of  the  Papal  clergy,  viz.,  the  regular 
and  the  secular ;  but  it  seems  more  probable  that  there  is  a  reference  to 
the  Lord's  description  of  false  teachers  :  "  Beware  of  them  who  come  to 
you  in  sheep's  clothing,  but  inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves."  This  word 
is  fulfilled  in  the  Papal  clergy.  They  came  in  sheep's  clothing ;  they  came 
with  great  professions  of  innocence  and  purity  ;  but  their  speech  betrayed 
them ;  they  had  the  voice  of  a  dragon ;  \hej  spake  blasphemies  and  de- 
voured the  church.  They  professed  to  be  the  servants  of  him  who  is  the 
Lamb  of  God,  but  in  reality  they  were  the  servants  of  the  old  serpent, 
'^  called  the  Devil,  and  Satan."  As  proof  of  this,  take  the  two  distinguish- 
ing eharactttistics  of  Satan  as  they  are  given  by  the  fourth  evangelist : 
*'  The  devil  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  abode  not  in  the 
truth."  Were  not  these  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  Papal 
dergy  at  the  time  referred  to  ?  They  abode  not  in  the  truth,  for  they 
taught  the  traditions  and  commandments  of  men,  and  not  the  word  of 
Grod.  They  were  murderers  from  the  beginning,  as  the  blood  of  many  a 
slanghtered  saint  will  testify.  They  professed  to  be  ministers  of  the  Lamb, 
but  another  spirit  inspired  them.  Their  apparent  meekness  and  piety, 
but  real  cruelty  and  pride,  are  shadowed  forth  in  symbol  by  the  fact  that 
the  beast  had  the  appearance  of  a  lamb,  but  the  voice  of  a  dragon. 

ILL  Let  us  notice  the  power  of  the  second  beast  to  compel 
MSN  to  WOB8HIP  THE  FIRST  BEAST.  "And  he  excrciscth  all  the  power 
of  the  first  beast  before  him,  and  causeth  the  earth  and  them  which  dwell 
therein  to  worship  the  first  beast,  whose  deadly  wound  was  healed."  The 
power  of  the  Papal  clergy  was  in  extent  and  kind  equal  to  that  of  civil 
Rome.  It  was  equal  in  extent,  for  wherever  the  temporal  power  of  Rome 
extended,  there  the  power  of  the  Roman  priesthood  was  exerted.  It  was 
equal  in  kind,  for  as  the  temporal  power  of  Rome  was  supreme  and  abso- 
lute, so  the  power  of  the  Roman  priesthood  was  supreme  and  absolute. 
These  two  powers  were  intimately  connected  and  strangely  interwoven. 
They  mutually  sustained  each  other,  for  one  could  not  have  existed  without 
the  other.  We  saw  in  the  last  lecture  that  the  Roman  kingdom  would  have 
been  blotted  from  the  face  of  the  earth  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  uprising 
of  the  hierarchy.  And  the  Roman  priesthood  would  have  been  overthrown 


296  LVOTUBE  XXXVII. 

again  and  again  if  it  had  not  been  supported  by  the  sword  of  the  civil 
government.  The  Papal  clergy  exerted  all  its  mighty  power  to  compel  men 
to  worship — that  is,  to  reverence  and  obey — ^the  great  Roman  government. 
They  cared  not  so  much  for  the  souls  as  for  the  bodies  and  possessioiis  of 
men.  It  was  the  influence  of  the  Papal  clergy,  reaching  out  into  every 
country,  and  every  city,  and  every  hamlet,  and  every  home  of  Christendom, 
which  gave  Home  its  mighty  power  in  the  world,  which  the  strong^ 
nations  could  not  shake  off,  and  which  the  boldest  men  dare  not  brave.  It 
was  the  influence  of  the  Papal  clergy  which  secured  a  world-wide  honor 
for  those  who  reigned  in  the  city  of  Rome.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by 
the  fact  that  the  second  beast — that  is^  the  Papal  clergy — exercised  all  the 
power  of  the  first  beast — that  is,  the  Roman  government — and  compelled 
men  to  worship  him. 

IV.  Let  us  notice  the  PO^^Ea  of  the  seoond  beast  to  wobk 
MIBAGLES.  ''And  he  doeth  great  wonders,  so  that  he  maketh  fire  come 
down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men,  and  deoeiveth  them 
that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  those  miracles  which  he  had  power 
to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast."  Of  course  these  were  not  true  miracles, 
but  pretended  miracles.  They  were  the  signs  and  lying  wonders  which  Paul 
tells  us  would  characterize  the  man  of  sin  and  son  of  perdition*  This  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  they  "deceived  "  them  that  dwelt  on  the  earth ;  and 
if  they  had  been  true  miracles,  they  would  not  have  deceived  men.  It  b 
well  known  that  the  pretended  miracles  of  the  priesthood  have  through  all 
the  ages  exerted  a  great  influence.  The  history  of  the  church  through  the 
middle  ages  is  full  of  such  wonders.  Weeping  pictures,  bleeding  images, 
speaking  relics,  marvelous  deliverances,  and  miraculous  cures  are  too  com* 
men  to  excite  astonishment.  And  the  days  of  these  pretended  miracles  are 
not  ended.  Even  now,  in  France,  there  are  images  of  the  Virgin  which 
are  said  to  work  miraculous  cures ;  and  to  these  shrines  multitudes  of  de- 
ceived pilgrims  are  flocking  from  every  land.  All  these  miradee  are  wrought 
under  the  supervbion  and  by  the  direction  of  the  clergy.  And  passing  by 
all  the  other  pretended  miracles,  there  is  the  standing  miracle  of  transub- 
stantiation.  By  a  few  words,  tlie  priest  changes  the  bread  and  wine  into  the 
body  and  blood  of  Christ,  a  miracle  beside  which  the  miracles  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets  are  but  childish  fables. 

Of  all  the  pretended  miracles,  but  one  is  particularly  mentioned  in  the 
words  we  are  now  considering,  viz.,  the  bringing  of  fire  from  heaven  upon 
the  earth.  In  Old  Testament  times  this  miracle  was  wrought  to  visit  the 
disobedient  with  divine  punishment.  Thus,  the  cities  of  the  plain,  and 
those  who  came  out  to  arrest  the  prophet  Elijah,  were  visited.  So  the  Papal 
clergy  claimed  to  be  able  to  bring  visitations  of  divine  wrath  upon  the  heads 
of  their  enemies  by  their  anathemas.     They  claimed  to  be  able  by  their 


THE  BSA8T  WITH  TWO   HOBNS.  297 

■ecclesUstical  power  to  make  the  fire  of  God's  wrath  to  come  down  from 
heaven  on  the  earth  in  the  sight  of  men.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by 
the  fact  that  the  second  beast  wrought  great  wonders  by  which  men  were 
deceived. 

V.  Let  as  notice  the  power  op  the  second  beast  to  cause  men 
TO  MAKE  AN  IMAGE  OF  THE  FIRST  BEAST.  '^  Saying  to  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth,  that  they  shonld  make  an  image  to  the  beast,  which  had  the 
wonnd  by  a  sword,  and  did  live."  What  is  this  image  ?  Remember  that 
the  first  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  Whatever,  then, 
the  image  is,  it  most  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  We 
believe  this  image  to  be  the  general  councils  of  the  Papal  church.  These 
councils  were  composed  of  representatives  from  all  parts  of  the  Papal  do- 
minion. These  representatives  were  all  of  the  clerical  order.  They  met  in 
Rome  when  called  by  the  pope ;  they  discussed  and  decided  ecclesiastical 
matters,  and  their  decisions  were  binding  on  the  church.  Do  these  general 
councils  bear  any  resemblance  to  the  civil  power  of  Rome  ?  Without  con- 
troversy, they  do.  They  were  modeled  after  the  Roman  senate.  In  the 
manner  of  election,  in  their  mode  of  discussion,  and  in  the  binding  force 
of  their  decrees,  one  was  the  image  of  the  other.  They  differed  only  in 
this :  one  had  to  do  with  civil  affairs,  the  other  with  ecclesiastical  affairs. 
These  general  councils  were,  beyond  question,  a  device  of  the  Papal  clergy 
for  advancing  their  own  interests  and  strengthening  their  own  power.  No 
one  can  read  the  history  of  the  councils  of  the  Papal  church  without  being 
convinced  that  they  were  devised  by  the  Papal  clergy  and  fashioned  after 
the  model  of  the  Roman  senate.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact 
that  the  second  beast  commanded  men  to  make  an  image  of  the  first  beast 

YI.  Let  us  notioe  the  power  of  the  second  beast  to  give  life 
TO  this  imaob.  ''And  he  had  power  to  give  life  to  the  image  of  the 
beast,  that  the  image  of  the  beast  should  both  speak  and  cause  that  as 
many  aa  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the  beast  should  be  killed."  It 
was  a  peooliarity  of  these  general  oonnoils  that  they  were  summoned 
through  the  instmmentaUty  of  the  clergy ;  that  their  delegates  were  elected 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  clergy  ;  that  in  them  none  but  the  clergy 
had  a  right  to  vote,  and  that  their  decisions  were  oarried  into  ezeoution  by 
the  clergy.  These  things  are  well  known.  Since  these  things  are  so,  there 
is  an  obvious  propriety  in  saying  that  the  clergy  gave  life  to  the  general 
coonoilfl,  that  the  dergy  caused  the  general  councils  to  speak,  and  that  the 
clergy  caused  those  to  be  killed  who  would  not  worship  the  image  of  the 
beast ;  that  is,  who  would  not  acknowledge  the  authority  and  "obey  the 
decrees  of  the  general  councils.  AU  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that 
the  seo^d  beast  had  power  to  give  life  to  the  image  of  the  first  beast. 


298  LSOTUBJi  XZXYJX. 

YII.  Let  us  notiee  XHI  mabk  bt  which  ths  ssoond  beast  distin- 
guished THE  W0E8HIPEB6  of  the  fixst  beast  and  his  image.  "And  be 
caused  all,  both  small  and  great,  rioh  and  poor,  fiee  and  bond,  to  reoeive  a 
mark  in  their  right  hand,  or  in  their  foreheads ;  and  that  no  man  might  buy 
or  sell,  save  he  that  had  the  mark,  or  the  name  of  the  beast,  or  the  num- 
ber of  hb  name."  We  all  know  what  tattooing  is.  In  our  days  some  men, 
especially  sailors,  cause  their  name,  or  the  name  of  their  vessel,  or  some 
device,  to  be  marked  on  their  hand  or  arm.  These  marks  are  made  in- 
delible by  puncturing  the  skin  and  inserting  some  coloring  matter.  The 
most  of  us  have  seen  such  marks.  There  is  an  allusion  to  such  a  custom 
in  the  verses  we  are  now  considering  ;  for  it  was  customaiy  in  the  days  of 
John,  and  long  before,  and  long  after,  for  certain  classes  of  persons  to  have 
such  marks  imprinted  on  their  persons.  This  was  especially  the  case  with 
slaves,  and  soldiers,  and  the  devotees  of  the  heathen  gods.  A  slave  was 
marked  with  the  name  of  his  master ;  a  soldier  with  the  name  of  his  em- 
peror ;  a  devotee  with  the  name  of  his  God.  In  this  way  every  slave,  and 
soldier,  and  devotee  could  be  known.  It  was  not  always  the  name  which 
was  used  for  this  purpose.  Sometimes  a  peculiar  sign  or  device  was  used. 
Sometimes  a  number  was  used.  And  the  second  beast  in  the  vision  caused 
sueh  a  name,  or  mark,  or  number  to  be  set  upon  the  right  hand  or  forehead 
of  the  worshipers  of  the  image.  When  stripped  of  the  figure,  the  meaning 
is  simply  this :  the  worshipers  of  the  image  were  distinguished  from  aU 
others.  To  do  this  has  always  been  one  great  aim  of  the  Papal  church. 
By  its  rites,  and  ceremonies,  and  observances,  it  has  drawn  a  broad  line  of 
distinction  between  its  members  and  all  others.  There  seems  to  be  an 
allusion  here  to  the  sign  of  the  cross  made  on  the  forehead,  in  baptism, 
and  confirmation,  and  extreme  unction,  and  to  other  rites  in  which  the  sign 
of  the  cross  is  so  prominently  used.  However  this  may  be,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  special  pains  have  been  taken  to  keep  the  followen  of  the 
Papal  church  distinct  from  all  others.  And  they  are  taken  yet.  We  see 
them  not  only  in  the  saoraments  of  the  church,  but  also  in  their  a^Mirate 
schools  and  hospitals.  These  pains  are  taken  by  the  Pi^al  clergy.  It  is 
the  clergy  who  administer  the  rites  and  sacraments ;  it  is  the  dergy  who 
lay  upon  the  living  and  the  dying  the  sign  of  the  opo8b;  it  is  the  olergy 
whose  influence  keeps  up  the  separatum  in  educational  and  charitable  in- 
stitutions in  every  land.  All  this  is  symboliaed  with  the  utmost  plainness 
by  the  fact  that  the  second  beast  caused  all  to  reomve  a  marie. 

But  this  is  not  all.  The  second  beast  prevented  all  those  who  had  not 
received  the  mark  from  buying  and  selling.  That  is,  all  those  who  were 
not  members  of  the  Papal  church  and  distinguished  by  the  obeervanoe  of 
its  peculiar  rites,  were  not  suffered  to  engage  in  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life. 
This  has  always  been  the  case  whenever  and  wherever  the  Papal  elergy  has 
had  supreme  power.     It  has  been  common  for  Rome  to  prohibit  all  traffic 


N     \ 


THE  BBAST  WITH  TWO  HORNS.  299 

with  heretics.  If  it  wis  neceBsary,  canon  after  <wion  might  be  quoted,  in 
which  pope  and  council  ha^e  commanded  that  no  man  should  entertain 
heretics  in  his  house,  or  give  them  the  least  assistance,  or  sell  anything  to 
them,  or  buy  anything  from  them.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the 'fact 
that  no  man  could  buy  or  sell  who  did  not  ha^e  the  mark  of  the  beast. 

YIU.  Let  us  now  notice  the  oonoludinq  enigma,  and  see  whether  we 
can  discover  any  plausible  solution.  "  Here  b  wisdom.  Let  him  that 
hath  understanding  count  the  number  of  the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  number 
of  a  man ;  and  his  number  is  six  hundred  threescore  and  six.''  The 
words,  "  here  is  wisdom,"  imply  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  discover  the 
meaning  of  the  verse  which  concludes  this  chapter.  This,  all  the  exposi- 
tors of  the  Apocalypse  have  been  ready  enough  to  acknowledge.  One  of 
no  small  learning  concludes  his  attempted  exposition  of  this  verse  with  the 
words,  **  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of  its  meaning."  It  therefore  cer- 
tainly becomes  us  to  enter  upon  th^  explanation  with  modesty  and  diffi- 
denoe.  In  order  to  prepare  the  way  for  a  solution,  a  few  things  must  be 
borne  in  mind.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  Greeks  did  not  use  Arabic 
numerals,  as  we  do,  to  represent  numbers ;  they  used  the  letters  of  the 
alphabet.  Each  letter  represented  a  certain  number.  The  first  letter 
represented  1 ;  the  second,  2;  the  third,  3 :  the  tenth,  10  ;  the  eleventh, 
20;  the  twelfth,  30;  the  nineteenth,  100;  the  twentieth,  200,  &c. 
Therefore,  every  Greek  word  could  be  represented  by  a  number.  Take, 
for  example,  the  Greek  word  "  thouth,"  one  of  ihe  names  of  the  god 
Mercury.  Th,  the  first  letter  in  the  word,  represents  9 ;  o,  the  second 
letter,  represents  800 ;  u,  the  third  letter,  represents  400 ;  th,  the  fourth 
letter,  represents  9.  Adding  these  together,  thus,  9+800+400+9,  gives 
1218,  And  the  mystics  speak  of  Mercury  as  1218,  because  the  numbers 
represented  by  the  letters  of  his  name,  added  together,  make  1218.  In 
like  manner,  they  speak  of  Jupiter  as  717,  because  the  numbers  repre- 
sented by  the  letters  of  his  name,  added  together,  make  717.  Many  other 
examples  might  be  given,  but  these  are  sufficient.  If,  then,  we  had  any 
Greek  name,  we  could  veiy  easily  find  the  number  which  corresponds  to 
it.  All  we  would  have  to  do  would  be  to  add  together  the  numbers  repre- 
sented by  its  letters^  and  we  would  have  the  number  of  ^he  whole  name. 
But  it  is  a  fiir  harder  matter,  when  we  have  the  number  given  to  find  the 
corresponding  name,  because  the  value  of  the  letters  of  many  different 
names,  added  together,  may  make  the  same  number.  And  this  is  the 
enigma  we  have  to  solve  in  the  present  instance.  We  have  the  number, 
666 ;  what  name  is  there,  whose  letters  added  together,  will  make  this 
number?  Let  it  also  be  remembered  that  we  must  look  for  some  Greek 
name,  for  the  Apocalypse  was  written  in  Greek,  Let  it  also  be  remem- 
bered that  this  name  is  the  name  of  a  man,  or  class  of  men,  for  it  is  ex- 
pressly said,  "  it  is  the  number  of  a  man." 


^^•h.     * 


300  LECTURE  XXXVIII. 

These,  then,  are  the  elemenUi  given  for  the  solution  of  this  enigma. 
The  name  must  he  the  name  of  a  man  or  class  of  men.  It  must  be  a 
Oreek  name.  The  value  of  the  letters  of  the  name,  added  together,  must 
be  666.  What  is  the  name  ?  Many  answers  have  been  given  to  this 
question,  but  the  one  which  most  satisfactorily  fiilfills  all  the  conditions  is 
the  Oreek  word  'Hateinos,"  that  is,  "  the  Latin  one."  L,  represents  30 ; 
a,  1 ;  t^  300 ;  e,  5  ;  t,  10 ;  n,  50 ;  o,  70 ;  a,  200 ;  and  these  sums,  added 
together,  make  666,  And  this  is  an  appropriate  name  for  the  ecclesiastical 
power  symbolized  by  the  second  beast.  Its  prayers  are  Latin  ;  its 
canons  are  Latin;  its  breviary  is  Latin;  its  decrees  are  Latin;  its  bulls 
are  Latin  ;  its  Scriptures  are  Latin  ;  it  worships  in  Latin ;  it  prays  in  Latin ; 
ic  curses  in  Latin  ;  all  is  Latin.  And  while  we  may  not  speak  with  undue 
confidence,  it  does  seem  that  the  name  of  the  beast  or  man,  represented  by 
the  number  666,  is  ''  the  Latin  one," 

As  there  is  in  every  point  such  a  resemblance  between  the  second  beast 
and  the  Papal  clergy,  we  are  brought  to  the  conclusion  that  the  second 
beast  was  designed  by  the  Spirit  of  revelation  to  be  a  symbol  of  the  Papal 
clergy. 


LECTURE    XXXVIII. 


THE  DURAtlON  OP  THE  PAPAL  POWER. 

Power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty  and  two  months. — Bsv.  13  :  5. 

What  is  the  meaning  of  the  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days, 
the  forty-two  months,  the  three  years  and  a  half,  which  are  several  times 
brought  to  our  notice  in  the  visions  we  have  been  considering  ?  The  pas- 
sages in  which  this  period  of  time  is  referred  to,  are  as  follows :  11 : 2,  3; 
12 :  6, 14;  13 :  6.  A  Uke  period  is  referred  to  in  Daniel  7 :  26  ;  12:7. 
These  questions  now  present  themselves:  To  what  do  these  predio- 
tions  refer  ?  Do  they  refer  to  the  same  thing,  or  to  different  things? 
If  they  refer  to  the  same  thing,  what  period  of  time  is  here  described  ? 
When  does  this  period  begin,  and  when  does  it  end  ?  These  are  the  ques- 
tions to  which  your  attention  is  invited  in  the  present  lecture. 

I.  To  WHAT  DO  THESE  PREDICTIONS  REFER  ?  Do  they  refer  to  the 
same  thing,  or  to  different  things  ?  In  order  to  answer  these  questions,  we 
must  take  up  one  by  one  the  several  passages  which  have  just  been  cited, 
and  reach  a  clear  understanding  of  their  meaning.  And  first  we  turn  to 
Revelation  13 : 5.     '*  Power  was  given  unto  him  to  continue  forty  and 


THE  PURATION  OF  THB  PAPAL  POWER.  301 

X 

two  months."  The  reference  here  is  to  ihe  beast  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns  which  the  apostle  saw  rising  out  of  the  sea.  Taking  it  for 
granted  that  this  beast  is  the  divinely  appointed  symbol  of  the  Papal 
church,  and  that  this  chapter  describes  the  origin  and  history  of  the  Papal 
dknrchy  then  this  verse  tells  us  that  the  Papal  church  is  to  continue  forty- 
two  months.  From  the  rise  of  that  ecderiastioal  power  to  its  fall  would 
be  forty-two  months.  Let  us  now  turn  to  Revelation  12 : 6.  ^'  The 
woman  fled  into  the  wildemees,  where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God, 
that  they  should  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore 
days."  The  woman  is  the  divinely  appointed  symbol  of  the  true  church. 
According  to  the  revelations  of  this  chapter,  the  great  enemy  of  the  true 
church  is  the  Papal  church,  symbolized  as  before  by  the  beast  with  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns.  In  the  conflict  between  them,  the  true  church  was 
compelled  to  flee  into  the  wilderness.  That  is,  the  true  church  was  com- 
pelled to  withdraw  itself  from  prominent  place  in  the  world  and  to  retire  from 
notice;  while  the  false  church  ruled  openly  in  the  earth.  According  toithe 
verse  under  consideration,  this  retirementof  the  true  church  and  this  triumph 
of  its  enemy  was  to  continue  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days. 
Therefore  thb  passage,  Uke  the  former  one,  marks  the  duration  of  the  Papal 
church.  From  the  rise  of  that  ecclesiastical  power  to  its  fall  would  be  a 
period  of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  or  forty-two  months. 
Let  us  now  turn  to  Revelation  12 :  14.  ''And  to  the  woman  were  given  two 
wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness,  into  her  place, 
where  she  is  nourished  for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time,  from  the  face 
of  the  serpent."  This  passage  manifestly  refers  to  the  same  events  as  the 
one  last  considered,  viz.,  to  the  retirement  of  the  true  church  and  the 
triumph  of  the  fidse  church.  According  to  the  passage  under  considera- 
tion, this  retirement  and  this  triumph  were  to  continue  for  a  time,  times^ 
and  a  half.  This  means  a  year,  two  years,  and  a  half  a  year.  Therefore 
this  passage,  like  the  former  ones,  marks  the  duration  of  the  Papal  ehuroh. 
From  the  rise  of  that  ecclesiastical  power  to  its  fidl  would  be  a  period  of 
three  and  a  half  years,  or  forty-two  months,  or  one  thousand  two  hundred 
and  sixty  days.  Let  us  now  turn  to  Revelation  11:2.  '^  But  the  court 
whiok  is  without  the  temple  leave  out,  and  measure  it  not :  for  it  is  given 
unto  the  Gentiles ;  and  the  holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and 
two  months."  In  this  vision,  as  in  many  of  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse, 
the  holy  city  is  a  symbol  of  the  true  church.  And,  according  to 
the  passage  before  us,  the  true  church  is  to  be  trodden  under  foot 
of  the  spiritual  Gentiles  for  forty-two  months.  These  spiritual  Gen- 
tiles, the  enemies  of  the  true  church,  are  the  Papal  church.  There- 
fore this  passage,  like  the  former  ones,  marks  the  duration  of  the  Papal 
church.  From  the  rise  of  that  ecclesiastical  power  to  its  fall  would  be  a 
period  of  forty*two  months,  or  three  and  a  half  years,  or  one  thousand  two 


302  LIOTUBS  XXXVIII. 

hundred  and  sixty  days,  and  during  this  period  it  woold  tread  the  true 
church  under  ita  feet  Let  us  now  look  at  Bev.  11:3.  '^  I  will  give 
power  unto  my  two  witnesses,  and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  threescore  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth."  In  this  vision  the 
two  witnesses  are  a  symbol  of  the  true  church.  By  this  symbol,  two  things 
are  shadowed  forth.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  shadowed  forth  that  the  true 
cliurch  ia  to  be  a  witness,  that  is,  to  bear  testimony  for  God.  In  the  seoond 
place,  it  is  shadowed  forth  that  the  members  of  the  true  church  would  be 
few  in  number.  As,  under  the  law  of  Moees,  there  must  be  at  least  two 
witnesses  to  establish  any  fkct,  so  in  the  times  here' referred  to  there  would 
be  barely  enough  true  Christians  to  keep  alive  on  the  earth  a  testimony  for 
God.  And  according  to  the  passage  before  us  these  few  members  of  the 
true  church  were  to  prophesy  in  sackcloth,  that  is,  to  bear  their  testimony 
in  sorrow.  The  reason  of  their  sorrow  is  the  persecutiotts  of  '*  the  beast 
that  asoendeth  out  of  the  bottomless  pit."  Therefore  this  passage,  like  the 
ones  already  referred  to,  marks  the  duration  of  the  Papal  church.  From 
the  rise  of  that  ecclesiastical  power  to  its  fall  would  be  a  period  of  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  or  three  and  a  half  years,  or  forty- 
two  months,  and  during  that  period  the  church  would  bear  testimony  for 
God  in  sackcloth  and  sorrow.  Let  us  now  turn  to  Dan.  7  :  25.  ''And 
he  shall  speak  great  words  against  the  Most  High,  and  shall  wear  out  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  think  to  change  times  and  laws :  and  they 
shall  be  given  into  his  hand,  until  a  time,  and  times,  and  the  dividii^  of 
time."  According  to  this  vision,  the  Piq>al  church,  which  is  symboliied 
by  the  fourth  beast,  is  to  rule  in  triumph  over  the  earth  for  "a  time,  and 
times,  and  the  dividing  of  time."  The  word  translated  "time"  describes 
any  definite  period  of  time.  It  may  be  a  day,  or  a  week,  or  a  year.  What 
definite  period  is  described  must  be  determined  ftrom  the  context  and  from 
parallel  passages.  And  the  parallel  passages  in  the  Apocalypse  and  in  other 
places  in  the  word  of  God  convince  us  that  the  word  in  this  oonneetion 
means  a  year.  According  to  this  vision,  then,  the  Papal  churdi  is  to  role 
in  triumph  over  the  earth  for  a  year,  two  yean,  and  half  a  year ;  that  is, 
for  three  years  and  a  half.  Therefore  this  passage,  like  the  former  ones, 
marks  the  duration  of  the  Papal  church.  From  the  rise  of  that  power  to 
its  faU,  would  be  a  period  of  three  years  and  a  half,  or  forty-two  monthSi 
or  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days,  and  during  that  period  the 
Papal  church  would  devour  the  whole  earth,  and  tread  it  down,  and  break  it 
in  pieces.  Let  us  now  turn  to  Dan.  12 : 7.  "And  I  heard  the  man 
clothed  in  linen,  which  was  upon  the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  hdd  up  his 
right  hand  and  his  left  hand  unto  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that  liveth 
for  ever,  that  it  shall  be  for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half;  and  when  he  shall 
have  aooomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the  holy  people,  all  these  things 
shall  be  finished."     Acoording  to  this  vision,  firom  the  beginning  to  the  end 


THE  DURATION  OF  THE  PAPAL  POWER.  803 

of  ihe  wonders  wonld  be  a  time,  tunes,  and  a  half;  thai  is,  three  and  a 
half  years.  And  the  wonders  here  referred  to  are  the  triumphs  of  Anti- 
christ. Therefore  this  passage,  like  the  former  ones,  marks  the  duration 
of  the  Papal  church.  From  the  rise  of  that  eeclesiastioal  power  to  its  fall 
would  be  a  period  of  three  and  a  half  years,  or  forty ^two  months,  or  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days^  and  during  that  period  the  holy 
people  would  be  scattered,  and  ct  its  end  the  wonders  of  Antichrist  would 
be  finished. 

These  are  all  the  passages  in  the  inspired  word  in  which  this  period  of 
forty-two  months  is  referred  to.  From  our  review  of  these  passages,  two 
things  are  evident.  In  the  first  place,  all  these  passages  refer  to  the  same 
thing.  They  are  synonymous  in  meaning.  What  one  deseribes,  the  other 
describee.  They  all  describe  the  duration  of  the  Papal  power.  In  the 
second  place,  these  passages  all  teach  us  that  the  Papal  power  is  to  continue 
on  the  earth  for  three  and  a  half  years,  or  forty-two  months,  or  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  days. 

II.     This  brings  us  to  the  second  point  of  inquiry,  viz. :  what  period 

OF  TIMS  IS  DESCRIBED  BT  THE  THREE  TEARS  AND  A  HALF,  OT  the  forty- 

two  months,  or  the  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  days  ?  If  we  can 
answer  this  question,  we  will  know  just  how  long  the  Papal  power  is  to 
continue.  Are  the  years,  the  months  and  the  days  here  spoken  of  to  be 
understood  literally,  or  figuratively,  or  prophetically  ?  It  seems  evident 
that  they  cannot  be  understood  literally.  The  passages  in  which  they 
occur  are  all  symbolical.  The  beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  the 
woman  clothed  with  the  sun,  the  holy  city,  the  two  witnesses,  and  in  fact 
everything  described  in  these  visions  are  symbols ;  and  it  wonld  be  absurd 
to  suppose  that  the  months  alone  were  to  be  taken  literally.  And  if  they  are 
not  to  be  understood  literally,  how  are  they  to  be  understood  ?  On  one 
occasion  the  prophet  Ezekiel  was  commanded,  as  a  sign  to  the  house  of 
Israel,  to  lie  on  his  right  side  forty  days.  And  there  can  be  no  question 
that  this  time  was  symbolical,  for  it  is  expressly  said  to  him.  Eat.  4  :  6, 
'*  I  have  appointed  thee  each  day  for  a  year.''  These  words  have  always 
been  regarded  by  those  who  have  made  prophecy  a  study,  as  expressing  a 
general  principle  of  prophetic  interpretation.  In  otiier  words,  in  prophetic 
visions  and  utterances,  each  day  is  regarded  as  the  symbol  of  a  literal  year. 
The  truth  of  this  principle  may  be  proven  by  many  illustrations  from  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  the  New  Testament.  Many  prediotions,  having 
reference  to  the  great  kingdoms  which  have  existed  on  the  earth,  have 
been  fulfilled ;  and  in  these  fulfilled  prediotions,  it  is  seen  that  each  day  in 
vision  stands  for  a  literal  year.  It  is  not  necessary  to  mention  instances. 
AU  who  have  given  the  subject  of  prophecy  any  attention  must  know  that 
it  is  a  principle  which  is  almost  universally  received  by  Biblical  studenta. 


304  LECTURE   XXXVIII. 

that  a  day  in  prophesy  is  a  symbol  for  a  literal  year.  Thn  prtneiple  b 
usaally  called  the  year-day  theory.  While  some  do  not  accept  this  theory, 
yet  the  weight  of  names  and  of  argument  is  largely  in  its  favor. 

Taking,  then,  the  truth  of  this  theory  for  granted,  the  passages  we  have 
been  considering  teach  us  what  is  to  be  the  duration  of  the  Papal  power. 
It  is  not  to  be  three  and  a  half  literal  years.  It  is  to  be  three. and  a  half 
prophetic  years,  that  is,  forty- two  prophetic  months,  or  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  prophetic  days.  And  if  every  prophetic  day  is  a  symbol 
of  a  literal  year,  then  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  prophetic  days 
would  symbolize  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  literal  years.  This 
is  the  period  of  time  shadowed  forth  in  the  passages  under  consideration. 
From  the  rise  of  the  Papal  power  to  its  fall  is  one  thousand  two  hundred 
and  sixty  years.  During  this  period  the  true  church  is  to  be  opposed  and 
persecuted  by  Antichrist,  to  live  in  the  wilderness,  and  to  bear  testimony 
for  God  in  sackcloth  and  sorrow ;  and  during  the  same  period  the  Papal 
church  is  to  live,  and  triumph,  and  reign  on  the  earth. 

III.  We  have  now  a  more  difficult  question  to  answer :  when  does 
THIS  PERIOD  BEGIN,  AND  WHEN  DOES  IT  END  ?  If  WO  cau  Only  deter- 
mine when  it  begins,  we  wiU  have  no  difficulty  in  determining  when  it  ends, 
for  the  duration  of  the  period  is  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years. 
We  have  only  to  add  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  to  the  year 
when  the  Papal  church  b^an,  and  we  will  have  the  year  when  that  church 
will  be  destroyed.  The  question,  then,  before  us  is  a  very  simple  one  in 
theory.  It  is  only  this :  when  did  the  Papal  church  begin  ?  But  prac- 
tically this  question  is  not  an  easy  one  to  answer.  The  Papal  system,  as  it 
has  existed  in  the  world  for  hundreds  of  years  in  the  past,  was  of  alow 
growth.  It  did  not  at  once  spring  into  existence,  clothed  with  its  ^11 
powers.  As  it  b  hard  to  say  just  when  the  evening  twilight  becomes  dark- 
ness, so  it  is  hard  to  say  when  the  true  church,  founded  by  the  Saviour 
and  his  apostles,  waa  lost  in  the  false  church,  symbolized  by  the  beast  with 
the  seven  heads  and  the  ten  horns. 

There  are  several  epochs  in  the  histoiy  of  the  church  which  may  be 
regarded  as  the  beginning  of  the  Papal  system.  Some  expositors  have 
regarded  one  of  these  epochs  as  the  beginning;  others  have  regarded 
another;  therefore,  some  have  fixed  upon  one  year  as  the  termination  of 
the  Papal  power,  and  others  have  fixed  upon  another  year.  This  is  the 
way  in  which  different  years,  as  for  example,  1793,  1848,  1866,  and  other 
years  yet  in  the  fixture,  have  been  settled  upon  by  various  authors  as  the 
years  in  which  the  Roman  Catholic  church  would  be  overthrown.  The 
question  before  us  is,  when  did  the  Papal  system  begin  ?  While  we  may 
not  be  able  to  answer  this  question  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  we 
have  as  much  right  to  attempt  an  answer  as  any  one,  and  our  answer  is 
just  as  likely  to  be  correct  as  that  of  others. 


THE  DURATION  OF  THE  PAPAL  POWEIU  305 

Before  we  attempt  to  answer  this  question,  we  must  determine  what  the 
Papal  system  is.    It  is  not  mere  ecdesiastical  power ;  it  is  not  the  exercise 
of  authority  by  pope,  bishop,  ministry  or  opuncil,  over  the  spiritual  affairs 
of  the  church  ;   it  is  not  mere  political  power ;  it  is  not  the  exercise  of 
authority  by  king,  emperor,  prince  or  congress,  over  the  temporal  affairs  of 
the  nations  of  the  world.     It  is  a  union  of  the  two — of  ecclesiastical  and 
temporal  power ;  it  is  the  exercise  of  authority,  both  in  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral affiurs.     It  is  well  known  that  the  Papal  church  has  claimed  and 
exercised  such  authority  during  recent  centuries.     The  pope,  the  head  of 
that  church,  has  claimed  to  be  supreme  in  spiritual  matters,  and  has  ruled 
the  church  according  to  his  pleasure.    He  has  also  claimed  to  be  supreme 
in  temporal  matters ;  he  has  been  a  king  among  the  kings  of  the  earth, 
and  he  has  deposed  and  exalted  kings  at  his  pleasure.    The  presbyters  and 
bishops  of  the  primitive  church  claimed  authority  in  spiritual  matters ;  but 
when  did  they  begin  to  claim  authority  in  temporal  matters  as  well  ?  If  we 
can  discover  when  the  bishops  of  Rome  began  to  exercise  authority  in  both 
temporal  and  spiritual  matters,  we  will  at  the  same  time  discover  when  the 
Papal  system  began ;  for  this  union  of  ecclesiastical  and  temporal  power  is 
the  very  essence  of  Papacy  as  it  is  described  in  the  visions  of  the  inspired 
word.    When  did  the  exercise  of  this  twofold  authority  begin  ?     Some 
have  answered  this  question  by  saying  in  the  year  533.     In  that  year  the 
emperor  Justinian  openly  and  formally  acknowledged  the  bishop  of  Rome 
to  be  the  head  of  the  church.     There  can  be  no  doubt  that  by  this  decree 
of  Justinian  the  Roman  church  was  greatly  strengthened  ;  but  it  is  evident 
that  this  acknowledgment  that  the  bishop  of  Rome  was  the  head  of  the 
church  was  no  grant  of  temporal  authority.    There  was  not  at  this  time 
that  peculiar  union  of  temporal  and  spiritual  power  which  properly  consti- 
tutes the  Papacy.  '  Others  have  fixed  upon  the  year  606  as  the  time  of  thc| 
origin  of  the  Papal  system.     In  that  year  the  emperor  Phoca»  confirmed 
the  grant  of  Justinian,  and  conferred  upon  Boniface  III,  who  was  then 
bishop  of  Rome,  the  title  of  universal  bishop ;  but  in  this  there  was  no 
grant  of  temporal  authority — ^there  was  not  that  union  of  temporal  and 
ecdesiastioal  power  which  properly  constitutes  the  Papacy.    Up  to  this  time 
the  bishop  of  Rome  was  ruler  only  over  the  spiritual  affairs  of  the  church. 
Others  have  fixed  upon  a  later  date  as  the  time  of  the  origin  of  the  Papal 
power.  In  the  conflict  between  claimants  for  the  throne,  Stephen,  who  was 
then  pope  or  bishop  of  Rome,  sided  with  Pepin,  and  when  Pepin  became 
emperor  he  gave  the  pope,  as  a  reward  for  his  services,  that  territory  which 
was  known  as  the  Exarchate  of  Ravenna  and  the  Pentapolis.     To  this 
territory  additions  were  made  in  subsequent  centuries,  until  at  last  it  grew 
into  what  are  called  the  Papal  States,  or  the  States  of  the  Church.  This  gifl 
of  the  Exarchate  of  Ravenna  and  the  Pentapolis  to  pope  Stephen  was  made 
about  the  year  752.    The  writer  of  the  article,  '*  Papal  States,"  in  the 

20 


306  LECTURE  XXXVIII. 

American  Cyclopedia,  says  :  *'  From  this  time  the  popes  in  all  their  pro- 
ceedings assumed  the  style  of  temporal  sovereigns.''  If  this  is  correct,  then 
we  have  discovered  the  beginning  of  the  Papal  system.  From  the  time 
that  the  popes  began  to  assume  in  all  their  proceedings  the  style  of  temporal 
sovereigns,  there  was  that  union  of  ecclesiastical  and  temporal  authority 
which  constitutes  the  Papacy.  And  this  time,  according  to  the  facts  of 
history  which  have  been  mentioned,  was  about  the  year  752.  Other  dates 
have  been  fixed  upon  as  the  time  of  the  origin  of  the  Papal  system,  but 
the  ones  mentioned  are  the  principal  ones.  The  year  533,  when  the  pope 
waa  formally  acknowledged  as  the  head  of  the  church ;  the  year  606,  when 
he  was  formally  declared  to  be  universal  bishop,  and  the  year  752,  when 
the  pope  began  to  exercise  temporal  in  connection  with  his  spiritual  au- 
thority. For  the  reasons  which  have  been  given,  the  last  date  seems  to  be 
the  correct  one ;  for  then  appears  for  the  first  time  that  union  between 
temporal  and  spiritual  authority  which  constitutes  the  great  peculiarity  of 
the  Papal  system. 

If  this  is  correct,  we  are  prepared  to  answer  the  question,  When  will  the 
Papal  system  come  to  an  end  ?  If  it  began  in  the  year  752,  and  if  it  is 
to  continue  for  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years,  then  it  is  to  be 
destroyed  in  the  year  2012.  We  would  not  speak  too  confidently  on  this 
point — not  because  we  have  any  doubts  that  these  visions  refer  to  the  Papal 
church,  or  because  we  have  any  doubts  that  the  forty-two  months  symbolize 
one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  literal  years,  but  because  there  is  a 
question  as  to  the  exact  time  when  the  Papal  system  began.  But  if  it  began, 
as  seems  altogether  most  probable,  about  the  year  752,  when  the  popes 
^^  assumed  in  all  their  proceedings  the  style  of  temporal  sovereigns,**  then  it 
will  be  destroyed  about  the  year  2012. 

If  these  things  are  so,  the  Papal  system  is  approaching  its  downfall.  In 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  the  time  predicted  in  the  Scriptures 
for  the  overthrow  of  the  great  anti-Chistian  church  will  come.  Then  the 
beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  will  be  destroyed ;  the  church  will 
come  forth  from  its  retirement  clothed  in  its  robes  of  spotless  purity ;  Gk>d*s 
witnesses  will  lay  aside  their  sackcloth  and  prophesy  with  joy ;  the  holy 
city  will  no  longer  be  trampled  under  foot  by  the  spiritual  Qentiles  ;  the 
sinful  wonders  which  have  so  long  shaken  the  faith  of  the  people  of  God 
will  cease ;  the  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  of  prophecy  will 
come  to  an  end.  In  the  meantime  there  is  work  for  us,  and  for  all  the 
followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  do.  Qod  works  out  his  plans  through  the 
instrumentality  of  his  earthly  church.  We  must  stand  up  for  the  truth. 
We  must  resist  every  error  and  every  enemy.  The  work  is  hard,  the  con- 
flict is  sore,  but  the  victory  is  sure.  Ood  has  spoken,  and  not  one  jot  or 
tittle  of  his  word  will  pass  away  till  all  be  ftdfilled.  The  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  sixty  years  are  approaching  their  termination,  and  we  may 
lift  up  our  heads,  for  the  day  of  our  redemption  draweth  nigh. 


THE   LAMB   AND   HIS   FOLLOWERS.  307 


LECTURE    XXXIX. 


THE  LAMB  AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS. 

And  I  looked)  and,  lo,  a  Lamb  stood  on  the  mount  Sion,  and  with  him  an 
hundred  forty  and  four  thousand,  having  his  Father's  name  written  in 
their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters, 
and  as  a  voice  of  a  great  thunder :  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harp- 
ing with  their  harps  :  and  they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the  throne, 
and  before  the  four  beasts,  and  the  elders  :  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song 
bat  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand,  which  were  redeemed  firom  the 
earth.  These  are  they  which  were  not  defiled  with  women  ;  for  they  are  vir- 
gins. These  are  they  which  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goetn.  These 
were  redeemed  from  amon^  men,  being  the  first  fruits  unto  God  and  to  the 
Lamb,  And  in  their  moutn  was  found  no  guile :  for  they  are  without  fault 
before  the  throne  of  God.— Rev.  14  :  1-6. 

Dark  and  gloomy  were  the  visions  which  had  presented  themselves  to 
tbe  apostle,  and  which  we  have  recently  considered.  In  them,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  tme  church  were  represented  as  few  and  persecnted,  and 
the  enemies  of  the  true  church  as  many  and  triumphant.  We  saw 
the  great  red  dragon  driving  the  crowned  and  beautiful  woman  to  the 
wildemesB,  and  following  her  with  many  dangers,  as  with  floods  of  waters 
irom  his  mouth.  In  this  representation  we  saw  the  histoiy  of  the  true 
church  shadowed  forth  during  the  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
years  it  lived  in  obscurity  to  hide  Irom  the  persecutions  of  pagan  and  Papal 
Rome.  We  then  saw  a  monster  coming  up  from  the  sea  with  seven  heads 
and  ten  horns,  we  heard  his  blasphemies,  and  we  witnessed  his  power  to 
overcome  the  saints  and  to  make  all  those  whose  names  were  not  written 
in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  fall  down  at  his  feet  and  worship  him.  In  this 
representation,  we  saw  shadowed  forth  the  power  of  civil  Bome,  with  its 
blasphemies,  and  its  persecutions,  and  its  world-wide  dominion.  We  then 
saw  another  monster  coming  up  out  of  the  earth  with  the  horns  of  a  lamb 
and  the  voice  of  a  dragon  ;  we  saw  his  power  to  work  deceiving  miracles, 
to  make  an  image  of  the  first  beast  and  give  it  life  and  speech,  to  compel 
men  to  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  to  set  a  mark  upon  these  worship- 
ers, to  prevent  all  those  who  had  not  received  this  mark  from  engaging  in 
trafi&c  and  in  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life,  and  to  kill  them  with  the  sword. 
In  this  representation,  we  saw  shadowed  forth  the  power  of  the  Papal 
clergy,  their  influence  in  making  men  submit  to  the  general  councils  of 
the  Papal  church,  and  their  success  in  keeping  the  adherents  of  the  Papal 
church  separate  from  all  other  men. 

Surely  these  visions  are  dark  and  gloomy  to  every  one  who  loves  the 
truth  and  the  church  of  God.  In  these  representations,  and  in  several  pre- 
ceding ones,  the  true  church  seems  to  be  just  ready  to  give  up  the  ghost. 


808  LECTUaE  XXXIX. 

The  two  witnesses  clothed  in  sackcloth,  the  beautiful  woman  hiding  for 
safety  in  the  inaccessible  wilderness,  the  saints  overcome  by  the  beast  with 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  those  who  refused  to  worship  the  image  and 
receive  its  mark  killed  by  the  besBt  with  the  horns  of  a  lamb  and  the 
voice  of  a  dragon,  all  picture  the  church  in  the  very  extremity  of  adversity 
and  dissolution.  Surely,  as  John  saw  these  representations,  and  under- 
stood their  meaning,  as  he  doubtless  did,  he  would  be  cast  down  and 
would  need  to  be  encouraged.  And  as  we  study  these  representations, 
and  trace  their  fulfillment  in  the  history  of  the  church  and  the  world,  we 
as  lovers  of  the  church  must  be  cast  down  and  must  need  to  be  encouraged. 
Is  there  no  encouragement?  Is  there  no  brighter  side  to  the  picture?  Is 
there  no  ray  of  light?  There  is  encouragement;  there  is  a  brighter  side  ; 
there  is  a  ray  of  light.  The  apostle  is  permitted  to  look  behind  the  heav- 
enly vail  and  learn  that  the  true  church,  though  represented  by  the  two 
witnesses  with  their  garments  of  sackcloth,  by  the  childless  mother  hiding 
in  the  wilderness,  and  by  the  conquered  and  slain  saints,  is  safely  kept  by 
the  divine  power  and  love,  and  at  last  brought  in  triumph  to  its  heavenly 
home.  All  this  was  revealed  to  the  apostle,  and  it  is  by  his  inspired  de- 
scription revealed  to  us,  in  the  vision  of  the  Lamb  and  his  followers  upon 
mount  Zion. 

This  change  from  the  dark  and  gloomy  to  the  bright  and  cheering  is  in 
accordance  with  the  longings  of  the  human  mind,  and  with  the  practice  of 
men  in  other  matters.     The  mind  cannot  dwell  long  on  -any  class  of  sub- 
jects without  great  weariness.     It  must  be  rested  by  change.     Therefore 
the  man  of  business  must  have  his  hours  of  relaxation ;  the  student  must 
now  and  then  turn  from  his  exhausting  studies  to  lighter  mental  labor ; 
our  mi^azines  place  their  learned  essays  side  by  side  with  works  of  fiction ; 
our  painters  mingle  light  and  shade  with  a  skillful  hand ;  our  schoola,  our 
musical  concerts  and  our  public  entertainments  furnish  variety ;  for  the 
mind  calls  for  variety  and  men  obey  the  call.     Such  variety  is  to  be  found 
in  the  divine  word.     Precept  and  example,  narrative  and  discourse,  warn- 
ing and  promise,  all  blend  together  in  this  revelation  of  our  God.     We 
have  had  one  striking  illustration  of  this  already  in  our  eipositiun  of  the 
Apocalypse.     Afler  the  first  six  seals  had  been  broken,  and  war,  and  £uu- 
ine,  and  pestilence,  and  persecution,  and  political  convulsions  had  gone 
forth,  one  after  another,  filling  the  world  with  sorrow,  in  the  seventh  chap- 
ter the  apostle  saw  a  vision  which  relieved  the  gloom,  and  bears  a  close  re* 
semblance  to  the  virion  we  are  now  considering.     He  saw  in  the  vision  a 
great  multitude  of  sealed  ones,  who  were  clothed  in  white  robes,  who  had 
palms  in  their  hands,  and  who  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  '^  salvation  to  our 
God  which  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb."     He  was  rested 
and  comforted  by  the  contemplation  of  the  safety  and  happiness  of  this  re- 
deemed throng.     So  in  the  present  instance,  after  the  dangers  and  perae- 


THE  LAMB  AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS.  309 

cations  of  the  earthly  church  had  been  foretold,  and  after  the  power  and 
yictories  of  the  enemies  of  the  earthly*  church  had  been  described,  the 
apostle  is  comforted  and  rested  by  a  bright  vision  of  heavenly  safety  and 
happiness.  He  sees  the  Lamb  and  his  followers  on  mount  Zion.  That 
we  may  be  comforted  and  rested  afler  the  gloomy  subjects  we  have  been 
considering  in  our  recent  lectures,  let  us  strive  to  reach  a  clear  understand- 
ing  of  this  heavenly  vision. 

I.  The  first  thing  which  attracts  our  notice  is  the  Lamb,  the  leader 
of  the  redeemed  and  worshiping  multitude.  ^*And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  a 
Lamb"  ;  or  rather, ''  and  I  looked,  and,  lo,  the  Lamb,"  for  this  is  without 
question  the  true  reading.  Little  fault  can  be  found  with  the  English 
version  of  the  Bible.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  obsolete  words  and 
incorrect  renderings  and  awkward  expressions,  it  is  as  near  perfection  as 
any  work  of  man  can  be.  But  the  translation  of  the  latter  part  of  the 
Apocalypse  is  more  imperfect  than  th^it  of  any  other  portion  of  the  Bible, 
'  and  that  through  no  fault  of  the  translators.  The  way  it  came  about  was 
tbb:  the  New  Testament  was  written  in  Greek,  but  very  early  in  the 
Christian  era  it  was  translated  into  a  goodly  number  of  languages.  These 
Greek  copies  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  several  translations  were, 
until  the  art  of  printing  was  discovered,  preserved  in  manuscript.  When 
Erasmus  undertook,  in  1516,  to  compile  a  complete  Greek  New  Testa- 
ment by  companng  different  copies  and  translations,  he  could  find  no 
Greek  copy  of  the  latter  part  of  the  Apocalypse.  In  all  the  Greek  manu- 
scripts which  were  then  known,  it  was  wanting.  In  order  to  make  his 
Greek  Testament  complete,  he  had  to  take  the  Latin  version  of  the  latter 
part  of  the,  Apocalypse  and  translate  it  back  into  Greek.  This  Greek 
edition  of  the  New  Testament,  which  Erasmus  thus  prepared,  was  long 
r^rded  as  the  standard,  and  it  is  known  among  Biblical  critics  as  "  the 
received  text."  From  this  Greek  edition,  our  English  translation  of  the 
New  Testament  was  made.  It  must  be  veiy  evident  that  our  version  of 
the  latter  part  of  the  Apocalypse  is  peculiarly  liable  to  errors,  for  it  is  a 
translation  of  a  translation  of  a  translation  of  the  Greek  original.  The 
Greek  was  first  translated  into  Latin  ;  the  Latin  was  then  translated  into 
Greek  by  Erasmus,  and  the  Greek  was  then  translated  into  English  by  the 
translators  of  our  authorized  version.  It  would  therefore  be  a  wonder  if 
it  was  not  more  imperfect  than  any  other  part  of  the  New  Testament. 

But  since  the  days  of  Erasmus,  a  number  of  early  Greek  manuscripts 
containing  the  Apocalypse  have  been  discovered.  Among  these  are  two 
which,  from  their  great  age,  accuracy  and  completeness  are  counted  of  the 
greatest  value.  The  first  is  called  the  Alexandrian  Godex.  This  manu- 
script, which  is  now  in  the  British  museum,  was  procured  from  the  patri- 
arch of  Alexandria  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  ;  and  from  this 


810  LECTURE   XXXIX. 

fact  it  has  derived  its  name.  The  other  is  called  the  Sinaitic  Codez,  be- 
cause it  was  discovered  in  the  convent  of  St.  Catherine  on  mount  Sinai,  in 
the  year  1844,  by  Tischendorf.  After  fifteen  years  of  negotiations,  it  was 
purchased  by  the  emperor  of  Russia  in  1859,  and  it  is  now  in  St.  Peters- 
burg. From  internal  evidence  the  Alexandrian  Codex  appears  to  hare 
been  written  about  the  year  450.  The  Sinaitic  Codex  appears  to  hare 
been  written  about  the  year  350.  These  manuscripts,  especially  the  latter, 
are  of  great  value  in  correcting  the  received  text.  When  we  compare  our 
translation  of  the  latter  part  of  the  Apocalypse  with  these  manuscripts,  we 
find  that  in  many  places  it  is  incorrect  and  imperfect.  And  there  is  no 
question  among  Biblical  critics,  that  the  reading  of  these  manuscripts 
should  be  followed.  It  is  true,  the  most  of  these  variations  do  not  make 
any  change  in  the  sense,  but  some  of  them  are  of  considerable  importance. 

Let  us  return  to  our  exposition.  Our  translation  reads  :  "And  I  looked, 
and,  lo,  a  Lamb"  ;  but  the  improved  reading  of  both  the  Alexandrian  and 
Sinaitic  manuscripts  is,  *'And  I  looked,  and,  lo,  the  Lamb,"  This  is  with- 
out question  correct.  It  was  not  merely  a  lamb  which  John  saw ;  it  was 
the  Lamb  of  the  previous  visions,  that  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  throne, 
and  was  found  worthy  to  open  the  seals  ;  that  fed  the  saints  and  led  them 
to  living  fountains  of  water ;  that  had  written  the  names  of  his  followers 
in  his  book  of  life,  and  promised  them  grace  to  overcome  their  foes.  The 
Lamb  so  often  mentioned  in  this  book  and  so  well  known  to  every  reader, 
needs  no  description.  He  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  slain  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world. 

And  this  Lamb  "stood  on  the  mount  Zion'*;  not  upon  the  mount 
Zion  on  which  the  temple  of  the  Jewish  economy  was  builded,  but  upon  the 
mount  Zion  which  was  in  heaven.  You  will  remember  that  in  the  celes- 
tial scenery  which  has  been  described,  and  which  remains  substantially 
unchanged  through  all  the  visions,  there  was,  near  the  throne  of  GM,  a 
heavenly  temple  which  stood  upon  the  heavenly  Zion.  On  this  heavenly 
mountain,  John  saw  the  risen  Saviour,  as  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  What  a  contrast  there  is  between  this  and  the  previous 
visions.  In  them,  we  saw  the  confusion,  and  bloodshed,  and  ungodliness 
of  earth;  in  this,  we  see  the  peace,  and  happiness,  and  holiness  of  heaven. 
In  them,  we  saw  the  dragon  and  his  satanic  works ;  in  this,  we  see  the 
Lamb  and  his  followers. 

II.  Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  followers  of  ths  Lamb.  We 
will  best  bring  out  the  full  meaning  of  the  inspired  des9ription,  if  we 
notice  in  their  order  these  points :  the  number  of  the  Lamb's  foUowere, 
their  mark,  their  worship,  and  their  character. 

1.  With  the  Lamb  on  mount  Zion  were  "  an  hundred  forty  and  four 
thousand.''     Our  attention  was  called  to  this  mystical  number  in  the  vision 


THE  LAMB   AND   HIS   FOLLOWERS.  311 

of  chapter  VII^  in  which  we  are  told  that  twelve  thoasaDct  were  sealed 
out  of  each  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  This  mystical  number 
teaches  us  that  all  of  God's  saints  will  be  brought  home  in  safety  at  last, 
for  twelve  is  the  number  of  heavenly  perfection.  Not  one  of  them  will 
be  lost.  The  full  number  of  twelve  times  twelve  thousand  will  be  com- 
pleted. This  mystical  number  also  teaches  us  that  a  great  multitude, 
which  no  man  can  number,  will  be  saved  ;  for  of  course  the  mystical  num- 
ber is  to  be  understood  not  as  definite  but  as  indefinite.  The  saints  on 
earth  at  any  period  of  the  world's  history  are  few.  The  church  has  ever 
been  a  little  flock.  It  is  fitly  shadowed  forth  by  the  two  witnesses,  and 
by  the  lonely  woman  in  the  wilderness.  But  when  the  end  will  come  and 
they  will  be  gathered  from  all  the  lands,  and  will  stand  together  on  the 
heavenly  Zion,  they  will  constitute  a  great  congregation,  which  is  properly 
described  by  the  mystical  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand.  Then  let 
no  saint  give  way  to  despair.  There  will  not  be  a  vacant  throne,  or  an 
unemployed  harp  in  heaven.  Not  one  for  whom  these  honors  have  been 
prepared  will  come  short  of  entering  into  rest.  Though  the  church  at 
times  may  seem  to  be  dead  or  dying,  Ood  never  leaves  himself  without  wit- 
nesses ;  and  when  these  witnesses  will  all  be  gathered  from  land  and  sea, 
from  continent  and  island,  from  north  and  south,  and  east  and  west, 
they  will  be  the  general  assembly  of  the  first  born,  whose  voice  of  praise 
will  be  as  the  voice  of  many  waters. 

2.  Let  us  notice  tJie  mark  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand 
followers  of  the  Lamb.  They  had  "  his  Father's  name  written  in  their 
foreheads"  ;  or,  according  to  the  improved  reading  of  both  the  Alexandrian 
and  Sinaitic  manuscripts,  they  had  *•*  his  name  and  his  Father's  name 
written  in  their  foreheads."  We  are  here  reminded  of  the  mark  which  the 
beast  of  the  previous  vision  had  set  upon  the  right  hand  and  the  fore- 
head of  his  followers,  and  of  the  significance  of  that  mark.  It  was  a  sign 
by  which  they  were  to  be  distinguished  from  all  others.  So  on  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lamb,  there  is  to  be  a  distinguishing  mark.  By  their  con- 
sistent profession,  by  their  holy  lives,  by  their  observance  of  divinely 
appointed  rites,  by  their  Christ-like  disposition,  and  by  their  heavenly 
home,  they  are  separated  from  the  world.  By  these  marks,  the  Saviour 
knows  his  own ;  by  these  marks,  they  are  reoogniied  on  earth,  and  dis- 
tinguished from  other  men.  And  these  marks  will  not  be  blotted  out  in 
heaven ;  for  when  they  stand  on  the  mount  Zion,  they  will  have  the  same 
characteristics  they  had  on  earth,  only  these  characteristics  will  be  brought 
to  perfection.  These  marks  are  M  plain  that  it  is  as  if  the  names  of  the 
Lamb  and  his  Father  were  written  in  their  foreheads,  names  which  indicate 
that  they  are  the  saved  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  children  of  the  Father. 
Then  let  no  saint  give  way  to  despair.  First  of  all,  let  him  inquire 
whether  he  carries  the  mark  of  the  beast  or  the  mark  of  the  Lamb.     If 


312  LBCTHBB  XXXIX. 

he  finds  that  he  carries  the  name  of  the  Lamb  and  his  Father,  that  is,  if  he 
finds  that  he  has  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  those  who  are  the 
followers  of  the  Lamb  and  the  children  of  the  Father,  he  may  be  aare 
that  he  will  not  be  forgotten  in  the  great  gathering  of  the  last  day;  for  all 
who  stand  on  mount  Zion  will  have  this  mark  in  their  foreheads,  and  all 
who  hare  this  mark  on  their  foreheads  will  be  on  mount  Zion. 

3.  Let  us  notice  the  toorship  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb.  ''And  I 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voioe 
of  a  great  thunder ;  and  I  heard  the  voice  of  harpers  harping  with  their 
harps :  and  they  sung  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the  throne,  and  before 
the  four  beasts,  and  the  elders :  and  no  man  could  learn  that  song  but  the 
hundred  and  forty  and  four  thousand,  which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth." 
Their  worship  was  grand  and  earnest.  It  was  not  the  listless  and  heartless 
worship  which  so  often  disgraces  the  earthly  congregations  of  the  saints.  It 
fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  Ibtening  apostle,  as  it  came  rolling  down  from  the 
slopes  of  the  heavenly  Zion,  like  the  voice  of  many  waters,  or  like  the  voioe 
of  a  great  thunder.  John  had  often  heard  the  booming  of  the  wild  waves 
of  the  Mediterranean  as  under  the  impulse  of  furious  winds  they  dashed 
against  the  rocky  shores  of  his  island  home ;  he  had  heard  the  thunder 
echoing  from  cloud  to  cloud,  and  making  Patmos  itself  tremble  with  its 
reverberations ;  and  now,  when  he  heard  the  song  of  the  redeemed,  he  could 
compare  it  to  nothing  he  had  ever  heard  on  the  earth  save  to  the  grand 
chorus  of  the  waters  and  the  thunders,  when  they  unite  in  the  pnusea  of 
omnipotence. 

Their  worship  was  sweet  and  melodious.  It  was  not  the  discordant 
worship  which  is  so  often  heard  on  the  earth.  It  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the 
listening  apostle  like  the  strains  of  harpers  harping  with  their  harps.  It 
had  been  his  privilege,  in  his  youth,  to  stand  often  in  the  courts  of  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem,  and  to  hear  the  Levites,  the  sons  of  Asaph,  touch 
their  harps  with  skillful  fingers  in  the  worship  prescribed  by  the  ceremonial 
law ;  and  now,  when  he  heard  the  song  of  the  redeemed,  he  could  compare 
it  to  nothing  he  had  ever  heard  on  earth  save  to  the  sweet  music  of  the 
trained  worshipers  in  Jerusalem's  temple,  nrhich  had  made  such  an  impres- 
sion upon  his  youthftd  heart,  that  the  persecutions  and  labors  of  many 
years  had  not  blotted  it  from  his  memory. 

The  song  of  the  redeemed  was  a  new  song.  What  does  this  mean  ? 
That  it  was  sung  on  a  new  occasion,  in  a  new  place,  with  new  meaning,  to 
celebrate  a  new  and  complete  and  eternal  victory  ?  It  means  all  this,  for 
the  singers  had  reached  heaven  at  last,  and  they  were  now,  for  the  first 
time,  rejoicing  in  their  ftiU  redemption.  But  it  means  something  more 
than  this.  It  means  that  all  earthly  things  become  old ;  the  fairest  land- 
scape, often  looked  upon,  loses  its  beauty ;  the  most  exquisite  melody,  often 
heard,  no  longer  pleases ;  the  holiest  exercise,  often  repeated,  becomes  a 


THE  LAMB   AND  HIS  FOLLOWERS.  313 

weariness ;  but  the  soDg  of  the  redeemed  is  sweet  for  ever.  After  millioDS 
of  jears  hare  passed  away,  it  will  be  as  new  as  it  was  when  it  was  first 
song.  And  the  redeemed  were  not  ashamed  of  their  worship.  They  sung 
their  song  before*  the  throne,  and  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  four 
and  twenty  elders ;  that  is,  in  the  presence  of  God  and  of  the  great  congre- 
gation of  the  heavenly  sanctuary.  They  did  not  close  their  mouths  because 
others  were  looking  on,  but  with  heart  and  voice  they  gave  the  glory  of 
their  salvation  to  him  that  sat  upon  the  throne  and  to  the  Lamb. 

The  song  of  the  redeemed  was  one  which  was  peculiar  to  themselves. 
'^No  man  could  learn  that  song  but  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand,  which  were  redeemed  from  the  earth."  None  but  the  redeemed 
can  sing  the  song  of  redemption.  None  but  those  who  have  felt  the  burden 
and  agony  of  sin,  and  the  joy  of  deliverance  through  a  personal  Saviour  can 
sing.  "  unto  him  that  loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own 
blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father :  to 
him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever."  The  angels  and  the  arch- 
angels must  stand  silently  by  while  the  redeemed  engage  in  their  worship, 
for  their  song,  which  is  the  fruit  of  the  blessed  experience  of  pardoned  sin, 
none  can  learn  save  those  who  have  been  redeemed  from  the  earth. 

4.  Let  us  notice  tJie  character  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb.  They  are 
free  from  all  defilement.  "  These  are  they  which  were  not  defiled  with 
women ;  for  they  are  virgins."  It  is  not  marriage  which  is  here  condemned, 
but  defilement.  The  followers  of  the  Lamb  are  not  necessarily  those  who 
have  kept  themselves  free  from  the  marriage  relation,  but  those  who  have 
kept  themselves  free  from  all  uncleanness.  The  redeemed  are  also  those 
"who  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth."  They  follow  him  in  the 
object  of  his  life,  in  his  intercourse  with  the  world,  in  his  joys,  in  bis  sorrows, 
and  in  his  glory.  They  imitate  his  example,  they  obey  his  conmiandments, 
they,  follow  him  through  evil  report  as  well  as  through  good  report.  The 
redeemed  are  also  peculiarly  acceptable  to  God.  "  These  were  redeemed 
from  among  men,  being  the  first-fruits  unto  God  and  to  the  Lamb."  As, 
under  the  old  economy,  the  first-^its  of  the  field  were  an  acceptable  offer- 
ing, so  in  heaven,  the  redeemed  are  the  first-fruits  unto  God  and  to  the 
Lamb.  The  redeemed  are  also  without  guile  and  without  fault.  ''And  in 
their  mouth  was  found  no  guile:  for  they  are  without  fault  before  the 
throne  of  God."  They  are  not  hypocrites ;  they  are  what  they  profess  to 
be,  the  followers  of  the  Lamb. 

These  are  they  who  are  the  members  of  the  heavenly  congregation' 
They  are  they  who  keep  themselves  pure  from  the  lusts  of  the  flesh ;  who 
are  willing  to  follow  the  Lamb  always  and  everywhere ;  who  are  without  guile 
and  without  fault.  They  are  a  pure,  and  obedient,  and  faultless  congrega- 
tion. Of  course  this  does  not  mean  that  they  were  always  such,  but  that 
through  redeeming  grace  they  have  become  such  by  washing  their  robes, 


316  LBCTUEE  XL. 

and  chariots  of  fire,  so  that  those  who  are  for  him  are  more  than  those  who 
are  against  him.  Then  let  no  one  who  preaches  the  gospel,  whether  ordained 
minister,  or  Sahbath  school  teacher,  or  parent,  or  friend,  grow  faint-hearted, 
for  the  angels  are  his  helpers. 

The  next  thing  which  attracts  our  notice  is  the  fact  that  this  angel  was 
fijing  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  or  rather  in  mid-air.  This  shadows  forth 
the  fact  that  the  progress  of  the  angel,  or  rather  the  progress  of  that  which 
the  angel  symbolise^,  is  rapid  and  irresistible.  Neither  mountain,  nor  river, 
nor  any  earthly  obstacle  could  hinder  the  angel  in  his  flight ;  so  nothing 
ean  hinder  the  onward  progress  of  the  gospel.  Enemies  might  array  them- 
selves against  it ;  devils  and  men  might  combine  in  persecuting  its  friends ; 
but  when  the  fullness  of  time  has  come,  it  will  go  through  the  world  as  if 
borne  on  angels*  wings. 

The  next  thing  which  attracts  our  attention  is  that  which  the  angel  car- 
ried. It  was  the  gospel,  the  good  news,  the  glad  tidings.  It  was  the  same 
good  news  which  the  heavenly  host  proclaimed  to  the  shepherds  of  Beth- 
lehem :  ''  Olory  to  God  in  the  highest ;  on  earth  peace,  good  will  to  men." 
It  was  the  same  good  news  which  the  Saviour  and  his  apostles  preached  ; 
the  same  good  news  which  has  been  preached  ever  since,  wherever  the  stoiy 
of  the  cross  has  been  told,  whether  in  the  wilderness,  or  in  the  cathedral, 
or  in  the  chape),  or  in  the  Sabbath  school,  or  in  the  home ;  the  same  good 
news  which  has  filled  so  many  souls  with  everlasting  joy  ;  the  same  good 
news  which  in  the  future  is  to  be  published  in  every  land  and  at  every  fire- 
side. This  gospel  is  the  everlasting  gospel.  It  took  its  rise  in  the  eternal 
counsels  of  the  Oodhead  ;  it  remains  unchanged  through  all  the  ages ;  it 
endures  to  the  remotest  end  of  eternity. 

The  next  thing  which  attracts  our  attention  is  those  to  whom  the  angel 
brings  the  everlasting  gospel.  It  is  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth — ^to 
men  of  eveiy  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people.  The  gospel 
is  not  to  be  confined  to  the  region  about  Jerusalem,  or  to  any  particular 
locality  on  the  earth.  Every  continent  and  every  island,  every  city  and 
every  hamlet,  ^'  from  Greenland's  icy  mountains  to  India's  coral  strand," 
shall  hear  the  joyfiil  sound ;  and  the  gospel  will  be  preached  to  all  classes 
of  men,  without  reference  to  rank  or  race.  Those  who  till  the  soil,  and 
those  who  plow  the  deep ;  those  who  sit  on  thrones,  and  those  who  serve ; 
those  who  are  honored  in  the  very  centres  of  learning,  and  those  whose 
studies  are  the  desert  and  the  forest,  all  shall  listen  with  obedient  hearts  to 
the  proclamation  of  the  everlasting  gospel. 

The  next  thing  which  attracts  our  notice  is  the  message  of  the  gOBpel 
which  the  angel  brings.  In  this  message  there  is  a  threefold  command  and 
a  reason  why  this  command  should  be  obeyed.  The  command  is,  '^  fear,'* 
"  glorify,"  "worship"  the  one  God,  who  is  the  creator  of  all  things.  The 
three  parts  of  this  command  are  so  similar  that  they  may  be  considered 


THE  EVERLASTING  GOSPEL.  317 

together.  The  world  worships  many  gods.  In  the  patriarchal  dispensatiOD, 
daring  the  time  when  the  Jewish  people  constituted  the  true  church,  at 
the  time  when  Christ  came,  through  all  the  ages  of  the  Christian  era,  the 
great  mass  of  mankind  were  worshipers  of  idols.  However  much  men 
differed  from  each  other  in  the  place  of  their  residence  and  in  the  manner 
of  their  life,  they  were  alike  in  this  :  they  had  lords  many  and  gods  many. 
And  the  great  message  which  the  gospel  brings  to  men  is,  there  is  but  one 
God,  the  Maker  of  the  heavens,  and  the  earth,  and  the  seas,  and  he  alone 
is  to  be  feared,  glorified  and  worshiped.  He  is  to  be  feared  because  he  is 
terrible  ;  he  is  to  be  glorified  because  he  is  exalted ;  he  is  to  be  worshiped 
because  he  is  divine.  And  the  gospel  does  not  stop  here.  It  not  only 
reveals  the  object  of  worship,  but  also  the  manner  in  which  he  is  to  be  wor- 
shiped ;  that  is,  through  the  atonement  of  Christ.  Though  the  angel  says 
nothing  of  the  atonement  in  his  message,  the  atonement  is  plainly  implied 
in  it;  for  it  is  evident  that  no  man  can  fear,  or  glorify,  or  worship  Ood, 
unless  he  is  acquainted  with  the  plan  of  salvation  through  a  crucified 
Saviour. 

This  is  the  angel's  threefold  command.  The  reason  why  this  command 
should  be  obeyed  is,  ''the  hour  of  his  judgment  is  come.''  The  enemies 
of  the  Lord  may  enjoy — do  enjoy — ^long  seasons  of  prosperity ;  but  when 
th^  divine  purposes  are  fulfilled,  the  Lord  takes  vengeance  upon  those  who 
have  turned  his  glory  into  shame,  and  his  vengeance  is  terrible.  Because 
his  vengeance  is  certain  and  terrible,  is  the  unanswerable  reason  why  men 
should  fear,  and  glorify,  and  worship  him,  for  there  is  no  other  possible  way 
of  escape. 

This  is  the  vision  of  the  angel  of  the  everlasting  gospel.  What  comfort 
it  must  have  brought  to  the  apostle  1  In  his  previous  visions  he  had  seen  the 
gospel  hindered  and  restrained.  Those  who  preached  the  gospel  and  those 
who  believed  the  gospel  were  surrounded  by  powerful  enemies,  and  they 
were  put  to  death  without  mercy.  They  were  but  few  in  number.  They 
were  like  the  two  witnesses  clothed  in  sackcloth  ;  like  the  childless  mother 
in  the  wilderness.  But  this  vision  revealed  it  unto  him  that  the  time  waa 
coming  when  this  gospel  would  be  everywhere  proclaimed,  its  enemies 
would  be  judged,  and  its  friends  would  fill  the  earth.  What  comfort  this 
vision  must  bring  to  us  I  The  world  is  yet  full  of  the  habitations  of  horrid 
cruelty.  Christian  missions  have  as  yet  made  only  a  few  breaches  in  the 
walk  of  heathendom.  Our  prayers  and  our  contributions  seem  to  be  in  vain. 
The  worshipers  of  idols,  the  followers  of  the  false  prophet,  those  who  carry 
in  their  foreheads  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  all  the  other  servants  of 
Antichrist  are  crowding  out  the  everlasting  gospel  from  many  of  the  fairest 
portions  of  the  world.  But  it  shall  not  be  so  always.  The  time  is  coming 
when  the  gospel  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea.  It  is 
true,  the  vision  does  not  reveal  to  us  the  time  when  all  this  is  to  be ;  but 


318  LECTURE   XL. 

it  shall  be,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  If  John  was  comforted 
by  this  vision,  we  should  be  comforted  still  more,  for  the  end  is  eighteen 
hundred  years  nearer  than  it  was  when  he  was  in  Patmos,  and  the  angel  of  the 
everlasting  gospel  must  even  now  be  pluming  his  wings  for  carrying  the 
glad  tidings  to  every  nation,  and  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  that 
dwell  upon  the  earth. 

II.  We  have  the  vision  of  the  angel  who  proclaimed  the  fall  of  Bab- 
ylon.    ''And  there  followed  another  angel,  saying,  Babylon  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of 
the  wrath  of  her  fornication.''    In  this  vision  we  have  the  full  of  Babylon, 
and  the  reason  of  its  fall.  The  fall  of  Babylon  is  proclaimed  in  these  words: 
''  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great  city."   In  the  improved  reading  of 
the  standard  manuscripts,  the  word  ''  city  "  is  omitted.    This  clause  would 
then  be  translated, ''  Fallen,  fallen,  is  Babylon  the  great."    However,  this 
variation  is  not  an  important  one,  and  I  would  not  have  mentioned  it  except 
for  the  fact  that  the  improved  reading  indicates  more  clearly  than  our  version 
does,  that  it  is  mystical  and  not  literal  Babylon,  which  is  here  referred  to. 
Literal  Babylon  was  a  well  known  city  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Euphrates. 
In  the  days  of  its  pride  it  was  the  head  of  the  heathen  world  and  the  great 
enemy  of  the  true  church.     The  Jews  remembered  it  as  the  power  wl)^ch 
had  invaded  their  land  and  laid  their  cities  and  the  holy  temple  in  ruins. 
They  remembered  it  as  the  place  where  they  had  been  captives,  and  where 
they  had  for  seventy  years  hung  their  silent  harps  on  the  willows.    To  the 
Old  Testament  church  Babylon  was  the  emblem  of  all  that  was  proud,  op- 
pressive and  hostile.     But  what  is  meant  by  Babylon  here  and  in  other 
places  in  this  book  ? — for  this  name  occurs  again  and  again  in  subsequent 
visions.     It  certainly  cannot  mean  the  literal  Babylon  of  the  Euphrates, 
for  that  city  had  fallen  long  before  the  days  of  John,  and  according  to 
prophecy  its  glory  was  never  again  to  be  restored.   It  must  therefore  mean 
some  power  which  resembled  ancient  Babylon,  both  in  its  characteristics 
and  in  the  relation  which  it  sustained  to  the  true  church.     Such  a  power 
was  Papal  Rome.     It  was  proud  and  oppressive ;  it  was  the  head  of  all 
opposition  to  spiritual  Israel ;  it  was  the  great  enemy  of  the  true  church. 
There  is  such  a  striking  resemblance  between  Babylon  and  Rome,  that 
Christians  of  all  ages  have  regarded  the  former  as  the  type  of  the  latter, 
and  have  uniformly  understood  the  name  Babylon,  wherever  it  occurs  in 
this  book,  as  referring  to  Rome.  We  are  therefore  to  understand  the  angel 
as  proclaiming  the  downfall  of  the  great  anti-Christian  power  of  Rome. 
The  words,  ''is  fallen,"  are  repeated  to  give  the  proclamation  emphasis.  It 
did  seem,  through  the  long  ages  of  Papal  supremacy,  that  Rome  stood  as 
firm  as  the  seven  hills  upon  which  she  sat.     The  greatest  kings  and  the 
mightiest  nations  were  her  slaves.     She  held  the  hearts  and  consciences  of 


THE   OVERTHROW   OP   BABYLON.  319 

men  in  an  iron  grasp.  To  the  poor,  persecuted  saints,  who  felt  the  weight 
of  that  power,  there  seemed  to  be  no  hope.  To  those  who  lired  in  that 
dark  night,  it  seemed  as  if  there  was  no  promise  of  the  morning.  But  the 
angel  proclaims  the  joyful  tidings  that  the  time  would  come  when  the  light 
would  arise;  when  that  power  would  be  broken ;  when  that  iron  grasp  would 
be  released ;  when  the  mystic  Babylon,  like  her  great  type  beside  the 
Euphrates,  would  crumble  into  ruins,  and  when  the  glad  news  would  be 
shouted  from  land  to  land,  and  from  city  to  city,  and  from  home  to  home, 
"  Fallen,  fallen,  is  Babylon  the  great.'' 

The  second  thing  in  this  vision  is,  the  reason  of  Babylon's  down&ll.  It 
is,  '*  Because  she  made  all  nations  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her 
fornication."  Babylon  is  here  represented,  in  accordance  with  the  usual 
custom  of  sacred  writers,  as  a  female ;  and  she  is  represented  as  a  female 
of  abandoned  character,  holding  in  her  hand  a  cup  of  wine  to  allure  and 
attract  her  lovers.  This  is  an  expressive  figure  by  which  to  describe  a  cor- 
rupt city.  The  language  we  are  now  considering  was  probably  suggested 
by  the  similar  figure  of  Jeremiah  51 :  7,  "  Babylon  hath  been  a  golden  cup 
in  the  Lord's  hand,  that  made  all  the  earth  drunken :  the  nations  have 
dmnken  of  her  wine ;  therefore  the  nations  are  mad."  This  figure  is  one 
which  is  familiar  to  every  reader  of  the  Bible.  The  church  is  the  bride, 
the  Lamb's  wife.  Idolatry,  or  any  unfaithfulness  to  Ood,  is  represented 
as  spiritual  adultery.  The  mystical  Babylon  was  guilty  of  such  idolatry 
and  unfaithfulness.  Therefore,  she  is  pictured  as  holding  in  her  hand  the 
wine  of  fornication.  By  this  wine  she  had  made  the  nations  drunk.  This 
cup  of  fornication  was  one  which  called  down  upon  those  who  drank  of  it 
the  wrath  of  God.  Therefore  it  is  said  to  be  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
fornication. 

All  this  figurative  representation  is  fulfilled  in  Rome.  She  was  guilty 
of  idolatry  and  unfiuthlulnesSy  and  all  manner  of  spiritual  undeanness. 
Through  her  infiuence,  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  led  to  commit  all  the 
sins  of  which  she  was  guilty.  These  sins  called  down  the  wrath  of  God, 
and  though  that  wrath  was  long  delayed,  it  came  at  last  like  a  fearful 
storm.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  proclamation  of  the  second 
angel. 

All  this  must  have  brought  comfort  to  the  apostle.  The  great  enemy  of 
the  church,  whose  rise,  and  progress,  and  triumph  he  had  witnessed  in 
the  vision,  would  be  overthrown.  And  all  this  must  bring  comfort  to  us, 
for  it  points  to  the  time  when  the  Lord's  righteous  indignation  will  be  re- 
vealed against  the  idolatrous  nations,  and  against  her  who  has  ever  been 
their  great  tempter,  and  when  the  intoxicating  wine  of  spiritual  adultery 
will  be  known  on  earth  no  more  for  ever.  It  is  true,  the  vision  does  not 
reveal  to  us  the  time  when  this  shall  be,  but  it  shall  be,  for  the  mouth  of 
the  Lord  hath  spoken  it ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  that  time  is  eighteen 
hundred  years  nearer  than  it  was  when  John  heard  the  proclamation. 


320  LECTURE  XL. 

III.  We  have  the  vision  of  the  angel  who  proclaimed  ihe  punish- 
ment or  THE  WORSHIPERS  OF  THE  BEAST.  ''And  the  third  angel  fol- 
lowed them;  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  If  any  man  worship  the  beast  and 
his  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  forehead,  or  in  his  hand,  the  same 
shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  Grod,  which  is  poured  out  without 
mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ;  and  he  shall  be  tormented  with 
fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence 
of  the  Lamb  :  and  the  smoke  of  their  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and 
ever:  and  they  have  no  rest  day  nor  night,  who  worship  the  beast  and  his 
image,  and  whosoever  receiveth  the  mark  of  his  name."  In  this  vision 
we  have  described,  first,  the  persons  to  be  puni:»hcd,  and  then  the  punish- 
ment which  was  to  be  inflicted  upon  them. 

The  persons  to  be  punished  are  those  who  worship  the  beast  and  who 
receive  his  mark  on  their  hand  or  on  their  forehead.  Of  them  little  need 
be  said  in  the  present  connection,  for  they  have  been  described  in  a  pre- 
vious lecture.  The  beast  is  the  great  Roman  power.  This  church  sets  a 
mark  upon  all  its  members,  that  is,  by  its  peculiar  rites  and  ceremonies,  it 
draws  a  broad  line  of  separation  between  them  and  other  men.  And  now 
the  third  angel  proclaims  that  all  those  who  are  thus  marked  are  to  be 
visited  with  divine  punishment.  There  is,  therefore,  a  very  important 
difference  between  this  vision  and  the  preceding  one.  The  preceding 
vision  foretold  the  overthrow  of  the  church  of  Rome,  considered  as  the 
great  anti-Christian  power;  this  vision  foretells  the  punishment  of  all  the 
individual  members  of  that  church.  The  former  predicts  the  overthrow 
of  the  city  of  Babylon ;  the  latter  predicts  the  destruction  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  that  city. 

Of  course  I  would  not  have  you  understand  me  as  teaching  here,  or  as 
having  taught  in  any  of  my  former  lectures,  that  there  are  not  now,  or  that 
there  never  have  been  any  true  Christians  in  the  church  of  Rome.  On 
the  contrary,  I  believe  that  in  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first 
bom,  there  will  be  some  who  will  be  saved  in  spite  of  the  corruptions  of 
that  corrupt  church.  History  has  preserved  the  names  of  some  who  were 
distinguished  for  their  true  faith  and  holy  lives ;  and  we  may  well  believe 
that  there  were  many  whose  names  have  not  been  preserved.  In  our  own 
days,  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  those  who  call  themselves  ''  old  catho* 
lies,"  show  that  there  are  some  who,  in  the  judgment  of  true  charity,  must 
be  regarded  as  heirs  of  salvation.  But  they  are  few,  and  they  always  have 
been  few  in  comparison  with  the  hundreds  of  thousands  who  worshiped 
the  beast ;  so  few  that  if  they  were  all  removed  they  would  hardly  be 
missed  in  the  great  multitude.  And  it  is  to  the  great  multitude,  and  not 
to  the  few  exceptions,  that  the  proclamation  of  the  angel  refers. 

Their  punishment  is  described  as  drinking  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God.     The  figure  seems  to  be  that  of  the  executioner,  compelling  the 


THE  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  FOLLOWERS  OF  THE  BEAST.         321 

condemned  prisoner  to  drink  poison.  The  wrath  of  Ood  is  deadly  poison. 
Those  who  drink  it  must  die,  and  die  in  terrihle  agony.  His  enemies 
mnst  drink  it,  for  he  is  omnipotent,  and  no  one  can  dash  the  cup  from  his 
hand.  By  this  fignre,  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  is  often  described  in 
the  inspired  Scriptures.  The  cup  of  the  Lord  is  a  cup  of  astonishment,  a 
cup  of  trembling,  a  cup  of  fury,  a  cup  of  red  wine.  In  the  present  in- 
stance, the  angel  proclaims  that  the  worshipers  of  the  beast  shall  drink  of 
the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God.  This  punishment  will  be  without  mercy 
or  mitigation.  It  is  "  poured  out  without  mixture  "  into  the  cup  of  his 
indignation.  The  wine  of  his  wrath  will  not  be  diluted  ;  it  will  be  poured 
out  in  its  full  strength.  When  we  remember  how  sore  are  the  punishments 
of  Ood,  even  when  mingled  with  mercy,  as  they  generally  are  in  the 
present  life,  how  much  sorer  will  they  be  when  they  are  poured  out  with- 
out mercy ! 

This  punishment  will  be  severe.  The  worshipers  of  the  beast  '^  shall  be 
tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the  presence  of  the  holy  angels  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb."  Certainly  this  is  not  to  be  understood 
literally.  Like  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  it  is  a  figure  ;  and  it  is  a 
figure  which  is  full  of  meaning.  The  imagery  is  borrowed  from  the 
dwtruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  whose  burning  is  regarded  as  a 
symbol  of  the  punishment  of  the  wicked.  Therefore,  throughout 
the  Scriptures,  the  enemies  of  God  are  represented,  after  death,  as  being 
tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone.  This  figurative  language  describes  a 
severe  punishment.  We  cannot  conceive  a  sorer  punishment  than  that 
which  fell  upon  the  cities  of  the  plain ;  we  cannot  conceive  of  a  more  hor- 
rible death  than  one  which  comes  through  fire  and  brimstone.  If  the 
worshipers  of  the  beast  are  to  be  punished  as  with  fire  and  brimstone, 
their  punishment  will  be  severe.  And  the  fact  that  their  punishment  is 
in  the  presence  of  the  angels  and  of  the  Lamb  increases  its  severity. 
When  the  punished  look  upon  the  joy  of  the  holy  angels  which  they  might 
have  shared,  and  upon  the  Lamb  whom  they  slighted  and  rejected,  it  will 
multiply  their  agony  and  augment  their  suffering. 

SUll  further,  their  punishment  will  be  eternal.  <<  The  smoke  of  their 
torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever."  The  words  ^'  for  ever  and  ever" 
point  to  a  duration  which  has  no  end.  Men  may  try  to  explain  away  their 
obvious  meaning,  but  how  can  eternity  be  better  described  than  by  the 
words  '^  for  ever  and  ever,"  and  by  the  similar  expressions  which  are  to  be 
found  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures  ?  The  smoke  ascending  for  ever,  points 
to  a  punishment  which  has  no  end. 

But  this  is  not  all.     Their  punishment  will  be  unceasing.     ''  They  have 

no  rest  day  nor  night."     What  a  contrast  do  these  words  suggest  between 

the  punishments  of  the  present  and  those  of  the  ftiture  I     Here  rest  comes 

now  and  ^then  to  the  sufferer.     The  prisoner  in  his  cell^  the  slave  in  his 

21 


322  LECTURE  XL. 

toils,  the  mourner  in  his  sorrow,  the  siok  in  his  weariness,  all  forget  their 
suffering  in  the  blessed  sleep  which  God  gives  to  lighten  our  burdens. 
There  can  be  no  earthly  pain  which  will  not  sooner  or  later  find  relief, 
either  in  the  luxury  of  sleep  or  in  the  rest  of  the  grave.  The  bitterest 
ingredient  in  the  punishment  of  the  future  is,  that  it  will  know  no 
rest.  There  will  be  no  sleep  with  its  moments  of  forgetfulness ;  there  will 
be  no  grave  with  its  dreamless  slumber.  And  yet  there  are  men  who 
dread  every  form  of  bodily  suffering,  but  thev  are  willing  to'  go  down 
without  a  fear  and  without  a  shudder  to  tne  unceasing  suffering  of 
eternity. 

All  this  must  have  brought  comfort  to  the  apostle,  and  it  must  bring 
comfort  to  us,  if  we  are  friends  of  God.  The  enemies  of  Qoi  and  of  bis 
church,  however  powerful  they  may  be  now,  will  be  punished.  It  is  not 
revealed  in  the  vision  when  this  punishment  will  be^n,  but  it  will  begin, 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it,  and  its  beginning  is  eighteen 
hundred  years  nearer  than  when  the  seer  of  Patmos  saw  his  vision. 

lY.  In  the  last  place,  we  have  the  exhortation  to  patisnoe  till 
these  visions  are  fulfilled.  ^'  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints :  here 
are  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God,  and  the  faith  of  Jesus"  , 
or  rather,  according  to  the  improved  reading,  which  is  decidedly  to  be  pre- 
ferred, ^*  here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints,  who  keep  the  commandments 
of  God  and  the  faith  of  Jesus."  The  saints  are  here  described  by  their 
two  great  and  unfailing  characteristics.  They  are  those  who  have  faith 
in  Christ,  and  who  show  their  faith  by  holy  obedience  to  the  command- 
ments of  Gtod,  Such  obedient  and  believing  saints  will  be  brought  oat  of 
their  great  tribulations  at  last,  but  they  must  wait,  wait  till  their  enemies 
have  filled  their  cup  of  wrath  to  the  brim,  wait  till  their  enemies 
are  punished,  wait  tOl  the  purposes  of  God  are  accomplished.  This  they 
are  willing  to  do,  for  they  have  unbounded  confidence  in  the  wisdom,  and 
love,  and  power  of  their  God.  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints,  a 
patience  which  has  been  manifested  in  all  the  centuries  of  the  past,  which 
is  being  manifested  now,  and  which  will  continue  to  be  manifiasted  till  the 
Lord  is  revealed  from  heaven.  Such  patient  waiting  will  be  rewarded,  for 
it  will  see  the  gospel  preached  to  every  nation  under  the  heaven,  Babylon 
overthrown,  and  the  enemies  of  God  destroyed. 

We  may  not  conclude  without  warning  all  against  exposing  themaelvas 
to  the  wrath  of  God,  which  has  been  revealed  from  heaven  against  all 
unrighteousness.  These  words  should  ring  in  the  ears  of  every  impenitent 
one  till  they  bring  him^to  the  cross :  ''  The  enemies  of  God  shall  drink  of 
the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into 
the  cup  of  his  indignation.'* 


THE  BLESSSDNB8B  OV  THB  BELISVINQ    DEAD.  323 


LECTURE    XLI. 


THE  BLESSEDNESS  OF  THE  BELIEVING  DEAD—THE  FINAL 

HARVEST— THE  LAST  VINTAGE. 

And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  "Write,  Blessed  are  the 
dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth:  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  thev 
mav  rest  from  their  labours ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them.  And  I  looked, 
and  behold,  a  white  cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud  one  sat  like  unto  the  Son  of  man, 
having  on  his  head  a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another 
angel  came  out  of  the  temple,  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the 
cloud.  Thrust  in  thy  sickle,  and  reap :  for  the  time  is  come  for  thee  to  reap ;  for 
the  harvest  of  the  mth  is  ripe.  And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud  thrust  in  his 
sickle  on  the  earth  ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped.  And  another  angel  came  out  of 
the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle.  And  another 
angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  which  had  power  over  fire ;  and  cried  with  a 
loud  cry  to  him  that  had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying.  Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle, 
and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine'  of  the  earth ;  for  her  grapes*are  fully  ripe. 
And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the  earth,  and  gathered  the  vine  of  the 
earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  Grod.  And  the  wine- 
press was  trodden  without  the  city,  and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even 
unto  the  horse-bridles,  bv  the  space  of  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  ftirlongs. 
— B«v.  14 :  ia-20. 

Listen  to  the  words  of  Isaiah's  Tiaion,  and  place  them  in  eontrast  with 
the  words  which  begin  the  snbject  of  the  present  lectare:  ^'The  voice 
•aid,  Cry.  And  he  said.  What  shall  I  cry  ?  All  flesh  is  grass,  and  all  the 
goodliness  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the  field :  the  grass  witheieth,  the 
flower  flideth ;  because  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  bloweth  upon  it :  surely  the 
people  is  grass.  The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth :  but  the  word  of 
our  God  shall  stand  forever.*'  Now  listen  to  John's  record:  ''And  I  heard 
a  voice  from  heaven,  saying  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 
in  the  Lord  firom  henceforth :  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from 
their  labors;  and  their  works  do  follow  them."  The  prophet's  vision  was 
from  the  earth ;  the  apostle's  was  from  heaven.  The  prophet  was  oom- 
manded  to  cry ;  the  apostle  was  commanded  to  write,  as  if  his  revelation 
was  more  important  and  more  permanent  The  prophet's  language  pro- 
claims the  mortality  of  the  living;  the  apostle's  language  proclaims  the 
immortality  and  blessedness  of  the  dead.  The  prophet's  words  point  only 
to  the. grave ;  the  apostle's  words  point  to  the  rest  which  is  beyond.  And 
let  it  be  remembered  that  this  revelation  to  the  apostlei  like  all  the  other 
revelations  of  this  chapter,  was  designed  to  comfort  him  in  view  of  the 
dark  and  gloomy  visions  he  had  already  seen,  and  which  he  was  yet  to 
see.  Remembering  this,  let  us  turn  to  the  consideration  of  the  blessedness 
of  the  faithful  dead.  * 


324  LBOTUBE  XLI. 

I.  In  the  revelation  of  THE  blessedness  of  the  faithful  dead, 
which  is  contained  in  verse  13,  there  are  two  main  points  which  claim  our 
attention,  viz:  Who  are  blessed?  And  wherein  does  their  blessedness 
consist? 

1.  Who  are  blessed?  The  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord.  It  most  not  be 
overlooked  that  they  are  declared  blessed,  not  by  John  or  by  any  mere  man, 
who  may  be  deceived  or  mistaken.  Nor  are  they  declared  blessed  by  any 
of  the  holy  angels,  who  were  permitted  to  reveal  the  destruction  of  Grod's 
enemies  and  the  great  harvest  and  vintage  at  the  end  of  the  world.  The 
blessedness  of  the  believing  dead  is  declared  by  a  voice  from  heaven,  as  if 
from  the  throne  of  the  Highest^  a  voice  which  the  Holy  Spirit  tells  us  is 
*^  yea  and  amen."  The  words  which  this  voice  uttered  were  to  be  recorded 
for  the  permanent  instruction  and  comfort  of  the  church  through  all  the 
ages  of  its  history.  We  might  think  the  living,  and  those  who  were  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  full  vigor  of  health  happy,  but  this  voice  from  heayen 
reveals  the  fact  that  the  dead  are  blessed.  How  can  this  be  ?  Nothing  is 
more  unnatural  or  sorrow^l  than  death.  Death  puts  an  end  to  the  joys  of 
the  present  life.  It  removes  our  friends  from  us  and  us  from  our  friends.  It 
brings  tears  to  our  eyes,  loneliness  to  our  homes,  and  anguish  to  our  hearts. 
It  opens  the  door  to  the  cold  and  cheerless  grave,  and  then,  after  the 
precious  dust  has  been  laid  therein,  it  shuts  and  locks  the  door  for  ever. 
How  then  can  it  be  true  that  the  dead  are  blessed?  Because  death  puts  an 
end  to  the  sorrows  and  persecutions  and  sufferings  of  ihe  present;  be- 
cause in  the  grave  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling,  and  the  weary  are  at 
rest.  Believing  all  this^  we  might  feel  that  it  would  be  a  blessed  thing  to 
die.  But  this  is  not  what  the  voice  from  heayen  teaches.  It  does  not 
proclaim  the  blessedness  of  all  the  dead.  *'  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die 
in  the  Lord."  The  Scriptures  neyer  pronounce  the  wicked  who  die  an  their 
sins  blessed  or  happy.  The  religion  of  the  New  Testament  carefully  guards 
this  point,  and  declares  with  unmistakable  plainness  that  only  those  dead 
are  blessed  who  die  in  the  Lord.     What  is  it  to  die  in  the  Lord  ? 

There  are  three  expressions  to  describe  the  different  relations  which  men 
sustain  to  the  Saviour.  They  may  be  ''without  Christ,"  that  is,  in  a  state 
of  nature ;  they  may  be  "  in  Christ,"  that  is,  in  a  state  of  grace ;  they 
may  be  ''with  Christ,"  that  is,  in  a  state  of  glory.  In  one  or  other  of 
these  conditions  every  man  must  be.  He  must  be  either  without  Christ,  or 
in  Christ,  or  with  Christ.  These  expressions,  when  placed  side  by  side, 
will  help  us  to  understand  what  is  meant  by  the  phrase,  "  in  Christ."  To 
be  in  Christ  is  to  have  some  proper  sense  of  our  sinfulness,  to  accept  Christ 
as  oiir  Saviour,  and  to  rest  upon  him  alone  for  salvation  ;  to  be  in  Christ 
is  to  be  united  to  him  by  a  living  &ith,  a  tie  which  nothing — not  even 
death  itself— can  break.  Therefore  the  expressioni  "  in  Christ,"  means 
something  more  than  to  fdllow  Christ.  The  antediluvian  sinner  might  have 


THS  BLESBEDI7ESB  OF  THE  BELIEVINQ  DEAD.  825 

Mowed  the  ark  by  swimming  softer  it ;  he  might  have  buffeted  the  waves 
for  hours ;  but  only  those  who  were  in  the  ark  were  saved.  A  manslayer 
might  be  near  the  city  of  refuge ;  he  might  be  able  almost  to  touch  its 
gates ;  but  only  those  who  were  in  the  dty  were  safe.  So  a  man  may  follow 
Christ ;  but  if  he  would  be  saved,  he  must  be  in  Christ.  And  those  who 
are  thus  in  Christ  will  live  in  Christ ;  that  is,  they  will  show  by  their 
thoughts,  and  words,  and  actions,  that  they  are  one  with  Christ.  And 
those  who  thus  live  in  Christ  will  die  in  Christ,  and  be  partakers  of  the 
blessedness  which  is  here  promised.  This  is  the  only  way  by  which  such 
a  blessed  death  can  be  reached.  Life^n  the  Lord  must  always  precede  death 
in  the  Lord ;  and  death  in  the  Lord  must  always  follow  life  in  the  Lord. 
I  may  not,  I  cannot  set  any  limits  to  the  duration  of  that  life.  It  may  be 
for  many  years  of  faithful  labor,  like  the  life  of  John  the  beloved ;  or  it 
may  be  for  only  an  hour  or  two,  like  the  life  of  the  penitent  thief  on  the 
cross.  But  if  a  man  would  die  in  the  Lord,  he  must  first,  ibr  a  longer  or 
a  shorter  period,  live  in  the  Lord.  It  is  not  merely  or  mainly  a  man's  dying 
experience  which  gives  comfort  and  hope,  but  his  manner  of  life.  We 
often  manifest  too  great  anxiety  to  know  how  our  iriends  may  have  died, 
and  to  hear  what  their  dying  testimony  was.  If  we  would  reach  true  com- 
fort, the  question  is  not.  How  did  he  die  ? — but  How  did  he  live  ?  For 
those  who  live  in  the  Lord,  be  their  divine  life  long  or  short,  will  die  in 
the  Lord ;  and  those  who  die  in  the  Lord  will  inherit  blessedness.  If  we 
would  experience  a  blessed  death,  we  must  in  life  become  united  to  Christ 
by  a  living  faith. 

The  voice  from  heaven  also  proclaims  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die 
in  the  Lord  from  henceforth.'*  These  words,  ^'  from  henceforth,"  have  been 
explained  in  many  different  ways.  Though  I  would  not  speak  positively, 
the  best  explanation  seems  to  be  the  one  suggested  by  our  version.  All 
those  who  died  in  the  Lord  from  that  time  forward  were  to  be  peculiarly 
blessed.  Of  course  this  does  not  ,mean  that  those  who  died  in  the  Lord 
before  that  time  were  not  blessed.  All  such  dead,  at  their  death,  at  once 
entered  into  glory.  It  means  that  those  who  died  in  the  Lord  from  that 
time  forward  were  peculiarly  blessedi  Wherein  does  their  peculiar  blessed- 
ness consist  ?  It  consists,  in  the  first  place,  in  this :  under  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation there  are  clearer  revelations  of  the  way  of  life  and  immortality 
than  ever  before.  We  understand,  far  better  than  the  prophets  and  pa- 
triarchs did,  how  Ood  can  be  just  and  ihe  justifier  of  the  believer.  We 
understand,  far  better  than  they  did,  what  Qod  has  in  store  for  them  that 
love  him.  Therefore,  with  greater  confidence  and  joy  than  they,  we  can  go 
down  to  meet  the  king  of  terrors.  But  this  proclamation  of  blessedness, 
''  from  henceforth,''  points  especially  to  the  long  period  of  sore  persecution 
upon  which  the  church  was  then  entering.  The  saints  would  find  little 
pleasure  in  life.   They  would  be  driven  from  their  homes ;  they  would  be 


326  LBCTURE  XLI. 

fagidveB  in  tbe  wilderness  ;  they  would  be  hunted  upon  the  mountains ; 
they  would  be  cast  into  prison ;  they  would  be  daily  exposed  to  death  in 
its  most  cruel  forms.  While  such  sore  persecutions  surrounded  them,  it 
would  be  better  to  die  than  to  live ;  it  would  be  more  blessed  to  go  home 
to  glory  than  to  remain  on  earth,  where  were  fightings  without  and  fean 
within.  And  to  this  day,  those  who  have^  experienced  the  bitterness  of 
life's  trials  and  the  malignity  of  Satan's  temptations,  are  able  to  say,  *^  I 
am  ready  to  depart'* ;  <'  to  depart  and  be  with  Christ  is  far  better."  Blessed 
are  they  who  live  in  the  gospel  dispensation,  the  "  henceforth  "  of  which 
the  Toioe  from  heaven  spake.  Their  privileges  are  greater,  their  revelalions 
are  clearer,  their  death  is  easier,  than  were  those  of  patriarchs  and  prophets. 
In  them  has  been  Adfilled  the  proclamation  which  John  heard  on  Patmos, 
^^  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth." 

2.  These,  then,  are  the  blessed.  They  are  all  the  dead  who  die  in  the 
Lord,  but  especially  those  who  die  under  the  gospel  dispensation.  It  was 
a  voice  from  heaven  which  proclaimed  their  blessedness.  By  whom  that 
voice  was  uttered,  we  are  not  informed ;  nor  is  it  a  matter  of  importance, 
for  this  voice  was  endorsed  and  confirmed  by  the  Spirit :  '*  Yea,  aaith  the 
Spirit."  Wherein  doei  their  blessedness  consist?  They  are  blessed  in 
immortal  life,  for  death  shall  never  touch  them  more.  They  are  blessed  in 
eternal  happiness,  for  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  away  from  their  eyes.  They 
are  blessed  in  freedom  from  condemnation,  for  'who  shall  lay  anything  to 
the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?  They  are  blessed  in  the  society  of  the  saints, 
for  they  join  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first-bom,  and  meet 
again  with  the  loved  ones  who  have  gone  before.  They  are  blessed  in 
the  fellowship  of  the  Saviour,  for  they  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he 
goeth. 

Only  two  elements  of  their  blessedness  are,  in  the  words  we  are  now 
comddering,  thought  worthy  of  special  mention.  The  first  is, ''  they  rest 
from  their  labors."  This  life  is  a  life  of  toil.  Labor  with  the  head  or 
hand  is  the  universal  law  of  this  world.  From  the  beginning,  when  it  was 
said,  ^4n  the  sweat  of  thy  brow  shalt  thou  eat  bread,"  to  the  end  of  the 
present  order  of  things,  dwellers  on  the  earth  must  live  under  the  di^n- 
sation  of  work.  We  must  labor  to  supply  the  bodily,  and  mental,  and 
spiritual  wants  of  ourselves  and  others.  No  sooner  is  one  task  finished 
than  another  calls  for  our  attention.  Every  morning  brings  its  own  labors, 
and  every  evening  its  own  weariness.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  weary 
workers  on  the  earth  long  for  rest  ?  And  is  it  any  wonder  that  the  word 
of  Qod  meets  this  longing  by  revealing  heaven  as  a  place  of  rest  ?  *' There 
remaineth  therefore  a  rest  for  the  people  of  God,"  where  ^*they  may  rest 
from  their  labors."  But  these  revelations  do  not  mean  that  the  heavenly 
state  will  be  one  of  idleness.  The  redeemed  will  have  their  employments; 
though  what  their  employments  will  be,  we  cannot  say,  except  that  in 


THE  FINAL  HARVXBT.  327 

everytliiiig  they  will  glorify  and  eojoy  the  Lord.  But  though  the  redeemed 
rest  not  day  nor  night  in  their  heavenly  employments,  they  will  know  no 
iatigue  or  weariness.  Therefore,  it  can  be  said  of  them,  that  they  rest  from 
their  labors.  This  revelation  of  the  blessedness  of  heaven  falls  like  a  benedic- 
tion upon  our  bodies  and  souls,  weary  and  worn  with  the  ceaseless  toils  of 
the  present  existence. 

The  second  element  of  their  blessedness  which  has  been  thought  worthy 
of  special  mention  is,  *<  their  works  do  follow  them."  That  is,  the  rewards 
or  consequences  of  their  works  will  accompany  them  to  heaven,  and  stand 
by  their  side  before  the  throne  of  judgment.  ThiB  truth  is  taught  in  many 
pUicea  in  the  word  of  God.  In  the  Saviour's  description  of  the  judgment, 
he  tells  us  that  the  Judge  will  say  to  those  in  his  presence,  '^  inasmuch  as 
ye  did  it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  to  me";  'inas- 
much as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not 
to  me."  The  same  divine  lips  counsel  us  to  ''make  for  ourselves  fHends 
by  means  of  the  mammon  of  unrighteousness,  that  when  we  fail  they  may 
receive  us  into  everlasting  habitations."  And  we  are  told  again  and  agaioy 
that  on  that  day  every  man  will  be  judged  "  according  to  the  deeds  done  in 
the  body,"  "according  to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil.'^ 
These  passages  do  not  teach  us  that  our  deeds  will  be  the  ground  of  our 
acquittal  or  condemnation,  but  that  they  will  be  the  witnesses  and  evidences 
of  our  fiiith  or  unbelief,  according  as  they  are  good  or  evil.  This  is  the 
province  of  good  works.  A  man  cannot  take  with  him  to  eternity  his  gold, 
or  his  silver,  or  his  lands ;  all  he  can  take  will  be  his  character,  which  is  the 
result  of  his  conduct  here.  It  is  well  for  us  to  remember  that  in  this  respect 
our  future  life  is  only  the  prolongation  of  the  present  life.  Our  works, 
whether  they  are  good  or  evil,  will  follow  us,  and  they  will  color  oar  whole 
existence  to  the  remotest  period  of  eternity. 

This  revelation  was  designed  to  comfort  the  apostle,  and  it  is  designed  to 
comfort  us.  In  the  midst  of  the  persecutions,  and  labors,  and  weariness  of 
this  life,  we  know  that  there  remaineth  a  rest  beyond.  Why  should  we  be 
afraid  to  die  ?  We  may  forget  the  bitterness  and  agony  of  death  when  we 
remember  the  blessedness  into  which  it  ushers  the  departing  soul.  This 
y(Hce  of  God  has  sounded  down  through  the  centuries,  comforting  unnum- 
bered hearts,  wiping  tears  from  unnumbered  eyes,  sustaining  unnumbered 
dying  saints,  and  throwing  the  light  of  immortality  into  unnumbered  graves : 
"Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth:  Yea,  saith 
the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  God  grant  that  this  blessedness  may  be  ours,  and  that  we  may 
be  found  worthy  to  have  these  words  pronounced  over  our  sleeping  dust. 

II.  We  have  the  vision  of  the  final  habvest.  "  And  I  looked, 
and  behold,  a  white  cloud,  and  upon  the  cloud  one  sat  like  unto  the  Son  of 


328  LVCTURB  XLI. 

■ 

man,  hayiog  on  bis  head  a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle. 
And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple,  crying  with  a  loud  voice  to  him 
that  sat  on  the  doud,  Thrust  in  thy  sickle,  and  reap  :  for  the  time  is  come 
for  thee  to  reap  ;  for  the  harvest  of  the  earth  is  ripe.  And  he  that  sat  on 
the  cloud  thrust  in  his  sickle  on  the  earth ;  and  the  earth  was  reaped." 
In  this  vision,  we  have  described  the  reaper,  the  command  to  reap,  and  the 
reaping.  The  end  of  the  world  is  so  often  described  under  the  figure  of  a 
harvest,  and  this  figure  is  so  fimiiliar  to  us  all,  that  it  will  require  little 
explanation. 

1.  The  reaper  is  the  Son  of  man,  that  is,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He 
is  to  go  forth  at  the  end  of  time  to  close  up  the  affairs  of  the  world.  In 
gathering  the  ripened  sheaves  for  the  gamer  of  heaven,  he  will  employ  the 
instrumentality  of  the  angels ;  for  we.  are  told  in  the  parable  that  "  the 
reapers  are  the  angels.''  But  it  will  all  be  done  at  his  command  and  by 
his  direction  ;  therefore,  it  is  correct  to  represent  him  as  the  reaper  in  the 
final  har«re8t.  He  shall  come  that  day  on  a  doud  of  dazzling  whiteneBS. 
This  accords  with  other  passages  of  Scripture.  The  Saviour  himself  says, 
'*  hereafter  ye  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the  ri^t  hand  of  power 
and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.''  On  the  mount  of  Olivet  the  angels 
sud  to  the  disciples,  who  had  seen  the  Saviour  ascend  in  the  doud,  '^  this 
same  Jesus  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  havlB  seen  him  go  into 
heaven.''  Paul  tells  us  that  those  who  are  alive  on  that  day, ''  shall  be 
caught  up  with  them  in  the  clouds."  And  in  this  book  we  are  told  **  be- 
hold he  cometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him."  In  accordance 
with  these  representations,  he  appeared  to  John  in  this  vision.  He  looked, 
and  saw  a  white  cloud,  and  on  the  cloud  one  sat  like  the  Son  of  man.  He 
who  sat  on  the  cloud  had  a  golden  crown  on  his  head  and  a  sharp  sickle 
in  his  hand ;  for  on  that  day  the  Lord  Jesus  will  appear,  not  as  a  prophet 
to  instruct  his  people,  not  as  a  priest  to  make  atonement  for  them,  but  as 
a  king  to  gather  them  to  himself  and  to  rule  over  them  for  ever.  As  a 
symbol  of  this,  he  carries  in  his  hand  a  sickle  with  which  to  reap  the 
spiritual  harvest,  and  wears  on  his  head  the  crown  of  universal  authority. 

2.  In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  command  to  reap.  This  command 
was  delivered  by  an  angd,  but  it  was  not  the  angd's  command.  He  came 
out  of  the  temple  which  was  in  heaven ;  that  is,  he  came  out  from  the 
immediate  presence  of  God.  Therefore,  we  are  to  understand  this  com- 
mand to  be  the  command  of  Ood.  It  is  God  the  Father  who  gives  the 
Son  authority  to  reap  the  harvest  of  the  world.  It  is  Otod  the  Father  who 
announces  that  the  harvest  of  the  world  is  ripe,  and  that  the  time  for 
reaping  has  come.  This  accords  with  other  passages  of  Scripture.  Christ 
as  Mediator  is  subject  to  the  Father.  It  is  the  Father  who  has  made  him 
head  over  all  things  for  the  church.  Of  the  day  and  the  hour  when  the 
Son  is  to  come  to  reap  the  harvest  of  the  world  knoweth  no  man,  not  even 


THS  LAST  VINTAaS.  829 

the  angels  in  heaven,  but  only  those  to  whom  the  Father  reveals  it.  It 
is  therefore  in  harmony  with  other  Scripture  to  represent  the  Father  as 
announcing  that  the  final  harvest  was  ripe,  and  as  commanding  the  Son  to 
go  forth  and  reap. 

3.  Then  follows  the  reaping.  The  Son  thrasts  in  his  sickle,  and  the 
earth  is  reaped.  It  is,  however,  to  be  noted  that  there  is  an  important 
difference  between  this  vision  and  the  Saviour's  parable  of  the  sower. 
Nothing  is  here  said  of  the  tares  which  are  to  be  gathered  and  burned ; 
the  wheat  only  is  referred  to.  Or  dropping  the  figure,  the  event  we  are 
now  considering  refers  only  to  the  saints  and  their  final  entrance  into  hap- 
piness. The  fiite  and  punishment  of  the  wicked  are  described  in  the  next 
vision. 

This  vision  of  the  harvest,  like  all  the  other  visions  of  thisi  chapter,  was 
designed  to  comfort  the  apostle,  and  it  is  designed  to  comfort  us.  The 
righteous  may  suffer  from  persecution,  and  from  various  forms  of  evil,  but 
there  is  in  the  future  a  glorious  deliverance.  When  the  harvest  of  the 
world  is  fully  ripe,  the  great  reaper  will  go  forth,  and  gathering  all  his 
sheaves,  return  with  joy,  bringing  them  to  the  gamer  of  his  God. 

in.  We  have  the  vision  of  the  final  vintaqb.  "And  another 
angel  came  out  of  the  temple  which  is  in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp 
sickle.  And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  which  had  power  over 
fire  ;  and  cried  with  a  loud  cry  to  him  that  had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying, 
Thrust  in  thy  sharp  sickle,  and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vine  of  the  earth; 
fur  her  grapes  are  fnUy  ripe.  And  the  angel  thrust  in  his  sickle  into  the 
earth,  and  gathered  the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great  wine- 
press of  the  wrath  of  Qod.  And  the  wine-press  was  trodden  without  the 
city,  and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even  unto  the  horse-bridles,  by 
the  space  of  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  furlongs/'  Let.  it  be  remem- 
bered  that  while  the  former  vision  represents  the  final  gathering  and  re- 
ward of  the  righteous,  this  vision  represents  the  final  gathering  and 
punishment  of  the  wicked.  The  parts  of  these  two  visions  correspond 
with  each  other. 

1.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  harvetter.  In  the  former  vision,  the 
Son  of  man  gathers  the  ripened  grain ;  in  this  vision,  an  angel  gathers  the 
ripened  grapes.  This  indicates  that  the  Saviour  will  take  a  direct  and 
active  part  in  bringing  the  righteous  to  their  everlasting  home ;  but  that 
he  will  commission  his  angels  to  bring  the  wicked  to  their  eternal  punish- 
ment. 

2.  There  is  the  command.  In  the  former  vision,  the  command  was 
given  by  an  angel  who  came  out  from  the  heavenly  temple;  in  this 
vision,  the  command  is  given  by  an  angel  who  comes  from  the  heavenly 
altar.     This  angel  was  one  who  had  power  or  authority  over  fire.     Fire  is 


330  LEOTUBB  XLI. 

an  emblem  of  judgment.  The  fire  upon  the  altar,  by  whioh  the  saerifioes 
were  oonsumed)  was  a  constant  reminder  of  the  wrath  of  Grod,  which  the 
sacrifices  were  designed  to  appease.  The  &ot  that  this  command  was  given 
by  the  angel  from  the  altar's  side,  who  had  authority  over  fire,  indicates 
that  this  vision  was  to  be  one  of  judgment  and  wrath.  The  commands  in 
the  two  visions  are  similar.  Both  assert  that  the  harvest  is  ripe,  and  both 
enjoin  the  immediate  thrusting  in  of  the  sickle.  The  only  difference  be- 
tween them  is,  the  former  refers  to  the  ripened  grain,  which  is  to  be  gath- 
ered into  the  gamer  of  God ;  the  latter  refers  to  the  ripened  grapes,  which 
are  to  be  cast  into  the  wine-press  of  wrath. 

3.  We  have  the  luxrvett.  The  grapes  were  gathered,  cast  into  the  wine- 
press and  trodden  without  the  city.  The  treading  of  the  wine-press  is  a 
well  known  and  expressive  emblem  of  vengeance.  In  proof  of  this,  I  need 
only  refer  to  that  beautiful  passage  in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  in  which 
the  question  is  asked  of  the  victorious  Messiah,  *'  Wherefore  art  thou 
red  in  thine  apparel  and  thy  garment  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the 
wine-fat"?  His  reply  is,  "I  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone;  their 
blood  shall  be  sprinkled  upon  my  garments,  and  will  stain  all  my  raiment, 
for  the  day  of  vengeance  is  in  mine  heart,  and  the  year  of  my  redeemed  is 
come."  This  quotation  explains  the  vision  we  are  now  considering,  the 
vision  in  which  the  final  punishment  of  the  wicked  is  described  as  a  tread- 
ing of  the  wine-press.  The  greatness  of  the  destruction  is  represented  by 
the  amount  of  the  blood  of  the  grape  which  flowed  from  the  wine-press. 
It  formed  a  great  lake,  sixteen  hundred  furlongs,  or  two  hundred  miles  in 
length  and  breadth,  and  so  deep  that  it  came  up  to  the  bridles  of  the 
horses.  Some  have  supposed  that  the  space  of  two  hundred  miles  was 
chosen  because  this  was  about  the  length  of  ancient  Palestine;  but  it  seems 
more  probable  that  this  space  was  chosen  simply  to  indicate  that  the  de- 
struction would  be  very  great  Let  us  try  to  realize  in  some  proper  man-, 
ner  the  symbols  of  thb  vision.  The  angel  with  his  sharp  sickle  gathers 
the  ripened  grapes  and  casts  them  into  the  wine-press.  When  the  wine- 
press is  trodden,  the  wine  flows  out  till  it  forms  a  great  lake  two  hundred 
miles  across,  and  so  deep  that  horses  can  hardly  ford  it.  What  a  feaifal 
picture  do  these  symbob  shadow  forth  I  Still  this  representation  of  the 
future  punishment  of  the  wicked  is  no  more  fearful  than  many  others 
contained  in  the  word  of  Ood.  Gh>d  grant  that  none  of  us  may  ever  know 
from  experience  what  this  fearful  punishment  means. 

This  vision,  like  the  other  visions  of  this  chapter,  was  designed  to  com- 
fort the  apostle,  and  to  comfort  us.  Surely,  if  we  are  bringing  forth  the 
fruits  meet  for  repentance,  we  may  look  forward  to  the  flnal  harvest  with 
joy  and  confidence. 

In  this  chapter,  then,  there  are  seven  comforting  visions :  1.  The  Lamb 
and  his  followers,     2.  The  angel  of  the  everlasting  gospel,    3.  The  angei 


PRXPA&ATION   FOR  POURING  OUT  THE  SBVEM  VIALS.  381 

who  proolaim«d  the  downfall  of  Babylon.  4,  The  angel  who  proolaimed 
the  destraetion  of  the  worshipen  of  the  beafit.  5,  The  blessedness  of  the 
fidthfol  dead.  6.  The  final  haryest.  7.  The  final  vintage.  Gathering 
up  the  eomfort  which  these  visions  are  designed  to  impart,  we  will  be  pre- 
pared for  the  dark  and  ^oomy  visions  we  are  yet  to  consider,  and  for 
bearing  np  under  all  the  various  trials  of  our  earthly  pilgrimage.  With 
our  eyes  fixed  upon  the  blessedness  of  the  believing  dead,  and  upon  the 
leeompense  of  the  eternal  future,  we  can  manifest  ihe  patience  of  the  saints, 
who  keep  the  commandments  of  Gh>d  and  the  faith  of  Jesus. 


LECTURE   XLII, 


PREPARATION  FOR  POURING  OUT  THE  SEVEN  VIALS. 

And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvellouB,  seven  angels  bavin 
the  seven  last  plagues;  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God.  And 
saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire :  and  them  that  had  gotten  the 
victory  over  the  heast,  and  over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over  the 
number  of  his  name,  stand  on  the  sea  of  glass,  having  the  harps  of  G^d.  And 
they  sing  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb, 
saying.  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works,  Lord  (3k>d  Almighty ;  just  and 
true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints.  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  0  Lord,  and 
glorify  thy  name  ?  for  thou  only  art  holy :  for  all  nations  shall  come  and  wor- 
ship before  thee  ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest.  And  after  that  I  looked, 
ana,  behold,  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony  in  heaven  was 
opened :  and  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple,  having  the  seven  plagues, 
Clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen,  and  having  their  breasts  girded  with  golden 
girdles.  And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave  unto  the  seven  angels  seven  golden 
vials  full  of  the  wrath  of  God,  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  temple 
was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  glory  of  God,  and  from  his  power ;  and  no  man 
waa  able  to  enter  into  the  temple,  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels 
were  fulfilled.— Rev.  15 : 1-8. 

We  now  begin  the  consideration  of  the  pouring  out  of  the  seven  vials 
vpon  the  earth.  In  order  to  get  a  clear  understanding  of  this  vision,  let 
jiBy  by  a  brief  review,  determine  the  position  which  it  occupies  in  this 
book.  The  first  thing  in  that  part  of  the  Apocalypse  which  relates  to  the 
ibtiiTe  was  the  opening  of  the  seals.  The  symbols  which  appeared  under 
the  opening  of  the  first  six  seals  shadowed  forth  the  prominent  events  in 
(he  history  of  the  world  until  the  fifth  century  of  the  Christian  era.  When 
the  aev^ith  seal  was  opened,  seven  angels  appeared  and  began  to  blow  the 
seven  trumpets  which  had  been  given  to  them.  The  symbols  which  ap- 
peared under  the  first  sik  trumpets  shadowed  forth  the  prominent  events 
in  the  history  of  the  world  from  the  fifth  century  until  the  rise  of  the 
Turkish  power,  and  the  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century.     When  the 


332  LEOTUEB  XLII. 

seyenth  trumpet  was  sounded,  the  history  of  the  centuries  between  the  Be- 
fonnation  and  the  end  of  the  present  order  of  things  is  sununed  up  in  the 
concluding  verses  of  chapter  XL  Then  there  follows  a  new  series  of 
visions,  designed  to  shadow  forth  the  history  of  the  church,  as  the  fonner 
series  was  designed  to  shadow  forth  the  history  of  the  world.  In  this  new 
series,  we  have  the  church  represented  under  the  emblem  of  a  beautiful 
woman,  who  was  compelled  to  hide  ohUdless  and  alone  in  the  wUdemeas ; 
and  the  enemies  of  the  church  represented  under  the  emblems  of  monsters 
of  great  power  and  frightful  appearance.  After  these  representations, 
there  were  visions  which  were  designed  to  comfort  and  cheer  the  apostle. 
After  these  cheering  visions,  which  are  introduced  as  an  interlude,  and 
which  do  not  in  the  least  hasten  the  grand  consummation  towards  whidi 
the  main  incidents  in  this  book  are  tending,  we  have  the  vision  of  the 
seven  vials,  upon  whose  consideration  we  enter  in  the  present  lecture. 

This  vision  is,  I  believe,  a  development  of  the  seventh  trumpet  As  the 
seven  trumpets  were  a  development  of  the  last  seal,  so  the  seven  vials  are 
a  development  of  the  last  trumpet;  that  is,  the  vials  represent  in  greater 
detail  the  events  which  are  briefly  described  under  the  seventh  trumpet 
In  other  words,  the  vision  of  the  vials  takes  up  the  histoiy  of  the  church 
about  the  time  of  the  Reformation  and  carries  it  on  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  Let  this  be  borne  in  mind,  for  if  this  theory  is  correct,  it  will 
help  us  to  understand  the  symbols  which  will  be  made  to  pass  before  our 
eyes.  We  will  have  to  look  for  their  ftdfillment  between  the  Befonnation 
and  the  end  of  the  world — in  the  very  centuries  in  which  we  live. 

In  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  we  have  the  introduction  to  the 
vision  of  the  seven  vials.  We  have  the  preparation  for  the  final  judgment 
on  the  beast,  on  his  image  and  on  his  worshipers.  We  see  the  angels  who 
are  to  execute  this  judgment.  We  see  the  golden  vials  full  of  wrath.  We 
see  these  vials  put  into  the  hands  of  the  angels.  We  hear  the  command 
given  to  them  to  go  forth  and  perform  their  work.  We  see  all  things  get- 
ting ready  for  the  manifestation  of  the  divine  indignation.  The  scene  of 
this  introductory  vision  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  previous  visions.  It  is 
the  celestial  plain  on  which  the  throne  of  God  stood,  on  which  the  four 
beasts  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  redeemed  multitude  and  the 
angelic  host  were  gathered,  and  on  which  the  heavenly  temple  was  builded. 
In  this  vision,  there  are  three  points  to  be  considered :  the  new  wonder  in 
heaven;  the  song  of  those  who,  in  former  days,  had  gained  the  victory  over 
the  beast ;  and  the  final  arrangements  for  executing  the  wrath  of  GKhL  To 
these  points  we  will  turn  our  attention.  Though  this  introductory  vision 
is  not  so  intensely  interesting  as  some  we  have  considered  or  as  some  whioh 
wait  for  consideration,  for  it  does  not  materially  hasten  the  grand  catastro- 
phe, yet  it  is  important  as  it  prepares  the  way  for  a  clear  understanding  of 
the  following  chapter.  Let  us,  then,  endeavor  to  get  it  clearly  and  vividly 
impressed  upon  our  minds. 


PREPARATION  FOR  POURING  OUT  THS  SEVEN   VIALS.  333 

I.  We  have  to  consider  the  new  wonder  which  appeared  in  heaven. 
''And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  marvelons,  seven  angels 
having  the  seven  last  plagues  ]  for  in  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God/' 
That  which  John  saW  was  a  ^'sign,"  an  emblem  of  events  which  were  to 
oooor  in  the  world.  It  was  a  sign  in  heaven,  for  John  had  been  taken  in 
Spirit  to  heaven,  and  from  this  heavenly  standpoint,  he  saw  all  the  events 
which  are  contained  in  this  book.  It  was  a  sign  which  was  *'  great  and 
marvdons."  The  events  which  it  Bhadowed  forth  were  such  as  would 
astonish  and  awe  every  looker  on.  Before  we  finish  our  exposition  of  the 
following  chapter,  it  will  be  seen  that  this  description  is  fully  met.  The 
symbols  which  succeed  one  another  as  vial  after  vial  is  poured  out,  and 
the  events  which  these  symbols  shadow  forth  are  well  calculated  to  fill  the 
mind  with  astonishment.  This  great  and  marvelous  sign  was  seven 
angelB,  having  the  seven  last  plagues.  Whether  these  were  the  same  seven 
angek  who  had  sounded  the  seven  trumpets,  we  are  not  informed,  nor  is 
it  important  to  know.  They  were  the  angels  of  God,  and  what  they  did, 
they  did  by  the  command  of  God.  The  word  translated  "  plagues  "  liter- 
ally means  ^' blows"  or  '^stripes,"  and  it  is  frequently  translated  in  this 
way  in  the  New  Testament,  as  for  example,  where  it  is  said  that  the  ser- 
vant who  knew  his  Lord's  will  and  did  it  not  should  be  beaten  with  many 
stripes.  But  the  word  has  the  secondary  meaning  of  "calamity"  or 
''punishment.'*  This  is,  without  question,  its  meaning  here.  The  plagues 
which  the  angels  had  and  which  they  were  to  be  instrumental  in  inflicting, 
were  calamities  or  punishments  which  Gk>d  would  send  upon  the  beast  and 
his  followers.  And  they  were  the  last  plagues ;  that  is,  the  final  calami- 
ties which  would  terminate  the  power  and  existence  of  the  beast  and  his 
anti-Christian  system.  '*  In  them  is  filled  up  the  wrath  of  God."  These 
calamities  were  to  be  the  fuU  expression  of  the  divine  wrath.  When  they 
were  inflicted  upon  the  beast,  the  divine  wrath  would  be  exhausted  and 
ended,  for  by  them  the  beast  would  be  utterly  overthrown  and  destroyed. 

This  was  the  new  sign  which  John  saw  in  heaven,  a  sign  which 
shadowed  forth  great  and  marvelous  calamities,  which  were  to  be  inflicted 
on  the  beast  by  the  instrumentality  of  the  angels,  and  which  would  be  the 
full  and  final  expression  of  the  divine  wrath  against  that  anti-Christian 
power. 

II.  We  now  pass  to  notice  the  bono  of  these  who,  in  former  days,  had 
gained  the  victory  over  the  beast.  "And  I  saw  as  it  were  a  sea  of  glass 
mingled  with  fire:  and  them  that  had  gotten  the  victory  over  the  beast, 
and  over  his  image,  and  over  his  mark,  and  over  the  number  of  his  name, 
stand  on  the  sea  of  glass,  havbg  the  harps  of  God.  And  they  sing  the 
song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying, 
Great  and  marvelous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty ;  just  and  true 


384  LBOTURS  XLII. 

are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  aaints.  Who  ahaU  not  fear  theoi  O  Lord, 
and  glorify  thy  name?  for  thou  only  art  holy :  for  all  nations  shall  oome 
and  worship  before  thee ;  for  thy  judgments  are  made  manifest." 

The  persons  who  sing  this  song  are  dearly  desoribed.  They  are  those 
who  had  obtained  the  victory  oyer  the  beast,  and  his  image,  and  the  num- 
ber of  his  name ;  for  in  the  improved  reading  of  the  standard  manuscriplB 
the  words,  ''and  over  his  mark/'  are  omitted.  And  they  should  be 
omitted ;  for  the  mark  of  the  beast  was  either  the  image  of  the  beast  or 
his  name,  and  not  something  different  from  them,  as  is  implied  in  our 
version.  The  symbol  of  the  beast  has  already  been  explained.  It  sym- 
bolizes the  gieat  anti-Christian  power  of  Borne.  Its  image  represents  the 
general  councils  of  the  Papal  clmrch,  which  the  dwellers  on  the  earth 
were  required  to  obey,  and  which  put  to  death  all  who  dared  to  disobey. 
The  [name  of  the  beast  is  the  name  by  which  it  was  known,  and  which 
was  represented  by  the  number  666.  All  these  thing?  have  been  explained 
in  previous  lectures.  It  is  well  known  that  that  anti-Christian  power, 
during  the  centuries  which  preceded  the  time  supposed  to  be  referred  to  is 
the  present  vision,  ruled  over  the  world  with  a  rod  of  iron.  The  inhab- 
itants of  every  land  acknowledged  its  authority.  However,  there  were  a 
few  exceptions,  so  few  that  they  are  represented  by  the  two  witnesses  in 
sackcloth,  and  by  the  ohildless  mother  in  the  wilderness.  If  we  examine 
carefully  the  history  of  the  middle  ages,  we  will  find  traces  of  true  saints. 
There  were  the  Albigenses,  and  the  Waldenses,  and  the/  Bohemians,  and 
the  Lollards,  and  a  few  others  scattered  here  and  there  through  the  cities 
of  ^e  world.  History  has  recorded  the  names  of  some  who  were  dis- 
tinguished for  piety  and  holiness;  and  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  there 
were  others  whose  names  have  long  since  been  forgotten.  These  few 
saints  would  not  worship  the  beast.  They  would  not  carry  his  mark  by 
which  his  followers  were  distinguished  f^om  other  men.  Therefore  they 
were  persecuted.  Backs  were  builded  to  torture  them ;  fires  were  kindled 
to  consume  them ;  swords  were  sharpened  to  drink  their  blood ;  but  they 
could  not  be  conquered.  Neither  threatening?,  nor  persecutions,  nor  death 
itself,  could  make  them  yield.  By  faith  in  Jesus  they  obtained  the  victory 
over  the  world  and  the  beast.  It  is  true,  many  of  them  were  killed,  but 
they  were  none  the  less  victors.  They  triumphed,  even  in  death,  over  death 
and  over  their  enemies,  and  in  heaven  they  wear  the  crowns  of  triumph. 

These  are  the  victors  over  the  beast,  and  his  image,  and  the  number  of 
his  name,  who  are  here  spoken  of.  When  they  saw  that  the  divine  wrath 
was  about  to  be  poured  out  upon  the  beast,  and  that  their  great  enemy,  and 
the  great  enemy  of  the  church  and  the  Saviour  was  about  to  be  overthrown, 
is  it  any  wonder  that  they  sang  a  song  of  victory,  which  made  all  heaven 
echo  again  with  its  joyfhl  strains  ?  These  victors,  while  they  sai^,  stood 
upon  the  sea  of  glass.    This  crystal  sea  was  brought  to  our  notice  in  chapter 


PBBPABATION   FOB  POUBINO  OUT  THE  BBVEN  VIALS.  335 

lY  of  dug  book.  FTom  the  description  there  giyen,  it  appean  that  the 
celestial  plain,  on  which  the  throne  of  God  was  set,  was  leyel,  and  firm,  and 
clear,  and  beautifUy  like  a  sea  of  glass.  It  was  on  this  crystal  pavement, 
before  the  throne,  that  the  vietors  stood.  But  this  pavement  was  not  now 
as  dear  as  it  was  in  the  vision  of  chapter  lY.  It  was  colored  with  red, 
as  if  it  had  been  tinged  with  the  reflection  of  fire.  This  leads  us  to  expect 
that  the  coming  vision  will  not  be  one  of  unmixed  mercy,  but  one  of  mercy 
mingled  with  wrath.  These  victors,  who  stood  on  the  crystal  sea  which 
was  even  then  reddening  with  the  ^ow  of  approaching  wrath,  had  in  their 
hands  the  harps  of  Ood.  God  provides  everything  for  his  glorified  saints. 
When  they  enter  heaven  they  will  find  their  thrones,  their  crowns,  and 
their  spotless  robes  waiting  for  their  eoming.  What  a  contrast  there  is 
between  the  present  and  the  past  of  these  heavenly  worshipers !  On  earth 
their  harps  were  silent;  their  tears  and  lamentations  were  many;  their 
songs  of  thanksgiving  were  few ;  bat  now  all  tears  have  been  wiped  away 
from  their  eyes,  and  they  r^oice  with  exceeding  joy.  When  they  had  onoe 
tasted  that  fullness  of  joy,  they  must  have  counted  the  chastisements  of 
earth  as  light  afilictions  which  were  but  for  a  moment. 

The  song  which  they  sang  is  described  as  ^'  the  song  of  Moses  and  the 
Lamb."  ^'  The  song  of  Moses"  1  These  words  carry  us  back  to  Israel's 
deliverance  from  their  Egyptian  pursuers.  The  Israelites  had  crossed  the 
Red  sea,  they  stood  in  safety  on  the  further  shore,  the  waves  of  the  sea 
had  returned  to  their  former  place,  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh  had  all  been 
swallowed  up  in  a  sudden  and  terrible  destruction,  and  Moses  and  his 
followers  lifted  up  their  voices  and  sang  of  the  love  and  power  of  their  God. 
So  these  victors  had  experienced  a  great  deliverance.  They  had  escaped 
irom  a  bondage  worse  than  that  of  Egypt ;  they  had  been  pursued  by 
enemies  more  cruel  and  powerful  than  the  hosts  of  Pharaoh ;  they  had 
passed  through  a  sea  more  terrible  than  that  which  laved  the  sands  of 
Arabia,  even  the  sea  of  death,  whose  freesing  waters  chill  the  body  and 
affiright  the  soul ;  they  stood  on  the  blessed  shores  of  immortality,  and 
looked  down  upon  thdr  enemies  involved  in  the  fearful  plagues  of  God ; 
thtfefore,  like  Moses  and  the  Israelites,  they  lifted  up  their  voices  in  song, 
but  it  was  a  song  grander  than  literal  Israel  ever  knew,  for  it  celebrated  an 
unequaled  victory  and  an  unparalleled  deliverance.  The  circumstances  of 
these  victors  were  so  similar  to  those  of  Israel,  and  their  song  is  so  similar, 
that  it  is  called  the  song  of  Moses.  But  in  their  deliverance  from  their 
daogera,  and  in  their  victory  over  their  enemies,  they  had  a  greater  than 
Moses  for  their  leader.  Their  leader  was  the  Lamb  of  God.  It  was  the 
Lamb  who  went  before  them,  led  them  through  their  difficulties,  brought 
them  through  the  sea  of  death,  and  put  the  words  of  their  song  in  their 
mouth.  Therefore  theb  song  is  Called  not  only  the  song  of  Moses,  but 
also  &e  song  of  the  Lamb. 


386  LEOTUBE  XLII. 

Then  follow  the  very  words  of  their  song,  which  give  ub  some  insight 
into  the  worship  of  heaven.     In  this  song  they  praise  the  Lord,  in  the 
first  place,  for  his  works.    ''  Great  and  marvelous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God 
Almighty."     All  the  works  of  G^  are  great  and  marvelous.     His  works 
of  creation  must  excite  admiration  and  astonishment ;  his  works  of  prov- 
idence are  as  wonderful  as  his  works  of  creation ;  but  his  works  in  the 
redemption  of  his  people  are  more  wonderful  than  any  other.     Look  at  the 
difficulties  to  be  removed.    Look  at  the  enemies  to  be  encountered.     The 
salvation  of  a  single  soul,  involving  as  it  does  the  gift  and  sacrifice  of  Christy 
a  change  of  heart,  and  a  victory  over  Satan,  is  more  wondered  than  the 
creation  of  the  world,  or  the  government  of  the  universe.     The  redeemed' 
in  heaven  will  especially  celebrate  the  redemption  work  of  Gh>d,  which  could 
be  wrought  only  by  the  Lord  Almighty.    It  is  to  this  work  ihe  victors 
refer  when  they  say,  "great  and  marvelous  are  thy  woriss,  Lord  God 
Almighty."     And  in  their  song  they  praise  the  Lord,  in  the  second  place, 
for  his  ways.    "  Just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  saints" ;  or 
rather,  as  it  is  in  ihe  margin  and  in  the  improved  reading  of  the  standard 
manuscripts,  "thou  King  of  nations."     The  ways  of  Gk>d,  here  referred  to, 
are  his  ways  of  dealing  with  his  church,  and  with  the  enemies  of  his  church. 
These  dealings  are  just,  for  God  is  a  Qod  of  justice.     At  times  the  church 
may  be  in  adversity,  and  the  enemies  of  the  church  may  be  in  prosperity, 
but  in  the  end  God's  just  ways  will  be  made  to  appear.     And  God's  ways 
are  true,  true  to  the  principles  he  has  revealed,  and  to  the  promises  he  has 
^ven  in  his  word.     When  the  redeemed  in  heaven  look  back  over  the  way 
by  which  Gfod  has  led  them,  and  over  the  way  he  has  dealt  with  their 
enemies,  they  will  in  their  thanksgiving  have  occasion  to  say  again  and 
again,  ''just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King  of  nations."     In  the  third 
place,  in  their  song  of  praise  they  express  their  confidence  that  as  the 
result  of  God's  dealing  with  Antichrist,  all  men  shall  reverence  and  honor 
the  Lord.    Two  reasons  are  assigned  for  their  confidence.     The  first  is 
because  God  is  holy.    In  the  judgments  he  is  about  to  send  upon  the  earth, 
he  would  show  himself  a  holy  God  and  one  who  hated  sin  with  a  perfect 
hatred;  and  he  would  show  this  so  plainly  and  so  fearfully  that  all  would 
turn  from  their  sinftdness  and  seek  after  holiness.     The  second  reason  for 
their  confidence  that  all  nations  would  come  and  worship  God  is,  because 
his  judgments  are  made  manifest.     When  the  great  system  of  iniquity, 
symbolised  by  the  beast,  would  be  overthrown  by  the  judgments  o£  Gh>d, 
the  nations  would  see  that  God  was  the  only  proper  object  of  worship^  and 
they  would  turn  away  from  every  false  god  and  worship  the  Lord  alone. 
And  when  the  victors  foresaw  the  terrible  judgments  which  would  manifest 
the  holiness  of  God  in  the  sight  of  the  dwellers  on  the  earth,  they  knew 
that  every  one  would  fear  and  glorify  the  Lord,  and  that  all  nations  would 
come  and  worship  at  his  feet.     Knowing  this,  they  sang  with  glad  hearts 
of  the  glorious  day  which  was  about  to  dawn. 


PREPARATION  FOR  POURING  OUT  THE  SEVEN  VIALS.  337 

III.     We  masfc  now  turn  away  from  the  80i^  of  the  victors  to  the 

FINAL  ARRANQEMBNT8   FOR  SXBGUTINO  THE  WRATH  OF  GOD.      ''Aod 

after  that  I  looked,  and  behold  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  testimony 
in  heaven  was  opened:  and  the  seven  angels  came  out  of  the  temple,  having 
the  seven  plagaes,  clothed  in  pure  and  white  linen,  and  having  their 
breasts  girded  with  golden  girdles.  And  one  of  the  four  beasts  gave  unto 
the  seven  angels  seven  golden  vials  fuU  of  the  wrath  of  Ood,  who  liveth  for 
ever  and  ever.  And  the  temple  was  filled  with  smoke  from  the  glory  of 
God  and  from  his  power ;  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter  into  the  temple, 
till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angds  were  fulfilled."  In  these  verses, 
there  are  four  points  to  be  considered :  the  open  temple;  the  seven  angels; 
the  seven  golden  vials ;  and  the  smoke  that  filled  the  temple  so  that  no  one 
could  approach  the  mercy  seat. 

1.  John  saw  that  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle  ^f  the  testimony  in  heaven 
was  opened.  The  temple  which  he  saw  was  that  heavenly  temple  which 
occupies  such  a  prominent  place  in  some  of  the  previous  visions,  and  which 
resembled  both  the  tabernacle  of  Moses  and  the  temple  of  Solomon.  Hence 
it  is  called  the  temple  of  the  tabemadc.  This  temple,  like  the  earthly 
temple,  was  the  place  of  God*s  glory,  and  a  testimony  or  a  witness  of  his 
preeenoe  with  his  church.  Hence  it  is  called  the  temple  of  the  tabernacle 
of  the  testimony.  This  temple  was  now  opened  so  that  the  apostle  could 
see  into  the  most  holy  place,  where  the  mercy  seat  stood,  and  where  the 
divine  g^ory  was  especially  manifested.  This  indicates  that  Ood  was  about 
to  come  out  of  his  temple  and  reveal  his  glory  in  the  presence  of  all.  The 
open  temple  must  have  led  the  apostle  to  expect,  and  it  must  lead  us  to 
expect,  that  God  was  about  to  manifest  in  some  unusual  way  his  power,  his 
holiness,  his  justice^  and  the  other  attributes  of  his  glorious  being. 

2.  We  see  coming  out  of  the  temple  the  $even  angeU  who  were  to  be 
instromental  in  visiting  the  earth  with  plagues.  They  came  out  of  the 
temple  to  show  that  they  had  received  their  command  and  their  commission 
from  Ood  himself.  They  were  clothed  with  pure  white  linen,  to  show  that 
they,  like  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  were  spotless  and  holy.  They  were 
girded  with  golden  girdles,  to  show  that  they  were  of  princely  rank  among 
the  heavenly  hosts.  They  were  in  all  respects  attired  in  a  manner  befitting 
their  exalted  station. 

3.  We  see  the  golden  viah  full  of  the  wrath  of  Ood.    The  word  ''vial," 

which  means  a  small,  slender  bottle,  does  not  express  the  meaning  of  the 

or^nal  word.     This  word  properly  means  a  bowl  or  goblet.     But  as  the 

word  vial  has  become  so  associated  with  this  vision  in  the  mind  of  every 

reader  of  the  New  Testament,  I  will  use  it  more  frequently  than  the  other 

words  which  come  nearer  the  original.    These  golden  vials  were  given  to 

the  angels  by  one  of  the  four  living  creatures,  who  are  the  representatives 

of  the  earthly  church.    This  implies  that  the  earthly  church  is  especially 

22 


338  LECTURS  XLIII. 

and  intensely  interested  in  the  coming  calamities.  One  golden  vial  is  given 
to  each  angel,  for  the  angels  are  in  succession  to  pour  out  their  vials  upon 
the  earth.  These  vials  are  full  of  the  wrath  of  the  ever-living  Ood.  The 
figure  seems  to  he  that  of  a  cup  of  poison.  By  this  figure  the  wrath  of 
God  is  often  described.  It  is  a  cup  of  trembling,  a  cup  of  fury,  a  cup  of 
red  wine ;  and,  in  the  present  instance,  a  cup  full  of  wrath.  The  wrath 
which  fills  this  cup  is  terrible,  for  it  is  the  wrath  of  that  Ood  who  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever.  His  enemies  may  live  long  in  prosperity  and  may  long 
escape  the  just  recompense  of  their  deeds,  but  some  time  during  the  eternal 
life  of  him  who  liveth  for  ever  and  ever  their  cup  will  be  filled  and  will  be 
poured  out  without  mixture.  "* 

4.  John  saw  that  the  heavenly  temple  tocu  JUled  toitli  smoke^  so  that  no 
one  could  enter  till  the  seven  plagues  of  the  seven  angels  were  fulfilled. 
Thus  God  once  appeared  on  mount  Sinai.  His  glory  and  power  manifested 
themselves  in  fire  and  smoke,  so  that  no  one  could  approach  the  mountain. 
On  this  occasion  God's  glory  and  power  manifested  themselves  in  a  similar 
way.  No  one  could  now  approach  the  Majesty  on  high.  The  merqy  seat 
was  no  longer  accessible.  The  time  was  when  these  enemies  of  the  church 
might  have  hoped  for  forgiveness,  but  that  time  had  passed.  The  divine 
patience  was  exhausted.  The  sentence  of  punishment  had  been  spoken. 
The  instruments  of  destruction  had  started  on  their  mission.  No  inter- 
cession could  stay  the  sentence  or  avert  the  destruction.  The  temple  was 
filled  with  smoke,  and  no  man  was  able  to  enter  it  till  the  seven  plagues  of 
the  seven  angels  were  fulfilled. 

We  must  therefore  expect  that  the  earth  is  to  be  visited  with  fearful 
calamities.  The  song  of  the  heavenly  victors,  the  open  temple,  the  attire 
of  the  angeb,  the  vials  of  wrath,  and  the  smoke  which  prevented  all  aooess 
to  the  mercy  seat,  awaken  such  expectations.  And  when  we  come  to  study 
the  next  chapter,  the  symbols  which  appear  as  one  vial  after  another  is 
poured  out,  and  the  events  in  history  in  which  these  symbols  receive  their 
adequate  fulfillment,  we  will  find  that  our  expectations  will  be  more  than 
realized. 


LECTURE    XLIII. 


THE  FIRST  VIAL. 


And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying  to  the  seven  angels,  Go 
your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth.  And 
the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  u])on  the  earth :  ana  there  fell  a  noisome 
and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  upon 
thorn  which  worshiped  his  image. — Rkv,  16  : 1,  2. 


THE  FIRST  VIAL.  339 

All  the  arrangements  for  the  execution  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the 
worshipers  of  the  beast  are  now  finished.  The  song  of  those  who  had 
gained  the  victory  in  £>rmer  days  was  ended.  One  of  the  living  creatures 
had  given  to  the  seven  angels  the  golden  vials  full  of  wrath.  The  angels 
had  received  these  vials  in  their  hands,  and  were  waiting  for  their  final 
orders.  All  the  heavenly  congregation,  the  redeemed  multitude,  the  angelic 
host,  the  four  and  twenty  elders,  the  four  living  creatures,  and  the  enrap- 
tured apostle  in  their  midst,  were  standing  in  silent  expectation  and  awe, 
for  all  the  preliminaries  indicated  that  there  was  to  be  an  unusual  mani- 
festation of  the  divine  power  and  indignation.  Let  us  in  the  spirit  take 
oar  stand  with  the  rest,  and  watch  with  reverent  hearts  the  great  and 
marvelous  works  of  our  Ood  towards  the  church  and  towards  the  enemies 
of  the  church. 

I.  The  first  thing  which  arrests  our  attention  is  the  final  command 
TO  THE  waiting  ANGELS  to  execute  their  commission.  "And  I  heard 
a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying  to  the  seven  angels,  Go  your  ways, 
and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  earth."  This  com- 
mand was  from  God,  for  it  came  out  of  the  temple,  where  God  especially- 
abode.  It  was  in  a  loud  voice,  befitting  the  Majesty  on  high,  and  compell- 
ing immediate  obedience.  When  God  speaks  in  power,  there  is  no  hesitation 
on  the  part  of  those  who  hear.  One  reason  why  men  are  so  disobedient  is 
because  God  speaks  to  them  in  the  stOl  small  voice  of  mercy,  and  because 
they  do  not  recognize  in  that  voice  the  voice  of  God.  When  he  lays  aside 
that  still  small  voice  and  speaks  in  the  thunder  tones  of  his  majesty  and 
authority,  they  will  wonder  how  they  ever  dared  to  disobey.  The  command 
is  in  the  words.  "  Go  your  ways,  and  pour  out  the  vials  of  the  wrath  of  God 
upon  the  earth.*'  These  vials  have  already  been  described.  They,  or  rather 
that  which  is  contained  in  them,  is  an  emblem  of  the  wrath  of  God.  The 
figure  is  a  common  one  in  the  Scriptures,  and  is  ikmiKar  to  every  reader  of 
the  Bible.  The  only  thing  in  this  command  which  requires  special  notice 
in  this  connection  is,  that  it  refers  to  the  present.  The  wrath  of  God  was 
then  to  be  poured  out  upon  his  enemies.  The  worshipers  of  the  beast  had 
long  enjoyed  prosperity,  but  the  divine  patience  was  at  last  exhausted,  and 
the  guilty  earth  was  now  to  be  visited  with  such  plagues  as  it  had  never 
seen  before.  The  angels  obey  this  commandment,  and  one  after  another 
pours  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth.  As  the  successive  vials  are  poured  out, 
symbols  of  terror  are  made  to  pass  before  our  eyes. 

II.  The  rest  of  the  present  lecture  will  be  occupied  with  an  explanation 
of  the  symbols  which  appeared  when  the  first  vial  was  poured  out. 
"And  the  first  went,  and  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth  ;  and  there  fell 
a  noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast, 


340  LEOTUES  XLIII. 

and  upon  them  which  worshiped  his  image."  There  is  some  resemblance 
between  these  last  plagues,  as  they  are  called,  and  the  pbgues  which  were 
inflicted  upon  the  people  of  Pharaoh  during  the  closing  scenes  of  Israers 
captivity  in  £gypt.  The  plague  which  was  sent  under  the  first  vial  resem- 
bles the  sixth  plague  of  Egypt,  which  is  described  Ex.  9 : 8-12.  And 
there  is  some  resemblance  between  the  symbols  which  showed  themselves 
when  the  vials  were  poured  out,  and  those  which  showed  themselves  when 
the  trumpets  were  sounded.  And  though  the  resemblance  is  more  marked 
in  some  of  the  following  symbols,  there  is  a  noticeable  resemblance  between 
the  first  vial  and  the  first  trumpet,  which  is  described  in  chapter  8:7.  It 
will  be  well  to  remember  these  points  of  rei>emblance,  for  we  will  have  oc- 
casion to  refer  to  them  in  the  future,  and  tl&ey  will  be  of  use  in  helping  us 
to  understand  the  difficult  visions  of  thb  chapter. 

The  first  vial  was  poured  out  upon  the  earth.  The  word  "  earth"  does 
not  have  the  same  meaning  in  verse  2  that  it  has  in  verse  1.  In  the  first 
verse,  where  the  angels  are  conunanded  to  pour  out  their  vials  on  the  earth, 
it  means  the  world  as  distinguished  from  heaven.  In  the  second  verse, 
where  it  is  said  that  the  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  earth,  it  means 
the  land  as  distinguished  from  the  sea.  The  subsequent  vials  were  poured 
out  upon  the  sea,  and  the  rivers,  and  the  sun,  but  this  one  was  poured  out 
upon  the  land.  In  this  respect,  it  resembles  the  first  trumpet,  under  which, 
as  we  have  seen,  the  fire  and  hail  mingled  with  blood  were  cast  upon  the 
land,  and  one-third  part  of  the  trees  and  all  the  green  grass  were  burned 
up.  We  must  therefore  look  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  symbol 
in  judgments  inflicted  upon  the  land,  and  not  in  judgments  inflicted  on  the 
sea. 

When  the  vial  was  poured  out,  **  there  fell  a  noisome  and  grievous  sore 
upon  men.''  The  word  translated  "  sore"  is  used  but  once  in  the  New 
testament  outside  of  the  Revelation,  viz.,  in  the  parable  of  the  rich  man 
and  Lasarus,  where  it  is  said  the  dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores.  In  the 
Septuagint  version  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  is  used  to  describe  the  boils 
which  troubled  the  Egyptians,  in  the  plague  referred  to  a  little  while  ago, 
the  boils  which  afflicted  Job,  the  patriarch  of  Uz,  some  of  the  symptoms  of 
leprosy,  and  the  sickness  which  brought  Hezekiah  so  near  to  death.  It 
would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  discover  what  particular  physical  malady 
this  word  is  employed  in  the  Scriptures  to  describe.  It  may  be  the  small 
poz,  as  some  authorities  maintain  with  some  show  of  probability ;  or  it  may 
be  some  peculiar  form  of  leprosy,  as  others  maintain.  Whatever  it  waa,  it 
must  have  been  some  boil,  or  sore,  or  ulcer  of  a  severe  and  painful  charac- 
ter. This  sore  or  ulcer  is  described  as  "  noisome,"  that  is,  as  hurtful,  dan- 
gerous and  offensive.  It  is  still  further  described  as  '^  grievous,"  that  is, 
painful  and  hard  to  bear.  This  noisome  and  grievous  ulcer  fell  upon  men 
and  filled  them  with  pain  and  suffering,  and  brought  them  down  to  a  loath- 


THE  FIRBT  VIAL.  341 

some  death.  In  order  to  form  some  idea  of  what  John  saw  in  vision ,  we 
might  try  to  imagine  what  Egypt  witnessed  during  the  prevalence  of  that 
plague  to  which  reference  has  heen  made.  It  is  indeed  a  pitiful  sight 
when  a  single  individual  is  thus  afflicted.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  rich 
man  did  not  invite  the  heggar  Lazarus  to  his  table,  whose  running  ulcers 
were  revealed  bj  the  rags  of  his  poverty.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  patriarch 
of  Uz,  covered  from  head  to  foot  with  putrefying  sores,  was  forsaken  by  his 
iriends.  But  in  Egypt,  on  that  day  when  Moses  sprinkled  the  ashes  of  the 
furnace  toward  heaven,  not  one  man,  but  all  were  thus  visited.  Husbands 
and  wives,  parents  and  children,  friends  and  neighbors,  all  were  involved  in 
the  common  pli^e.  No  one  had  pity  to  spare  for  another,  for  all  were  to 
be  pitied.  The  whole  land  was  visited  with  sores.  It  was  such  a  sight  as 
this,  John  saw  in  vision,  as  he  looked  down  from  the  plains  of  heaven  upon 
the  plains  of  earth.  Men  seemed  to  be  stricken  with  the  plague  in  its  most 
terrible  and  loathsome  form.  They  were  writhing  in  their  agony  and  cry- 
ing out  in  their  pain.  We  may,  perhaps,  imagine  the  scene  as  it  presented 
itself  to  the  seer  of  Patmos,  but  we  cannot  describe  it.  We  may  let  our 
imaginations  take  their  wildest  flight,  but  we  cannot  get  beyond  the  horri- 
bleness  of  the  picture  suggested  by  the  words,  "  there  fell  a  noisome  and 
grievous  sore  upon  men." 

Of  course  this  is  a  symbol.  When  the  first  vial  is  poured  out,  we  are 
not  to  expect  such  a  literal  plague  to  fall  upon  men ;  we  are  to  expect  some 
calamity,  of  which  such  a  plague  would  be  a  proper  symbol.  And  without 
reference  to  any  preconceived  theory  of  interpretation,  what  would  the 
symbol  of  the  noisome  and  grievous  ulcer  lead  us  to  expect  ?  It  would  lead 
us  to  expect  that  those  men  upon  whom  it  is  represented  as  falling  would 
be  covered  and  saturated  with  moral  corruption,  that  their  moral  cor- 
ruption would  break  out  into  such  words  and  deed^  that  they  would 
neither  look  nor  act  like  men.  It  would  lead  us  to  expect  a  time  of  great 
and  open  sinfulness,  when  men  would  seem  to  be  mad  with  the  delirium  of 
sin.  It  would  lead  us  to  expect  a  time  of  spiritual  death,  when  men  through 
the  greatness  of  their  pain  and  madness  would  deliberately  choose  spiritual 
death  rather  than  life.  Whether  there  ever  was  such  a  time  as  this  in  the 
history  of  the  world,  we  will  have  occasion  to  inquire  after  a  while. 

This  plague,  we  are  further  told,  did  not  fall  upon  all  men,  but  only  upon 
those  who  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  who  worshiped  his  image.  In 
former  lectures,  the  meaning  of  the  symbol  of  the  beast  was  fully  discussed. 
It  is  not  necessary,  in  this  connection,  to  repeat  that  discuwion.  It  will  be 
sufficient  to  state  the  conclusion  at  which  we  then  arrived.  The  beast  is 
the  symbol  of  the  anti-Christian  power  of  Kome.  The  mark  of  the  beast 
is  those  peculiar  rites  and  ceremonies,  by  which  the  Papal  church  distin- 
guished its  members  from  all  other  men.  The  image  of  the  beast  is  the 
general  councils  of  the  Papal  church.     Those  who  had  the  mark  of  the 


842  LEOTUaE   XLIil. 

beast  and  who  worshiped  his  image,  would  be  the  members  of  the  church 
of  Rome  who,  by  the  observance  of  its  rites  and  ceremonies,  separated 
themselves  from  other  men,  and  who  honored  and  obeyed  the  decrees  of  the 
Papal  authorities.  If  these  conclusions  are  correct,  the  vision  we  are  now 
considering  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  the  calamity  shadowed  forth  by 
the  noisome  and  grievous  ulcer  would  fall  upon  the  adherents  of  the  Papal 
church.  Those  who  did  not  carry  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  who  did  not 
worship  his  image,  would  be  exempt  from  this  terrible  outbreak  of  moral 
corruption. 

This  is  the  symbol  when  the  first  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the 
land.  A  noisome  and  grievous  ulcer  fell  upon  the  followers  of  the  beast. 
And  this  symbol  points  for  its  fulfillment  to  some  wild  and  &tal  outbreak 
of  moral  corruption  among  the  members  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which 
would  be  the  beginning  of  the  destruction  of  that  church,  the  first  of  the 
last  plagues  which  would  end  in  its  entire  overthrow. 

We  have  then  to  look  through  the  history  of  that  church  and  see  whether 
there  are  any  such  events  recorded  there,  in  which  these  fearful  symbols 
find  an  adequate  fulfillment.  But  to  what  period  of  its  history  shall  we 
turn  ?  If  we  were  correct  in  the  last  lecture,  in  which  we  tried  to  show 
that  the  seven  vials  were  the  development  of  the  last  trumpet,  then  we 
need  not  look  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  vials  previous  to  the  sixteenth  century ; 
for  under  the  six  trumpets,  we  traced  the  prominent  events  in  the  history 
of  the  world  up  to  the  rise  of  the  Turkish  power  and  to  the  Reformation  of 
the  sixteenth  century.  If  the  seven  vials  continue  the  history  of  the  world 
from  that  time  to  the  end  of  the  present  order  of  things,  we  are  to  look  for 
the  events  symbolized  by  the  noisome  and  grievous  ulcer  subsequent  to  the 
Reformation.  Then,  taking  up  the  history  of  the  Papal  church,  and  of  the 
nations  under  the  control  of  that  church,  let  us  see  whether  we  can  find 
anything  in  which  the  symbol  of  the  first  vial  receives  an  adequate  ful- 
fillment. 

After  the  Reformation,  there  were  bloody  wars  and  fierce  peraecation% 
but  we  can  find  nothing  loathsome  and  terrible  enough  to  meet  the  require- 
ments of  the  symbol,  till  we  come  to  the  French  revolution,  which  b^an 
in  1789,  and  continued  for  several  years.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that 
there  is  a  difference  of  opinion  among  expositors  as  to  the  fulfillment  of  this 
symbol,  but  many  of  the  ablest  of  modern  expositors  are  agreed  that  it 
receives  its  fulfillment  in  the  French  revolution  of  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century.  We  may  mention  £lliot,  Cunningham,  Faber,  Keith 
and  Lord,  as  a  few  of  the  prominent  men  who  have  adopted  this  interpre- 
tation. And  though  it  must  be  confessed  that  there  are  some  difficulties 
connected  with  this  interpretation,  these  difficulties  seem  less  numerous 
and  less  formidable  than  those  which  are  connected  with  any  other.  Let 
us  consider  some  of  the  prominent  features  of  the  French  revolution,  and 


THE  FIRST   VIAL.  343 

see  whether  there  is  any  ressonable  ground  for  supposing  it  to  be  the  event 
which  was  shadowed  forth  by  the  notsome  and  grievous  plague.  As  has 
been  said,  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  this  symbol  is  fulfilled  in  any  literal 
plague  or  ulcer  which  fell  upon  the  bodies  of  men.  It  would  not  then  be 
a  symbol.  It  points  to  political  and  moral  corruption  in  the  state,  which 
would  break  out  into  terrible  and  loathsome  words  and  deeds.  In  a  well 
known  passage  in  Isaiah,  the  very  same  symbol  is  used  to  describe  such 
corruption,  a  passage  which  should  be  borne  in  mind,  for  it  will  greatly 
assist  in  explaining  the  vision  now  under  consideration.  ^'  The  whole  head 
is  sick,  and  the  whole  heart  faint.  From  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  unto  the 
head,  there  is  no  soundness  in  it;  but  wounds,  and  bruises,  and  putrefying 
sores;  they  have  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up,  neither  mollified  with 
ointment."  ^ 

The  question  we  have  now  to  answer  is,  was  there,  at  the  time  of  the 
French  revolution,  a  moral  corruption  which  broke  out  in  words  and  deeds, 
a  corruption  great  enough  to  be  an  adequate  antitype  of  the  noisome  and 
grieTons  ulcer  ?  In  order  to  answer  this  question,  we  must  make  our  appeal 
to  history.  If  the  history  of  those  times  is  to  be  believed,  there  are  three 
nndoubted  manifestations  of  unparalleled  corruption,  viz.,  open  murders, 
open  licentiousness,  and  open  infidelity. 

1.  The  moral  corruption  of  those  times  is  seen  in  the  open  murders 
which  were  then  committed.  The  cruelties  which  were  so  common,  and 
the  little  value  which  was  placed  upon  human  life,  were  a  noisome  and 
grievous  ulcer  upon  the  body  politic.  In  proof  of  this  I  will  not  go  into 
any  rhetorical  or  imaginary  account  of  the  scenes  which  were  then  enacted. 
I  will  quote  fVom  the  pages  of  history.  For  this  purpose  I  have  selected 
Alison's  History  of  the  French  Revolution,  which  was  written  without 
any  intention  of  throwing  light  upon  the  Apocalypse.  Time  will  permit 
me  to  quote  only  a  few  extracts  ;  and  in  making  my  extracts,  I  will  choose 
some  of  the  least  revolting,  for  some  of  the  scenes  described  are  terrible 
and  disgusting.  Let  us  then  turn  to  the  testimony  of  Alison  concerning 
the  murders  which  were  committed  at  that  period  when  the  noisome  ulcer 
attained  its  height,  and  which,  by  common  consent,  is  called  "  the  reign 
of  terror."  ''A  revolutionary  tribunal  was  formed  under  direction  of  Car- 
rier,  and  it  soon  outstripped  even  the  rapid  march  of  Danton  and  Robes- 
pierre. Their  principle  was  that  it  was  necessary  to  destroy  en  masse  all 
the  prisoners.  At  their  command  was  formed  a  corps  called  the  Legion  of 
Marat,  composed  of  the  most  determined  and  blood-thirsty  of  the  revolu- 
tionists^ the  members  of  which  were  entitled,  on  their  own  authority,  to 
iocarcerate  any  person  whom  they  chose.  The  number  of  their  prisoners 
was  soon  between  three  and  four  thousand,  and  they  divided  among  them- 
selves all  their  property.  Whenever  a  fresh  supply  of  captives  was  wanted, 
the  alarm  of  a  counter-revolution,  the  generate  beat,  the  cannon  were 


344  LECTURE  XLIII. 

planted ;  and  this  was  immediately  followed  by  innumerable  arresta.  Nor 
were  they  long  in  disposing  of  the  captives.  The  miserable  wretches  were 
either  slain  with  poniards  in  the  prisons,  or  carried  out  and  drowned  by 
wholesale  in  the  Loire.  On  one  occasion  a  hundred  '  fanatical  priests/  as 
they  were  termed,  were  taken  out  together,  stripped  of  their  clothes,  and 
precipitated  into  the  waves.  *  ^i^  *  Women,  big  with  child,  in&nts 
eight,  nine  and  ten  years  of  age  were  thrown  together  into  the  stream,  on 
the  sides  of  which  men,  armed  with  sabres,  were  placed  to  cut  off  their 
hands,  if  the  waves  should  throw  them  tindrowned  on  the  shore.  *  *  * 
So  immense  were  the  numbers  of  those  who  were  cut  off  by  the  guillotine 
or  mowed  down  by  fusilades,  that  three  hundred  men  were  occupied  for 
six  weeks  in  covering  with  earth  the  vast  multitude  of  corpses  which  filled 
the  trenches  which  had  been  cut  in  the  department  of  Nantes  to  receive 
the  dead  bodies.  Ten  thousand  died  of  disease,  pestilence  and  horror  in 
the  prisons  of  that  department  alone.  On  one  occasion,  by  the  order  of 
Carrier,  twenty-three  of  the  royalists,  on  another  twenty-four,  were  guillo- 
tined together  without  any  trial.  The  executioner  remonstratedy  but  in 
Vdin.  Among  them  were  many  children  of  seven  or  eight  yean  of  age, 
and  seven  women ;  the  executioner  died  two  or  three  days  after  with 
horror  at  what  he  himself  had  done.  At  another  time,  one  hundred  and 
forty  women,  incarcerated  as  suspected,  were  drowned  together,  though 
actively  engaged  in  making  bandages  and  shirts  for  the  republican  soldiers. 
So  great  was  the  multitude  of  captives  who  were  brought  in  on  all  sides, 
that  the  executioners,  as  well  as  the  company  of  Marat,  declared  them- 
selves exhausted  with  fatigue ;  and  a  new  method  of  disposing  of  them 
was  adopted,  borrowed  from  Nero,  but  improved  on  the  plan  of  that  tyrant. 
A  hundred,  or  a  hundred  and  fifty  victims,  for  the  most  part  women  and 
children,  were  crowded  together  into  a  boat,  with  a  concealed  trap  door  in 
the  bottom,  which  was  conducted  into  the  middle  of  the  Loire ;  at  a  signal 
given,  the  crew  leaped  into  another  boat,  the  bolts  were  withdrawn,  and 
the  shrieking  victims  were  precipitated  into  the  waves,  amid  the  laughter 
of  the  company  of  Marat,  who  stood  on  the  banks,  to  cut  down  any  who 
approached  the  shore.  This  is  what  Carrier  called  his  ripuhltcan  bapH$m$, 
The  republican  marriages  were,  if  possible,  a  still  greater  refinement  of 
cruelty.  Two  persons  of  different  sexes,  generaUy  an  old  man  and  an  old 
woman,  or  a  young  man  and  a  young  woman,  bereft  of  every  species  of 
dress,  were  bound  together,  and  after  being  left  in  torture  in  t^at  situation 
for  half  an  hour,  thrown  into  the  river.  It  was  ascertained,  by  authenti- 
cated documents,  that  six  hundred  children  had,  on  one  occasion  alone, 
perished  by  that  inhuman  species  of  death.  The  noyades  at  Nantes  alone 
amounted  to  twenty-five,  on  each  of  which  occasions  from  eighty  to  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  persons  perished  ;  and  such  was  the  quantity  of  corpses  ac- 
cumulated in  the  Loire^  that  the  water  of  that  river  was  infected  so  as  to 


THE  FIRST  VIAL.  345 

render  a  public  ordinaDce  necessary,  forbidding  the  nse  of  it  to  the  inhab- 
itants: No  less  than  eighteen  thousand  perished  in  these  ways,  or  by  the 
gaillotine,  in  Nantes  alone,  during  the  administration  of  Carrier ;  and  the 
mariners,  when  they  heaved  their  anchors,  frequently  brought  up  boats 
charged  with  corpses.  Birds  of  prey  flocked  to  the  shores  and  fed  on 
human  flesh ;  while  the  very  fish  became  so  poisonouS;  as  to  induce  an 
order  of  the  municipality  of  Nantes  prohibiting  them  to  be  taken  by  the 
fishermen  a  *  *  *  Several  hundred  persons  were  thrown  every  night, 
for  some  months,  into  the  river ;  their  shrieks  at  being  led  out  of  the  en- 
trepot on  board  the  barks,  wakened  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  and 
frose  every  heart  with  horror.  *  *  *  Fouquet  boasted  that  he  had 
despatched  nine  thousand  in  other  quarters  on  the  same  river.  From 
Saumur  to  Nantes,  a  distance  of  sixty  miles,  the  Loire  was,  for  several 
weeks,  red  with  human  blood  ;  and  the  multitude  of  corpses  it  bore  to  the 
ocean  so  prodigious,  that  the  adjacent  coast  was  strewn  with  them,  when  a 
violent  west  wind  and  high  tide  having  brought  part  of  them  back  to 
Nantes,  followed  by  a  train  of  sharks  and  marine  animals  of  prey  attracted 
by  so  prodigious  an  accumulation  of  human  bodies,  they  were  thrown 
ashore  in  vast  numbers.  Fifteen  thousand  persons  perished  there  under 
the  bands  of  the  executioner,  or  of  diseases  in  prison,  in  one  month  ;  the 
total  victims  of  the  reign  of  terror  at  that  place  exceeded  thirty  thousand/' 
Vol.  2,  p.  391. 

So  it  was  in  every  part  of  France.  As  ulcers  on  the  surface  of  the 
body  indicate  disease  within,  so  these  cruel  murders  indicated  great  cor* 
rnption  in  the  state.  They  were  the  direct  outgrowth  of  the  doctrines  and 
practices  of  the  church  of  Kome.  The  French  people  were  but  carrying 
out  the  lessons  they  had  learned  from  the  priests.  They  were  imitating 
the  inquisition  and  the  massacre  of  St  Bartholomew  and  the  persecutions 
which  had  been  inflicted  in  the  name  of  the  holy  Jesus,  with  which  the 
history  of  the  dominant  church,  had  made  them  familiar.  And  as  they 
were  apt  scholars,  they  surpassed  their  teachers  in  excesses  and  refinement 
of  (sruelty.  Every  one  who  reads  the  history  of  the  reign  of  terror  in 
connection  with  the  history  of  the  centuries  which  preceded  it,  must  be 
convinced  that  the  cruelties  of  the  former  are  the  legitimate  result  of  the 
cruelties  of  the  latter. 

2.  The  moral  corruption  of  the  times  is  seen  in  the  open  licentiousness 
which  prevailed.  Again  I  quote  from  the  same  author,  and  I  select  a 
ungle  quotation  which  only  hints  at  excesses  which  disgraced  the  French 
capital :  "At  the  same  time,  the  Gh)ddess  of  Reason  appeared,  personified 
by  a  celebrated  beauty,  Madame  Maillard,  of  the  opera,  known  in  more 
than  one  character  to  most  of  the  Convention.  The  goddess,  after  being 
embraced  by  the  president,  was  mounted  on  a  magnificent  car,  and  con- 
ducted by  an  immense  crowd  to  the  cathedral  of  Notre  Dame,  to  take  the 


846  LECTURE   XLIII. 

place  of  the  Deity.  There  she  was  elevated  on  the  high  altar,  and  received 
the  adoration  of  all  present ;  while  a  numerous  band  of  elegant  young 
women,  all  fi^urantet  of  the  opera,  her  attendants,  whose  alluring  looks 
already  indicated  their  profession,  retired  into  the  chapels  round  the  choir, 
where  every  species  of  licentiousness  and  obscenity  was  indulged  in  with- 
out control;  with  hardly  any  vail  from  the  public  gase.  To  such  a  length 
was  this  carried,  that  Robespierre  afterwards  declared  that  Chaumette  de- 
served death  for  the  abominations  he  had  permitted  on  that  occasion. 
Thenceforward  that  ancient  edifice  was  called  the  temple  ofreoMony  Vol. 
2,  p.  6OO1 

Such  excesses  as  this,  which  indicated ,  the  moral  corruption  of  the 
nation,  was  also  the  outgrowth  of  the  doctrines  and  practices  of  the  church 
of  Rome.  The  Jesuits  taught  that  persons  who  were  blinded  by  lust,  or 
who  had  probable  reason  for  their  transgression,  were  excusable  for  their 
sins.  Permissions  to  commit  sin  were  freely  sold*  And  the  practice  of 
the  priesthood  was  even  worse  than  their  teaching.  The  priests,  with 
some  exceptions,  were  men  of  notoriously  immoral  lives.  They  lived  in 
shameless  violation  of  the  seventh  commandment.  The  licentiousness 
of  the  reign  of  terror,  revolting  as  it  is,  is  only  the  development  of  the 
teachings  and  practices  of  the  church  of  Rome.  It  was  but  an  outward 
ulcer  which  indicated  inward  corruption. 

3.  The  moral  corruption  of  the  times  is  seen  in.  the  open  injiddity  in 
which  the  nation  gloried.  We  appeal  again  to  the  testimony  of  the  same 
historian :  ^'  Having  massacred  the  great  of  the  present  and  insulted  the 
illustrious  of  former  ages,  nothing  remamed  to  the  revolutionists  but  to 
direct  their  vengeance  against  heaven  itself.  Fouche,  Hebert  and  Chau- 
mette, the  leaders  of  the  municipality,  publicly  expressed  their  determina- 
tion to  dethrone  the  King  of  heaven,  as  well  as  the  monarchs  of  earth.  To 
accomplish  this  design,  they  prevailed  on  Gt>bel,  the  apostate  constituUonal 
bishop  of  Paris,  to  appear  at  the  bar  of  J;he  Assembly,  accompanied  by 
some  of  the  clergy  of  his  diocese,  and  there  abjure  the  Christian  faith. 
He  declared  that  no  other  national  religion  was  now  required  but  that  of 
equality,  liberty  and  morality.  Many  of  the  constitutional  bishops  and 
clergy  present  joined  in  the  proposition.  The  Convention  received  them 
with  loud  applause  and  gave  them  the  fraternal  kiss.  Crowds  of  drunken 
artisans  and  shameless  prostitutes  crowded  to  the  bar  and  trampled  under  their 
feet  the  sacred  vases  consecrated  for  ages  to  the  holiest  purposes  of  religion. 
The  churches  were  stripped  of  all  their  ornaments ;  their  plate  and  yaluable 
contents  brought  in  heaps  to  the  municipality  and  the  Convention,  from 
whence  they  were  cent  to  the  mint  to  be  melted  down.  Trampling  under 
foot  the  images  of  our  Saviour  and  the  Virgin,  they  elevated,  amid  shouts 
of  applause,  the  busts  of  Marat  and  Leppelletier,  and  danced  around  them 
singing  parodies  on  the  hallelujah,  and  dancing  the  Carmagnole.   *     "^     * 


THE  FIRST   VIAL.  347 

Daring  several  weeks  daily  abjarations  by  the  constitntioDal  clergy  took 
place  at  the  bar  of  the  Conyention.  On  the  10th  November  Sieyes  appeared 
and  abjnred  like  the  rest.  '  I  have  lived/  he  said,  ^  the  victim  of  super- 
stition. I  will  not  be  its  slave.  I  know  no  other  worship  but  that  of 
liberty,  no  other  religion  but  the  love  of  humanity  and  country.'  Shortly 
after  a  still  more  indecent  exhibition  took  place  before  the  Assembly.  *  ^ 
Hebert,  Chaumette  and  their  associates  appeared  at  the  bar  and  declared 
that '  Grod  did  not  exist,  and  that  the  worship  of  reason  was  to  be  substi- 
tuted in  his  stead.'  Chaumette  said,  <  Legislative  fanaticism  has  lost  its 
hold ;  it  has  given  place  to  reason.  Its  dark  eyes  could  not  bear  the  light 
of  reason.  We  have  left  its  temples ;  they  are  regenerated.  To-day  an 
immense  audience  are  assembled  under  its  Gothic  roofs,  which  for  the  first 
time  will  re-echo  the  voice  of  truth.  There  the  French  will  celebrate 
their  true  worship — that  of  liberty  and  reason.  There  we  will  form  new 
vows  for  the  prosperity  of  the  armies  of  the  republic  ;  there  will  we  abandon 
the  worship  of  inanimate  idols  for  that  of  reason,  this  animated  image,  the 
cke/'fTcBuvre  of  creation.'  A  vailed  female,  arrayed  in  blue  drapery,  was 
brought  into  the  Assembly ;  and  Chaumette,  taking  her  by  the  hand,  ^  Mor- 
tals,' said  he,  *  cease  to  tremble  before  the  powerless  thunders  of  a  Ood 
whom  your  fears  have  created.  Henceforth  acknowledge  no  divinity  but 
reason.  I  offer  yon  its  noblest  and  purest  image ;  if  you  must  have  idols, 
sacrifice  only  to  such  idols  as  this.'  When,  letting  fall  the  vail,  he  exclaimed, 
'  Fall  before  the  august  senate  of  freedom,  0  vail  of  reason.'  "  Vol.  2, 
page  600. 

And  this  infidelity  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  doctrines  and  practices  of 
the  church  of  Rome.  K  Christianity  was  what  it  appeared  to  be  from  the 
teachings  and  practices  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  intelligent  men 
were  excusable  for  rejecting  it  and  choosing  blank  infidelity  in  its  stead. 
The  infidelity  of  the  reign  of  terror  was  but  the  ulcer  which  indicated 
inward  corruption. 

The  French  revolution  weakened  the  power  of  the  Papacy.  France  had 
been  for  many  centuries,  and  was  then,  one  of  the  main  supports  of  the 
church  of  Rome.  Her  ruler  was  known  as  the  eldest  son  of  the  church. 
Therefore  any  disaster  to  France  was  a  disaster  to  the  church.  The  reign 
of  terror  seems  to  be  the  first  in  the  series  of  providential  events  which 
will  result  in  the  entire  overthrow  of  that  anti-Christian  power. 

From  these  remarks  and  quotations,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  noisome  and 
grievous  ulcer  of  the  first  vial  finds  an  adequate  fulfillment  in  the  French 
revolution  of  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The  effects  of  this 
revolution  were  not  confined  to  France.  The  doctrines  and  practices  of  the 
revolutionists  spread,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  through  all  the  countries 
and  peoples  of  Europe.  And  the  conclusion  at  which  we  have  arrived  is 
strengthened  by  the  figures  which  writers  have  employed  to  describe  the 


848  LEOTUBE  XLTV. 

reign  of  terror,  and  whioli  show  how  appropriate  is  the  figure  of  the  yision 
we  are  now  considering.  It  is  said  to  be  '^  the  fever  of  JacobiniBm/'  ''  the 
epidemic  of  atheism,"  "  the  French  distemper/'  *'  such  a  plague  that  the 
protection  of  the  most  severe  quarantine  ought  to  be  used  against  it,"  ^<  the 
corruption  of  all  morals/'  "  the  decomposition  of  all  sodety."  And  while 
we  must  confess  that  there  are  difficulties  in  the  way  of  this  theory,  these 
difficulties  seem  to  be  less  than  those  which  are  in  the  way  of  any  other 
theory.  As  we  read  the  description  which  historians  give  us  of  these  ter- 
rible years,  we  must  say,  '^  the  whole  head  is  sick,  and  the  whole  heart 
faint.  From  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  unto  the  head,  there  is  no  soundness 
in  it,  but  wounds,  aud  bruises,  and  putrefying  sores ;  they  have  not  been 
closed,  neither  bound  up,  neither  mollified  with  ointment.*'  'There  fell  a 
noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  men/' 


LECTURE    XLIV. 


THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  VIALS. 

And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea ;  and  it  became  as  the 
blood  of  a  dead  man :  and  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea.  And  the  third 
angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters ;  and  thev 
became  blood.  And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  say,  Thou  art  righteous,  O 
Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be,  because  thou  hast  judged  thus:  for 
they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and  prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood 
to  drink ;  for  they  are  worthy.  And  I  beard  another  out  of  the  altar  say,  Even 
so,  Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments. — Rkv.  16  :  8-7. 

In  the  last  lecture  we  saw  that  there  was  probable  ground  for  supposing 
that  the  French  revolution  was  the  event  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbol 
which  appeared  when  the  first  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  land. 
The  murders,  the  licentiousness,  and  the  infidelity  of  the  reign  of  terror 
were  noisome  and  grievous  ulcers  breaking  out  upon  the  body  politic,  so 
that  there  was  no  soundness  in  it.  In  the  present  lecture  we  are  to  describe 
the  symbols  which  appeared  when  the  second  and  third  angels  poured  out 
their  vials,  and  to  discover,  if  we  can,  the  events  in  which  these  symbols 
find  their  fulfillment. 

I.  Let  ns  turn  our  attention  to  the  second  vial  and  its  svmbol.  "And 
the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea ;  and  it  became  as  the' 
blood  of  a  dead  man :  and  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea."  There  is  a 
noticeable  difference  between  the  first  and  second  vials,  in  the  place  upon 
which  they  were  poured.     The  first  vial  was  poured  upon  the  land ;  the 


THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD   VIALS.  349 

second  vial  upon  the  sea.  We  must  therefore  look  for  the  fulfillment  of 
this  part  of  the  symbol  in  calamities  inflicted  upon  the  sea,  and  not  in 
calamities  inflicted  on  the  land.  When  this  vial  was  poured  out,  the 
sea  became  as  the  blood  of  the  slain.  In  this  respect  the  second  vial  re- 
lembles  the  first  plague  in  Egypt,  during  which  the  water  of  the  river  was 
turned  into  blood,  so  that  the  Egyptians  could  not  drink  of  it.  And  in 
this  respect  the  second  vial  resembles  the  second  trumpet,  which  is  described 
in  chapter  8 :  8,  9.  To  this  resemblance  between  the  second  vial  and  the 
second  trumpet  we  will  have  occasion  to  refer  in  subsequent  remarks.  The  . 
effect  of  this  change  in  the  waters  of  the  sea  was  disastrous.  Every  living 
thing  which  was  in  the  sea  died.  The  figure  leads  us  to  expect  that  the 
loss  of  life  would  be  great.  If  the  water  of  any  sea  was  actually  turned 
into  blood,  death  would  reap  a  plentiful  harvest.  It  was  so  in  Egypt ;  it 
was  so  under  the  second  trumpet.  And  so  it  must  be  at  the  time  shad- 
owed forth  by  the  second  vial. 

This  is  the  symbol  which  appeared  when  the  second  angel  poured  out 
his  vial.  The  sea  became  as  the  blood  of  slain  men,  and  the  lives  of  mul- 
titudes were  destroyed.  What  would  this  symbol  naturally  lead  us  to  expect? 
It  would  lead  us  to  expect  that  the  time  referred  to  would  be  a  time  of 
great  calamity,  for  the  symbol  is  one  of  blood ;  that  this  calamity  would 
fall  upon  the  navies  and  commerce  and  possessions  of  some  maritime  power, 
for  the  symbol  is  a  bloody  sea ;  that  the  maritime  powers  upon  which  this 
calamity  would  fall  would  be  upholders  of  the  church  of  Rome,  for  all  these 
calamities  were  designed  for  the  overthrow  of  the  beast  and  the  destruction 
of  his  followers ;  that  this  calamity  would  be  attended  with  great  4o6s  of 
life,  for  the  sea  was  like  a  sea  of  human  blood,  and  we  are  expressly  told 
that  every  living  thing  in  the  sea  died. 

Are  there  any  events  recorded  in  history  in  which  these  expectations  are 
fulfilled  ?  It  will  help  us  to  answer  this  question,  if  we  determine  in  what 
part  of  history  we  are  to  look  for  the  fulfillment  of  these  expectations.  It 
must  be  manifest  that  the  symbol  of  the  second  vial  must  receive  its  ful- 
fillment subsequent  to,  but  not  long  after,  the  time  when  the  symbol  of  the 
first  vial  receives  its  fulfillment.  If  the  position  in  the  last  lecture  was 
eoEiect,  vis.,  that  the  noisome  and  grievous  sore  was  the  symbol  of  the 
French  revolution,  then  the  bloody  sea  of  the  second  vial  must  be  the  symbol 
of  events  subsequent  to  and  closely  connected  with  the  reign  of  terror.  Let 
us  take  up  the  history  of  those  years  and  see  whether  there  are  any  calam- 
ities recorded  therein,  pertaining  to  the  sea,  which  would  be  a  fulfillment  of 
the  vision.  No  sooner  had  liberty  been  proclaimed  in  France  than  the  French 
in  St.  Domingo,  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  colony  of  France,  pro- 
claimed liberty.  But  while  they  proclaimed  the  freedom  and  equality  of 
the  whole  human  race,  they  made  an  exception  of  the  black  population  of 
the  island ;  but  this  population  was  wise  enough  to  see  that  if  liberty  was 


350  LECTURE  XLIV. 

good  for  the  whites,  it  was  good  for  them,  and  thej  struck  a  bold  blow  for 
freedom.     The  war  which  followed  was  long  and  bloody.     In  it,  sLxtj 
thousand  perished ;  but  it  resulted  in  driving  the  French  £rom  the  colony; 
and  the  colony  of  St.  Domingo  became  the  republic  of  Hayti.     And  this 
was  only  the  banning  of  disasters  to  the  maritime  power  of  France. 
There  followed  a  series  of  naval  battles,  in  which  the  fleets  of  France  were 
entirely  swept  away.     This  series  of  naval  battles  is  thus  described  by 
Elliott :    '*  Meanwhile  the  great  naval  war  between  France  and  En^and 
was  in  progress ;  which  from  its  commencement  in  February,  1798,  lasted 
for  above  twenty  years,  with  no  intermission  but  that  of  the  short  and 
delusive  peace  of  Amiens ;  in  which  war,  the  maritime  power  of  Great 
Britain  was  strengthened  by  the  Almighty  providence  that  protected  her  to 
destroy  everywhere  the  French  ships,  commerce  and  smaller  colonies,  in- 
cluding those  of  the  &st  and  long*continued  allies  of  the  Freneh,  Holland 
and  Spain.     In  the  year  1793,  the  greater  part  of  the  French  fleet  at 
Toulon  was  destroyed  by  Lord  Hood ;  in  June,  1794,  followed  Lord  Howe's 
great  victory  over  the  French  off  Ushant ;  then  the  'taking  of  Corsica  and 
nearly  all  the  smaller  Spanish  and  French  West  India  islands ;  then,  in 
1795,  Lord  Bridport*s  naval  victory  and  the  capture  of  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope ;  as  also  soon  after,  of  a  French  and  Dutch  fleet  sent  to  retake  it ; 
then,  in  1797,  the  victory  over  the  Spanish  fleet  off  Cape  St.  Vincent,  and 
that  off  Camperdown  over  the  Dutch  ;  then,  in  succession.  Lord  Nelson's 
three  mighty  victories;  of  the  Nile  in  1798,  of  Copenhagen  in  1801,  and 
in  1803  of  Trafalgar.     Altogether,  in  this  naval  war,  from  its  b^inning  in 
1793  to  its  end  in  1815,  it  appears,  from  James'  Naval  History,  that  there 
were  destroyed  near  two  hundred  ships  of  the  line,  between  three  and  four 
hundred  frigates,  and  an  almost  incalculable  number  of  smaller  vessels  of 
war  and  ships  of  commerce.     It  b  most  truly  stated  by  Dr.  Keith,  that 
the  whole  history  of  the  world  does  not  present  such  a  period  of  naval  war, 
destruction  and  bloodshed.     In  the  figurative  language  of  prophecy,  '  the 
sea  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man.'     *    *     *     *     In  Mexico,  and 
Venezuela,  and  Buenos  Ayres,  and  Chili,  and  Peru,  the  flames  of  civil  war 
broke  out  successively  and  spread  with  a  universal  conflagration.     The 
atrocities  of  that  war  are  sud  by  a  writer  in  the  Quarterly  Review  to  have 
been  unparalleled  in  the  civil  wars  of  ancient  and  modem  time.     *    ^    * 
And  the  Brazils,  having  been  a  little  subsequently  separated  from  Portugal, 
the  prediction  was  fulfilled,  in  a  manner  the  most  complete  and  remarkable, 
with  respect  to  those  greater  colonies  of  Papal  Europe,  as  well  as  in  regard 
to  the  lesser  before  spoken  of,  'and  every  living  soul  died  in  the  sea.'"  Vol. 
3,  pp.  378-380. 

These  disasters  were  not  confined  to  France.  The  other  Papal  powers 
which  had  navies  and  maritime  dependencies  were  alike  crippled.  Bvery 
effort  made  by  France,  and  Spain,  and  Portugal,  and  Italy,  to  avert  the 


THE   SECOND  AND  THIRD   VIALS.  851 

jadgment  was  crushed.     Their  colonies  were  lost ;  their  fleets  were  anni- 
hilated. 

The  theory  that  this  is  a  correct  interpretation  of  the  sjmhol  is  strength- 
ened when  we  compare  the  second  vial  with  the  second  trumpet,  to  which 
it  bears  so  close  a  resemblance.  The  symbol  of  the  second  trumpet  was 
fulfilled  in  the  invasion  of  the  Roman  empire  by  Genseric  and  the  Vandals. 
They  deyastated  the  maritime  provinces  of  the  empire,  especially  those  on 
the  southern  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  sea;  and  making  Northern  Africa 
their  headquarters,  they  made  excursions  against  all  the  adjacent  sea  coasts, 
destroyed  Roman  commerce,  defeated  the  largest  fleets  which  could  be 
brought  against  them,  and  penetrated  to  the  very  gates  of  the  eternal  city 
itself.  If  the  symbol  of  that  trumpet  was  fulfilled  in  that  series  of  naval 
disasters,  there  is  certainly  ground  for  supposing  that  the  similar  symbol 
of  the  second  vial  was  flilfilled  in  the  naval  disasters  of  France  and  her 
allies. 

These  naval  disasters  weakened  the  power  of  Rome.  If  the  reign  of 
terror  was  the  first  blow,  these  disasters  were  the  second  ;  for  France  and 
her  allies  were  the  great  support  of  the  Papal  church.  And  when  we 
remember  the  number  and  the  greatness  of  these  disasters,  and  how  they 
fell  upon  the  maritime  colonies  and  fleets  of  the  Papal  powers,  and  how 
they  were  attended  with  loss  of  life,  we  see  that  they  are  an  appropriate 
and  adequate  ftilfillment  of  the  symbol,  'Hhe  sea  became  as  the  blood  of  a 
dead  man." 

II.  We  come  now  to  the  third  vial.  "And  the  third  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters,  and  they  became  blood." 
The  meaning  of  the  symbol  which  appeared  when  the  third  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  is  plain.  The  fact  that  the  rivers  and  tKe  fountains  of  waters 
became  blood  indicates  that  there  was  to  be  great  carnage  along  their  banks, 
carnage  so  great  that  they  would  seem  to  be  streams  of  human  blood.  The 
parallel  vision  in  the  destruction  of  the  old  empire  is  recorded,  chapter 
8 :  10,  11.  There  is  such  a  resemblance  between  the  third  trumpet  and  the 
third  vial,  that  the  interpretation  of  the  former  must  help  us  in  the  inter- 
pTet4ition  of  the  latter.  What  was  the  interpretation  of  the  former  ?  It 
shadowed  forth  the  invasion  of  the  Roman  empire  by  the  Huns.  The 
Hans  did  not  attack  the  maritime  parts  of  the  empire  as  did  the  Vandals; 
they  attacked  those  inland  parts  in  which  rivers  and  streams  of  water 
abounded.  Attila  poured  out  his  forces  along  the  Danube,  the  Rhine  and 
the  Po,  and  their  tributaries,  and  stained  with  blood  every  capital,  and  city, 
and  plain  on  the  banks  of  these  rivers.  There  is  such  a  resemblance  be- 
tween the  third  trumpet  and  the  third  vial,  that  we  would  expect  the 
calamity  shadowed  forth  by  the  latter  to  be  similar  to  the  calamity  shadowed 
forth  by  the  former;  and  that  this  calamity  would  fall  upon  the  same  locality, 


352  LBOTURE  XLIV* 

a  locality  which  abounded  in  streams  of  water.  And  this  resemblance  is  not 
the  only  thing  by  which  we  are  to  be  guided  in  our  interpretation  of  the 
symbol  of  the  third  vial.  The  following  points  are  plain :  the  calamity 
shadowed  forth  under  the  third  vial  would  succeed  those  shadowed  fi>rth 
under  the  previous  ones,  but  there  would  be  no  long  interval  between  them, 
for  one  vial  was  poured  out  after  the  other  in  rapid  succession.  This 
calamity  would  be  visited  upon  a  region  where  there  had  been  much  per- 
secution.  It  would  be  a  just  retribution  for  the  persecutions  which  had 
occurred  there.  Therefore,  no  event  can  be  a  reasonable  fulfillment  of  the 
symbol  of  the  third  vial,  if  it  is  not  a  calamity  similiar  to  that  inflicted  upon 
the  old  empire  by  Attila  and  the  Huns;  if  it. is  not  inflicted  on  a  region 
abounding  with  streams  of  water ;  if  it  does  not  closely  follow  the  French 
revolution  and  the  maritime  disasters  of  France ;  .if  it  is  not  in  a  region 
where  there  had  been  great  persecutions  of  the  saints.  The  question,  then, 
for  us  to  answer  is,  is  there  any  event  in  which  all  these  necessary  condi- 
tions are  fulfilled  ? 

If  we  have  been  correct  in  the  interpretation  of  the  previous  vials,  we 
can  have  no  difficulty  in  discovering  the  fulfillment  of  the  symbol  of  the 
third  vial  in  the  bloody  campaigns  of  Napoleon.  Near  the  close  of  the 
reign  of  terror,  and  while  the  second  vial  was  being  poured  out  upon  the 
sea,  he  started  upon  his  strange  career,  which  deluged  Europe  with  blood 
and  which  had  no  little  influence  in  shaping  the  history  of  the  world.  It 
is  well  known  that  the  campaigns  of  Napoleon  were,  for  the  most  part,  in 
the  very  regions  over  which  the  hordes  of  Attila  had  poured  centuries 
befi>re.  His  great  battles  were  fought  in  the  valleys  of  the  Rhine,  the 
Danube,  the  Po,  and  their  tributaries.  There  was  not  an  acre  on  the 
banks  oT  these  rivers  which  was  not  ftirrowed  with  soldiers'  graves.  There 
was  not  a  stream  which  was  not  tinged  with  soldiers'  blood.  There  was 
not  a  forest  which  was  not  plowed  by  the  feet  of  his  hones.  There 
was  not  a  city,  a  himlet  or  a  cottage  which  was  not  torn 'by  the  shot  of  his 
artillery.  The  following  is  a  brief  synopsis  of  his  campaigns  as  prepared 
by  BlUott:  "In  the  annals  of  the  year  1792,  we  read  of  the  French  and 
Austrian  armies  conflicting  at  Mente,  and  Spires,  and  Worms,  all  situated 
on  the  middle  Rhine,  the  very  towns  that  Attila  long  before  desolated ;  of 
other  armies  conflicting  in  the  Austrian  Netherlands  watered  by  the 
Mouse,  the  last  tributary  of  the  lower  Rhine ;  and  also  of  a  third  French 
army  advancing  into  Savoy,  as  far  as  the  foot  of  the  Piedmontese  Alpine 
frontier.  *  *  *  In  1793  and  1794,  the  scene  of  war  and  bloodshed 
was  still  the  same.  The  French  army  of  the  Meuse,  at  first  unsucoeaBful, 
soon  recovered  its  ground ;  and  driving  the  Allies  out  of  Flanders,  advanced 
into  Holland.  *  '^  *  In  like  manner,  the  army  of  the  middle  Rhine, 
at  first  driven  back  across  the  river,  returned  and  repulsed  the  Alliee  in 
1794  beyond  it,  after  battles  of  tremendous  bloodshed.     In  1795,  the 


THE   SECOND   AND   THIRD   VIALS.  353 

carnage  was  renewed  with  various  success  on  the  middle  Rhine  and  its 
tributaries.  On  quitting  its  valley,  the  armies  of  Jourdan  and  Moreau 
advanced  on  the  Danube  as  a  common  centre.  "^  *  *^  The  Alpine  springs 
of  water  were  even  now  to  experience  the  bitterness  of  the  plague.  This 
year  is  ever  memorable  in  history,  as  that  of  the  first  Italian  campaign  of 
Napoleon  against  the  allied  Sardinians  and  Austrians.  Its  course  is  to  be 
traced  fipom  Alpine  river  to  river  along  the  whole  of  the  North  of  Italy. 
In  the  progress  of  the  contest,  every  river  was  made  a  position  and  a  bat- 
tle field ;  the  Bormida,  the.  Tanaro,  the  upper  Po,  the  Adda,  with  its  bridge 
of  Lodi,  the  Mincio,  the  Adige,  the  Brenta,  and  many  others,  were  in  suc- 
oeasion  turned  into  blood.     ♦     *     *     3^^  ^y^^  y^^j  ^^  ^^^  j^^  exhausted 

itself.  In  the  year  1799,  the  fountains  of  waters  became  the  scene  of  the 
celebrated  Italian  campaign  of  Suwarrow,  and  they  were  again,  stream 
after  stream,  turned  into  blood.  *  ^  ^  Moreover,  the  Danube  had 
now  to  feel  more  fully  than  before  the  outpouring  of  the  vial.  The  war 
was  directed  by  Moreau  to  Ulm,  the  first  great  fortress  on  the  upper  Dan- 
ube ;  and  thence,  still  by  the  line  of  the  Danube,  to  Ingolstadt,  until  at 
length,  in  the  winter  following,  the  victory  of  Hohenlinden,  on  the  Iser, 
one  of  its  tributaries,  having  decided  the  German  campaign,  peace  was 
sued  for  by  Austria.  *  *  *  The  campaign  of  Napoleon  is  traced 
along  the  Danube  from  Ulm  and  Ingolstadt  down  to  Vienna  and  the  old 
adjacent  camp  of  Attila.  The  battle  of  Austerlitz,  a  town  on  one  of  the 
northern  tributaries  of  the  same  great  German  river,  ended  the  war  and 
broke  the  power  of  Austria."     Vol.  3,  pp.  38^-386. 

The  chief  things  to  which  attention  should  be  directed  in  these  extracts 
are :  that  the  region  devastated  is  the  same  region  which  was  devastated  by 
Attila ;  that  it  was  a  region  abounding  in  streams  of  water  ;  that  these 
streams  of  water  ran  with  blood ;  and  that  in  these  respects  the  symbol  of 
the  vision  receives  its  ftilfillment. 

But  what  was  the  reason  for  these  terrible  judgments  ?  Though  there 
were  without  doubt  many  other  sins  which  called  down  the  vengeance  of 
heaven,  yet  no  one  can  question  the  fact,  that  the  sin  referred  to  by  the 
angel  was  the  chief;  for  those  lands  had  again  and  again  been  baptized 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  who  are^  dear  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  whose 
death  he  has  promised  to  avenge.  *'And  I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters 
say,  Thou  art  righteous,  0  Lord,  which  art,  and  wast,  and  shalt  be,  because 
thou  hast  judged  thus.  For  they  have  shed  the  blood  of  saints  and 
prophets,  and  thou  hast  given  them  blood  to  drink ;  for  they  are  worthy." 
We  will  not  enter  into  any  discussion  of  the  question  suggested  by  the 
mention  of  "  the  angel  of  the  waters,"  the  question  whether,  in  the  prov- 
idential government  of  God,  certain  countries  were  assigned  to  the  guard- 
ianship of  particular  angels.  The  Jews  thought  they  were.  And  though 
the  passage  we  are  now  considering^  the  words  of  Daniel  where  he  speaks  of 

23 


354  LBCTU&E   XLIY. 

<<  the  prince  of  the  kingdom  of  Persia,"  and  the  words  of  our  Lord  where 
he  says  of  children,  that  ^'  their  angels  do  always  hehold  the  face  of  my 
Father,"  seem  to  look  in  this  direction,  yet  direct  Scripture  proof  is  want- 
ing. All  that  it  is  necessary  for  us  to  know  in  order  to  understand  the 
words  under  consideration  is,  that  the  '^  angels  are  ministering  spirits  sent 
forth  to  minister  to  them  that  are  the  heirs  of  salvation,"  and  that  one  of 
these  ministering  spirits,  who  had  seen  the  terrihle  calamities  which  had 
tinged  with  blood  the  rivers  of  earth,  was  moved  to  declare  the  reason  for 
these  startling  judgments  of  the  Most  High. 

It  does,  at  first  sight,  seem  strange  that  the  loving  and  merciful  Father 
in  heavwi  would  permit  such  things  to  be  enacted  on  earth  as  those  which 
were  witnessed  during  the  reign  of  terror,  and  in  the  bloody  wars  which 
followed  it ;  but  the  angel,  who  knew  the  reasons,  could  see,  and  he  would 
have  us  see  that  God  was  righteous  though  he  judged  thus.  The  reason 
was,  that  those  men  who  were  thus  visited  had  shed  the  blood  of  the  saints 
and  prophets,  and  because  they  had  shed  the  blood  of  the  saints  and 
prophets,  Qod  had  given  them  blood  to  drink.  They  were  worthy  of  this 
punishment,  for  it  was  a  just  recompense  of  their  deeds.  But  had  the 
countries,  weakened  and  devastated  by  the  campaigns  of  Napoleon,  been 
notorious  tor  their  persecutions  ?  Had  the  valleys  of  the  Rhine,  and  the 
Danube,  and  the  Po  been  peculiarly  stained  with  saintly  blood  ?  To  these 
questions  but  one  answer  can  be  returned.  The  Huguenots  in  France,  the 
Albigenses  and  Waldenses  in  Piedmont,  and  in  other  parts  of  northern 
Italy,  the  Hussites  and  Lutherans  in  Austria,  had  all  suffered,  even  unto 
death,  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  The  countries  which  suffered  most  during 
the  campaigns  referred  to,  are  the  very  countries  which  are  most  notorions 
in  history  for  their  cruelty  to  the  members  of  the  true  church.  There  was 
scarcely  a  spot  on  which  a  soldier  of  France,  or  Austria,  or  Italy  was  killed, 
which  had  not  in  previous  centuries  been  honored  by  the  martyrdom  of 
some  of  Christ's  witnesses.  There  was  scarcely  a  stream  which  was  red- 
dened by  the  carnage  of  battle,  which  had  not  in  previous  centuries  been 
reddened  by  the  blood  of  martyred  saints.  The  just  retribution  of  Ood 
is  so  plainly  seen  in  these  calamities,  and  these  calamities  point  so  deariy 
to  the  cruelties  which  preceded  them,  that  the  historian  says,  *'  the  impar- 
tial justice  of  providence  made  that  terrific  period  the  means  of  punishing 
the  national  sins  of  the  contending  parties." 

And  the  righteousness  of  God,  in  inflicting  these  sore  calamities  upon 
the  powers  which  had  persecuted  the  chureh,  receives  further  confirmation. 
To  the  cry  of  the  angel  of  the  waters,  there  comes  a  response  from  the 
heavenly  altar.  ''And  I  heard  another  out  of  the  altar  say.  Even  so,  Lord 
Grod  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments."  According  to  the 
improved  reading  of  the  standard  manuscripts,  this  verse  dMmU  read,  *'I 
heard  the  altar  say,"  &c.    The  very  altar  in  heaven  was  ready  to 


THE  SECOND  AND  THIRD  VIALS*  355 

the  justice  of  God.  We  are  here  reminded  of  what  oocurred  when  the 
fifth  seal  was  broken.  Then  the  apostle  saw  under  the  altar  the  souls  of 
them  that  were  slain  for  the  word  of  Ood  and  for  the  testimony  which  they 
gave.  In  the  present  instance,  it  seems  that  the  altar  spake  for  the  mar- 
tyred souls  who  were  under  it  when  it  said,  ^*  Even  so,  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty, just  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments."  They  knew  that  the 
judgments  of  God  were  true  to  the '  promises  he  had  made  and  on  which 
they  trusted.  They  knew  that  his  judgments  were  righteous,  that  is, 
in  accordance  with  right  and  justice.  Those  who  are  yet  on  the  earth, 
blinded  as  they  are  by  sin,  and  enveloped  in  the  smoke  and  dust  of  present 
conflicts,  are  not  able  in  many  of  the  eyents  of  providence  to  see  the  truth 
and  righteousness  of  God's  judgments,  but  those  who  are  in  heaven  can 
see  what  we  are  not  able  to  see.  When  we  enter  heaven,  if,  through  divine 
grace,  this  blessed  privilege  will  ever  be  ours,  we  will  say,  concerning  the 
darkest  and  most  mysterious  trials  of  our  earthly  pilgrimage,  "  Even  so. 
Lord  God  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments." 

It  will  therefore  be  seen  that  there  are  reasonable  grounds  for  supposing 
that  the  symbols  of  the  third  vial  receive  their  fulfillment  in  the  calamities 
which  were  brought  upon  central  and  southern  Europe  by  the  campaigns 
of  Napoleon.  These  calamities  followed  soon  after  the  reign  of  terror  and 
the  maritime  disasters  of  France.  They  came  with  special  force  upon  the 
countries  abounding  in  rivers  and  streams  of  water.  They  were  attended 
with  such  loss  of  human  life  that  the  rivers  and  streams  of  water  were  in 
many  instances  red  with  human  blood.  They  came  upon  a  region  in  which 
there  had  been  great  persecutions,  and  they  were  a  just  retribution  for  pre- 
Tious  persecutions.  We  are,  then,  justified  in  concluding  that  these  calamities 
ace  the  events  shadowed  forth  when  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters. 

We  are  here  reminded,  as  we  are  in  many  other  places  in  the  Scriptures, 
of  the  fact  that  God's  punishments  often  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to 
the  sins  for  which  they  are  infiioted.  Those  nations  had  shed  the  blood  of 
the  saints,  and  their  blood  was  shed.  Similar  instances  are  many.  Jacob 
deceived  his  finther,  and  his  children  deceived  him.  David  violated  the 
sanctity  of  the  fiunily  relation,  and  the  sanctity  of  his  own  home  was  vio- 
lated. Adonibezek  received  the  same  mutilation  he  had  infiicted  on  his 
captives.  In  the  Psalms  it  is  mentioned  again  and  again  as  a  reason  for 
thanksgiving,  that  the  wicked  are  often  caught  in  the  very  snares  which 
they  laid  for  others.  The  Saviour's  declaration  that  those  who  take  the 
sword  wUl  perish  with  the  sword,  has  often  been  verified.  But  whether 
the  punishment  will  be  similar  to  the  transgression  or  not,  one  thing  is 
certain-— the  punishment  will  come.  There  is  but  one  way  of  escape. 
^  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way,  when  his 
wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little.  Blessed  are  all  they  that  put  their  trust  in 
him." 


356  LBOTUBE  XLV. 


LECTURE    XLV. 


THE   FOURTH   AND  FIFTH   VIALS. 

And  the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun ;  and  power  was  given 
unto  him  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and 
blasphemed  the  name  of  Gk)d,  which  hath  power  over  these  plagues :  and  they 
repented  not  to  give  him  glory.  And  the  fifth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon 
the  seat  of  the  beast ;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness ;  and  they  gnawed 
their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blasphemed  the  Gk>d  of  heaven,  because  of  their  pains 
and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds. — Rsy.  16 : 8-11. 

We  have  now,  in  our  exposition,  reached  the  fourth  vial.  In  previous 
lectures  we  saw  that  we  had  reasonable  grounds  for  supposing  that  the 
symbol  of  the  first  vial  shadowed  forth  the  reign  of  terror ;  that  the  sym- 
bol of  the  second  vial  shadowed  forth  the  maritime  disasters  of  France  and 
her  allies,  and  that  the  symbol  of  the  third  vial  shadowed  forth  the  cam- 
paigns of  Napoleon,  which  made  the  streams  of  central  and  southern 
Europe  run  with  blood.  With  the  help  derived  from  these  lectures,  we 
will  have  little  difficulty  in  understanding  the  symbol  which  appeared  when 
the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial. 

I.  The  pouring  out  of  the  fourth  yial  is  described  as  follows :  "And 
the  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun ;  and  power  was  given 
unto  him  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  And  men  were  scorched  with  great  heat, 
and  blasphemed  the  name  of  God,  which  hath  power  over  these  plagues : 
and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory."  Perhaps  the  remark  should 
have  been  made  at  an  earlier  stage  of  our  exposition,  that  the  events  sup- 
posed to  be  shadowed  forth  by  the  first  vials  do  not  follow  each  other  in 
clearly  defined  chronological  order ;  that  is,  the  events  symbolized  under 
one  vial  are  not  fully  accomplished  before  the  events  symbolised  under  the 
next  vial  begin.  The  vials  overlap  each  other.  The  events  symbolized  by 
them  are  in  part  contemporaneous.  But  though  each  vial  b^ns  to  be 
poured  out  before  the  preceding  one  is  entirely  emptied,  the  events  shad- 
owed forth  are  so  distinct  that  we  have  had  no  difficulty  in  tracing  them  in 
history. 

The  fourth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun.  In  this  respect,  thb 
vision  differs  from  the  preceding  ones.  The  first  vial  was  poured  out  upon 
the  land ;  the  second  upon  the  sea ;  the  third  upon  rivers  and  fountains 
of  waters ;  the  fourth  upon  the  sun.  The  heavenly  bodies  are  symbols  of 
earthly  rulers.  The  sun  and  moon  have  been  uniformly  explained  in  this 
way  in  all  similar  visions  in  this  book.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that  in 
the  present  instance  the  sun  is  a  symbol  of  kings  and  princes,  and  that  the 
calamity  shadowed  forth  under  this  vial  is  to  fall  with  special  force  upon 


THE  FOURTH   AND  FIFTH   VIALS.  867 

them.  The  symbol,  then,  b  easily  understood.  When  the  fourth  angel 
poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun,  there  seemed  to  be  such  a  change  in  the 
sun  that  it  sent  forth  unnatural  heat.  Men  were  scorched  by  it  as  if  they 
were  burned  in  the  fire.  Imagine  such  a  scene  as  John  saw  in  his  vision. 
The  burning  heat  of  the  sun  was  so  much  increased  that  men  were  scorched 
and  blistered  by  it.  You  will  observe  that  it  is  not  said  that  death  was 
the  result,  but  that  there  was  agony  which  was  even  worse  than  death* 
And  while  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  death  would  sometimes  follow, 
yet  this  symbol  is  to  be  interpreted  as  one  of  suffering  rather  than  as  one 
of  death,  for  the  symbol  ia  one  of  scorching  heat,  and  not  one  of  blood.  But 
though  the  calamity  shadowed  forth  would  not  be  as  fatal  to  human  life  as 
the  calamities  shadowed  forth  under  the  preceding  vials,  it  would  be  a  sore 
calamity.  This  is  evident  from  the  symbol  itself  If  the  heat  of  the  sun 
should  ever  become  so  great  that  men  would  be  scorched  by  it,  though 
death  would  sometimes  follow,  the  sufferings  of  the  living  would  be  worse 
than  death.  Yet  this  great  suffering  produced  no  beneficial  effects  upon  the 
lives  of  men.  Though  these  sufferings  were  the  plagues  of  God,  though 
they  were  manifestly  inflicted  on  account  of  sin,  yet  men  did  not  repent  of 
the  sins  of  which  they  were  guilty,  nor  did  they  give  God  the  glory.  They 
blasphemed  his  holy  name.  Their  suffering  did  not  lead  to  repentance, 
but  to  hardness  of  heart. 

This  is  the  symbol  of  the  fourth  vial.  In  looking  for  its  fulfillment  in 
history,  the  following  points  must  be  taken  into  consideration  :  the  events 
shadowed  forth  must  be  closely  connected  with  the  events  shadowed  forth 
under  the  previous  vials,  and  there  must  not  be  a  long  interval  between 
them.  This  vision  must  have  special  reference  to  civil  rulers,  and  it  must 
indicate  some  change  in  civil  rulers,  similar  to  that  which  would  take  place 
in  the  natural  world  if  the  heat  of  the  sun  was  increased  sevenfold.  The 
event  must  be  a  calamitous  one,  one  which  would  be  attended  with  great  suf- 
fering and  with  some  loss  of  life— such  suffering  and  loss  of  life  as  would  be 
in  the  natural  world  if  men  would  be  scorched  by  the  heat  of  the  sun.  And 
this  event  would  not  be  followed  by  repentance.  Men  would  still  blaspheme 
God  and  refuse  to  give  gloiy  to  his  name. 

Let  us  turn  to  the  pages  of  history,  and  see  whether  there  is  any  event 
recorded  there  in  which  these  conditions  are  fulfilled.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  and  as  a  sequel  to  the  French  revolution,  great 
changes  were  made  in  the  governments  of  Europe,  l^e  victorious  Napoleon 
made  and  unmade  kings  at  his  pleasure.  Old  kingdoms  were  broken  to 
pieces  and  new  ones  were  builded  upon  their  ruins.  Ancient  dynasties 
were  overthrown  and  new  ones  were  established.  Let  us  enumerate  a  few 
of  these  changes.  The  king  of  Sardinia  was  dethroned.  After  the  battle 
of  AusterlitB,  Napoleon  compelled  the  emperor  of  Germany  to  renounce 
his  title  of  emperor  of  the  holy  Roman  empire,  which  he  had  held  ever 


358  LECTURE  XLV. 

since  the  days  of  Oharlemagne,  for  more  than  a  thouBand  years.  And  with 
his  title  a  yery  considerable  part  of  his  empire  was  taken  away.  By  the 
battle  of  Jena,  the  power  of  Prussia  was  overthrown,  and  half  of  the 
dominions  of  its  king  was  wrested  from  him  and  given  to  others.  At  the 
same  time,  Napoleon  made  his  brother  Jerome  king  of  Westphalia,  his 
brother  Lonis  king  of  Holland,  his  brother  Joseph  king  of  Spain,  his 
general  Murat  king  of* Naples,  and  many  other  kingdoms  and  provinces 
were  distributed  among  his  favorites  and  officers.  Even  the  emperor  of 
Austria,  defeated  in  the  campaign  which  was  ended  by  the  celebrated  battle 
of  Wagram,  was  compelled  to  purchase  peace  by  giving  his  daughter  to 
Napoleon  in  marriage.  It  has  been  said  that  between  the  years  1806  and 
1818,  the  period  supposed  to  be  referred  to  by  the  fourth  vial,  more  kings 
were  made  and  unmade  than  in  the  whole  history  of  Christendom  before. 
These  changes  which  Napoleon  made  in  the  kings  and  kingdoms  of  Eorope, 
we  believe  to  be  what  was  shadowed  forth  by  the  vial  poured  out  upon  the 
sun.  This  belief  is  confirmed  by  the  parallel  vision  in  the  destruction  of 
the  old  Roman  empire,  which  is  recorded  chapter  8  :  12.  The  symbol  of 
the  fourth  vial  is  so  similar  to  the  symbol  of  the  fourth  trumpet,  that  the 
interpretation  of  the  latter  will  throw  light  upon  the  interpretation  of  the 
former.  What  was  the  interpretation  of  the  fourth  trumpet  ?  As  we  saw 
in  a  previous  lecture,  that  trumpet  shadowed  forth  the  invasion  of  the  empire 
by  Odoacer  and  the  Heruli.  By  these  barbarians,  the  Western  empire  was 
overthrown;  the  emperor  Augustulus  was  compelled  to  abdicate;  the  son, 
moon  and  stars  of  the  civil  powers  were  darkened.  Certainly,  then,  there 
are  ]%asonable  grounds  for  supposing  that  the  similar  cfymbol  of  the  fourth 
vial  is  fulfilled  in  the  similar  events  of  a  later  period ;  that  is,  in  the  oter- 
throw  of  old  kingdoms  and  the  establishment  of  new  ones,  changes  which 
were  accomplished  by  the  victorious  armies  of  Napoleon. 

Were  these  political  changes  attended  with  loss  of  life  and  great  suffering? 
To  this  question  but  one  answer  can  be  returned.  For  a  time,  all  Europe 
was  scorched  with  the  fire  of  Napoleon's  artillery  and  musketry,  and  the  lives 
of  multitudes  were  destroyed  by  that  fire.  But,  as  has  been  intimated,  this 
vial  was  distinguished  not  so  much  by  loss  of  life  as  by  great  suffering.  The 
loss  of  life  is  shadowed  forth  under  the  previous  vials,  whose  symbols  were  of 
blood ;  but  great  suffering  is  shadowed  forth  under  this  vial,  whose  symbol 
is  scorching  heat.  While  Napoleon  was  making  and  unmaking  kings,  there 
was  great  suffering.  Look  at  the  conscription  in  France.  The  very  life 
blood  of  the  land  was  drawn  into  the  army.  The  married  were  torn  firom 
their  homes ;  the  natural  protectors  of  widowed  mothers  and  of  oiphaa 
children  were  forced  into  the  ranks.  Every  man  who  was  able  to  cany  a 
musket  was  compelled  to  live  a  soldier's  life,  and  was  exposed  to  a  soldier's 
death.  So  great  was  the  mortality  in  the  campaigns  of  Napoleon,  that  at 
the  close  of  his  career  there  were  nearly  three  times  as  many  women  as 


THV  FOURTH  AND  FIFTH  VIALS.  359 

men  in  France.  And  the  sufferings  ef  the  oounUies  that  were  invaded 
were  even  greater.  They  were  lefl  in  desolation  and  ruins.  Before  the 
conqueror,  there  was  a  garden  of  Eden ;  behind  him,  was  a  howling  wilder- 
ness. His  track  through  the  world  was  marked  by  forsaken  homes,  and 
burned  cities,  and  poverty,  and  starvation,  and  death.  The  lands  which 
were  visited  by  his  armies  were  swept  as  bare  as  if  they  had  been  scorched 
with  fire.  This  part  of  the  symbol,  then,  receives  its  fulfillment.  Men  were 
scorched  as  if  with  great  heat. 

Did  these  sufferings  lead  men  to  repentance  and  to  give  glory  to  Ood  ? 
To  this  question  but  one  answer  can  be  returned.  There  was  no  general 
turning  to  God.  Men  continued  in  the  practice  of  their  former  sins.  Cruel- 
ties, Hoentiousness  and  infidelity  still  disgraced  society.  But  as  we  will 
have  occasion  to  speak  more  at  length  of  the  continued  impenitence  and 
l^phemy  of  men  under  the  visitations  of  God,  when  we  come  to  consider 
the  fifth  vial,  we  may  pass  over  these  things  for  the  present,  with  the  remark 
that  in  spite  of  the  sufferings  of  the  fourth  vial,  "  men  blasphemed  the  name 
of  God." 

All  the  neoessaiy  conditions  to  a  satisfactory  explanation  of  the  fourth 
vial  are,  therefore,  fulfilled  in  the  political  changes  which  were  accomplished 
by  Napoleon.  These  changes  were  wrought  in  rulers  and  goyernments ; 
tkey  closely  followed  the  events  shadowed  forth  under  the  previous  vials  ; 
they  were  attended  with  loss  of  life  and  great  suffering;  they  did  not  lead 
men  to  repentance  and  reformation.  We  have,  therefore,  reasonable  grounds 
for  supposing  that  these  political  changes,  by  which  old  dynasties  were  over- 
throvm  and  new  ones  established,  are  the  events  shadowed  forth  when  the 
fonrth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sun. 

II.  We  come  now  to  ths  fifth  vial.  '-And  the  fiflh  angel  poured 
out  his  vial  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast;  and  his  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness ; 
and  they  gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain,  and  blasphemed  the  Gk>d  of  heaven 
because  of  their  pains  and  their  sores,  and  repented  not  of  their  deeds.'' 
The  beast  here  referred  to  is  the  first  beast  of  chapter  XIII,  the  beast  with 
seyen  heads  and  ten  horns,  which  rose  from  the  sea.  The  meaning  of  this 
synibol  has  already  been  explained.  It  is  the'symbol  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
We  will  not  now  review  the  arguments  by  which  this  conclusion  was  reached. 
We  will  take  it  for  granted  that  the  arguments  and  the  conclusion  are  correct. 
If  the  beast  is  the  church  of  Rome,  the  seat  or  throne  of  the  beast  is  the  city 
of  Rome.  This  city  was  the  centre  of  the  power  of  the  Papal  church,  the 
ibrone  from  which  it  ruled  the  world.  The  calamity,  then,  shadowed  forth 
by  this  vial  was  to  fall  with  special  force  upon  the  city  of  Rome.  In  this 
respect,  it  differs  from  the  calamities  of  the  preceding  vials.  They  were 
poured  out  upon  the  land,  the  sea,  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters,  and 
the  sun,  shadowing  forth  the  calamities  which  were  to  fall  upon  the  land ; 


360  LECTURE  XLV. 

the  oommerce,  fleets  and  maritime  possessions  of  the  kingdoms  referred  to; 
the  kingdoms  which  abounded  with  rivers  of  water;  and  apon  the  rulers 
of  those  kingdoms.  These  calamities,  therefore,  touched  and  harmed  only 
the  outskirts  of  the  Papal  church ;  but  the  calamity  shadowed  forth  by  the 
fifch  vial  was  to  fall  upon  the  city  of  Rome  itself,  the  very  seat  of  the  beast. 

This  calamity  was  to  be  attended  with  great  distress  and  suffering.  The 
kingdom  of  the  beast  was  to  be  filled  with  darkness.  Darkness  is  a  wdl 
known  emblem  of  disorder  and  distress.  And  that  there  might  be  no  mistake 
in  this  matter,  we  are  further  told  that  they  gnawed  their  tongues  with  pain. 
The  meaning  of  this  expression  cannot  be  misunderstood.  It  indicates  great 
suffering  and  intense  anguish.  We  are  not,  therefore,  to  look  for  a  calamity 
which  would  be  attended  with  great  loss  of  life,  for  the  symbol  is  not  one 
of  blood.  We  are  to  look  for  a  calamity  which  would  be  attended  with 
great  distress  and  suffering,  for  the  symbol  is  one  of  darkness  and  of  men 
gnawing  their  tongues  with  pain. 

This  calamity  would  not  be  followed  by  repentance.  SucIl  a  calamity 
should  lead  men  to  see  their  sins  and  to  turn  from  them ;  but  so  great  was 
their  blindness  and  hardness  of  heart,  that  all  was  in  vain.  They  still 
blasphemed  the  Grod  of  heaven. 

Therefore,  in  looking  for  the  fulfillment  of  the  fifth  vial,  the  following 
points  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  The  event  shadowed  forth  must 
fqllow  soon  after  and  be  closely  connected  with  the  events  shadowed  forth 
by  the  previous  vials.  The  calamity  must  fall  with  special  force  upon  the 
city  of  Rome,  for  this  city  is  the  seat  or  throne  of  the  power  symboliied 
by  the  beast.  It  must  be  one  of  great  distress  and  suffering.  It  would 
not  turn  men  from  their  blasphemy  to  repentance.  It  would  not  be  the 
final  and  complete  overthrow  of  the  beast,  for  this  overthrow,  we  are  expressly 
told,  is  to  be  completed  under  the  seventh  vial. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  history  and  see  if  we  can  find  any  event  or  events  in 
which  these  conditions  are  fulfilled.  After  the  battle  of  Wagram,  in  the 
year  1809,  Napoleon  issued  his  two  famous  decrees,  one  from  Schoenbrann, 
and  the  other  from  Vienna.  By  the  former,  the  Pope's  temporal  authority 
over  the  Roman  states  was  abolished;  by  the  latter,  Rome  was  incorporated 
with  France,  and  made  the  second  city  of  the  empire.  These  we  bdieve 
to  be  the  first  drops  of  the  vial  which  were  poured  upon  the  seat  of  the 
beast.  Of  course,  before  this  time,  in  the  calamities  shadowed  forth  under 
the  previous  vials,  the  Papal  power  had  been  crippled  and  weakened,  but  now 
Rome  began  to  feel,  more  than  ever  before,  the  just  judgments  of  the  righteous 
God.  These  decrees  of  Napoleon  did  not  continue  long  in  force,  for  a  fSsw 
years  afterwards  his  power  was  broken  and  the  secular  dominions  of  the 
pope  were  restored  to  him.  But  ever  since  that  time  the  pope  has  been 
seated  less  securely  on  his  throne  and  has  had  a  less  firm  hold  on  the 
Catholic  nations  of  the  world.     In  France,  Spain,  Portugal  and  Italy,  his 


THE  FOURTH   AND  FIFTH  VIALS.  861 

bulk  have  been  laughed  at,  and  the  revenaea  of  the  church  have  been 
diverted.  But  all  these  things  were  only  the  first  drops  of  the  vial.  In 
the  year  1848  it  began  to  be  poured  out  more  abundantly.  By  the  revo- 
lution of  that  year  the  pope  was  driven  from  Rome  by  his  own  subjects, 
and  a  republic  was  established  in  the  very  city  of  the  Papacy.  The  most 
of  us  have  not  entirely  forgotten  the  events  of  that  time  as  they  were  spread 
before  us  in  the  papers  of  the  day.  The  pope  was  surrounded  by  troops 
in  his  own  palace  and  compelled  to  obey  their  bidding.  Who  has  forgotten 
the  humiliation  of  his  escape  ?  Disguised  as  a  German  physician,  under 
the  cover  of  the  darkness  of  midnight,  in  a  private  carriage  which  was 
waiting  for  him,  carrying  in  his  hand  the  golden  ball  which  contained  the 
sacred  wafer,  he  fled  from  his  own  kingdom  and  found  refuge  among 
strangers.  And  though  he  was  soon  brought  back  and  maintained  on  his 
throne  by  foreign  bayonets,  this  was  a  blow  from  which  the  Papal  power 
never  recovered.  And  the  vial  was  to  be  poured  out  yet  more  abundantly 
upon  the  seat  of  the  beast.  We  need  not  trace  the  steps  which  have  led  to 
united  Italy.  Jhey  are  yet  fresh  in  our  memory.  One  Papal  state  after 
another  was  wrested  from  the  pope,  until,  in  1870,  the  soldiers  of  Victor 
Emanuel  entered  Rome  and  the  pope  was  stripped  of  the  last  vestige  of 
his  temporal  power.  From  that  time  Rome  has  been  the  capital  of  Italy, 
and  the  pope  has  been,  so  he  asserts,  the  prisoner  of  the  Vatican.  In  all 
these  events,  but  especially  the  last,  we  see  the  fulfillment  of  the  fifth  vial. 
Ever  since  the  year  1870  the  pope  has  been  stripped  of  his  temporal  power, 
which  for  many  years  before  had  been  growing  smaller  and  smaller.  He 
has  not  now  a  soldier  to  enforce  his  decrees,  or  an  acre  of  territory  over 
which  he  can  reign  as  king.  The  vial  has  been  poured  out  upon  the  very 
throne  of  the  beast,  and  under  the  outpouring  of  that  vial  that  throne  is 
crumbling  into  dust.  We  have, 'therefore,  reasonable  grounds  for  supposing 
that  the  symbol  of  the  fifth  vial  is  fulfilled  in  the  reverses  which  have  be- 
fidlen  the  pope,  reverses  which  have  terminated  in  despoiling  him  of  his 
temporal  dominions.  ' 

But  haye  these  reverses  been  attended  with  darkness  and  with  gnawing 
of  tongues  for  pain  ?  In  other  words,  have  they  been  attended  with  dis- 
tress, disorder  and  suffering  ?  In  all  these  revolutions  the  revenue  of  the 
church  has  been  crippled,  and  its  property  has  been  taken  away.  From 
these  things  the  adherents  of  the  Papal  church  have  been  in  distress  and 
darkness.  They  did  not  know  what  would  befall  them  next.  When  they 
saw  the  property  of  the  church  taken  away,  the  church  weakened,  the 
pope  himself  a  fagitive  and  stripped  of  his  temporal  power,  they  in  figura- 
tive language  gnawed  their  tongues  in  pain  and  impotent  rage.  All  this 
is  too  well  known  and  of  too  recent  date  to  require  proof.  The  writings 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church  are  full  of  expressions  of  distress  and  anger. 
Look  at  the  contest  which  is  now  going  on  in  Qermany  between  the  gov- 


862  LECTURE  XLV. 

ernment  and  the  Papal  church ;  look  at  the  exoitemeot  in  England  oyer 
the  pamphlet  of  Gladstone  and  the  yarious  replies  it  haa  called  forth ;  look 
at  the  anxiety  which  the  leaders  and  members  of  that  church  eyerjwhere 
manifest,  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  a  condition  exactly  described  in  the 
words  under  consideration,  ^*  the  kingdom  was  full  of  darkness,  and  they 
gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain." 

Haye  these  reyerses  led  the  members  of  that  church  to  repentance?  Eyery 
one  acquainted  with  the  present  attitude  of  that  church  will  be  ready  to 
answer  this  question  in  the  negatiye.  They  still  continue  to  blaspheme  the 
name  of  God.  And  their  blasphemies  are  growing  greater  instead  of  less. 
What  is  blasphemy  ?  It  is  not  merely  the  improper  use  of  the  name  of 
God ;  it  is  claiming  the  powers  and  usurping  the  prerogatiyes  of  God.  The 
church  of  Rome  is  guilty  of  blasphemy  in  the  worship  of  images  ;  in  giying 
to  the  pope  the  glory  and  honor  which  are  due  to  God  alone ;  in  claiming 
for  him  the  power  of  pardoning  sin,  and  other  powers  which  belong  alone 
to  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  and  in  the  worship  which  it  pays 
to  saints  and  martyrs.  To  illustrate :  Diyine  worship  is  paid  to  the  Virgin 
Mary.  Take  these  extracts  from  a  manual  of  deyotion,  published  in  Rome 
in  1837,  called  ''The  daily  tribute,  or  affectionate  prayers  and  praises  for 
eyery  day  in  the  week,  to  the  immaculate  Mother  of  God,  the  mother  of 
mercy  and  refuge  of  sinners  ;  drawn  irom  the  works  of  the  seraphic  doctor 
Saint  Bonayentura : ''  '<  In  thee.  Oh  lady,  haye  I  put  my  trust ;  let  me  neyer 
be  put  to  confusion.  In  thy  grace  uphold  mc.  Thou  art  my  strength  and 
my  refuge ;  my  consolation  and  protection.  Unto  thee  haye  I  cried,  Oh 
lady,  when  my  heart  waa  in  heayiness,  and  thou  hast  heard  me  from  the 
tops  of  the  eyerlasting  hills.  Draw  me  out  of  the  net  that  they  haye  laid 
priyily  for  me ;  for  thou  art  my  helper  ;  into  thy  hands,  Oh  lady,  I  com- 
mend my  spirit :  my  whole  life  and  my  last  day.  We  praise  thee,  the 
mother  of  God ;  we  acknowledge  thee,  Mary  the  Virgin.  All  the  earth 
doth  worship  thee,  the  spouse  of  the  eternal  Father.  To  thee  all  angels  and 
archangels,  to  thee  thrones  and  principiUities  do  seryice.  To  thee  the  whole 
angelic  creation,  with  neyer-ceasing  yoice,  cry  aloud,  Holy,  holy,  holy 
mother,  the  parent  of  God,  mother  and  Virgin.  Heayen  and  earth  are  full 
of  the  majesty  of  the  glory  of  the  fruit  of  thy  womb.  The  church  through- 
out the  world,  by  inyoking  thee,  doth  celebrate  thee,  the  mother  of  the 
Diyine  Majesty.*' 

Equally  blasphemous  is  the  doctrine  of  the  immaculate  conception  of  the 
Virgin  Mary,  which  teaches  that  the  Virgin  Mary  was  not  only  free  fh>m 
actual  sin,  but  also  from  all  stain  of  original  sin.  This  doctrine  does  not 
belong  to  the  darkness  of  the  middle  ages.  It  was  defined  as  an  article  of  faith 
by  the  late  pope,  December  8,  1854.  And  this  doctrine,  which  is  so  clearly 
contrary  to  the  holy  Scriptures,  must  be  counted  among  the  great  blas- 
phemies of  the  Roman  church. 


THE   SIXTH   VIAL.  363 

Bat  the  crowning  blasphemy  of  that  church  is  of  still  more  recent  date. 
On  July  18, 1870,  the  Boman  pontiflF  was  declared  infallible.  The  words 
of  the  decree  are  as  follows :  "  We  teach  and  define  that  it  is  a  dogma  di- 
▼inely  revealed,  that  the  Roman  pontiff,  when  he  speaks  ex  cathedra,  that 
is,  when,  in  the  discharge  of  the  office  of  pastor  and  doctor  of  all  Christians, 
by  virtae  of  his  supreme  anihority,  he  defines  a  doctrine  regarding  &ith 
and  morals  to  be  held  by  the  universal  church,  by  the  divine  assistance 
promised  to  him  in  blessed  Peter,  is  possessed  of  that  infallibility  with  which 
the  divine  Redeemer  willed  that  his  church  should  be  endowed  for  defining 
doctrines  regarding  faith  and  morals  ;  and  that,  therefore,  such  definitions 
of  the  Roman  pontiffs  are  irreformable  of  themselves,  and  not  by  the  con- 
sent of  the  church.''  American  Encyclopedia,  article  Infallihility,  As 
God  alone  is  infallible,  to  claim  this  attribute  for  any  mere  man  is  blasphemy 
in  the  highest  degree,  which  is  not  surpassed  by  any  of  which  the  Papal 
church  was  guilty  in  the  darkest  period  of  its  history.  In  these  things, 
as  well  as  in  others  which  might  be  mentioned,  we  have  the  fulfillment  of 
the  words  under  consideration,  "  They  blasphemed  the  Qod  of  heaven." 
The  reverses  which  fell  upon  the  pope  and  the  Papal  states,  instead  of  lead- 
ing the  members  of  that  church  to  repentance,  only  led  them  to  greater 
and  still  greater  blasphemy. 

But  these  events,  supposed  to  be  shadowed  forth  under  the  fiflh  vial,  did 
not  aocomplish  the  final  overthrow  of  that  church.  It  still  rules  over  the 
ifeinds  of  multitudes  and  claims  and  exercises  its  spiritual  power.  Its  final 
overthrow,  when  the  last  remnant  of  its  Fpiritual  power  will  be  taken  away, 
wUl  not  be  till  the  seventh  angel  pours  out  his  vial  into  the  air,  and  a  voice 
from  heaven  proclaims,  ''  It  is  done.'' 

From  these  remarks,  it  is  evident  that  all  the  necessary  conditions  of  the 
symbol  of  the  fiflh  vial  are  fulfilled  in  the  reverses  which  befell  the  pope 
and  the  Roman  states,  and  which  terminated,  in  1870,  in  stripping  the 
pope  of  the  last  vestige  of  his  temporal  power.  We  have  therefore  rea- 
sonable ground  for  supposing  that  these  reverses  are  the  events  shadowed 
forth  by  the  angel  pouring  out  his  vial  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast. 


LECTURE    XLVI. 


THE  SIXTH  VIAL. 

And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates  ;  and 
the  water  thereof  was  dried  up,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  east  might  be 
prepared.  And  I  saw  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of 
the  dragon,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
false  prophet.  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which  ^o 
forth  unto  the  kings  of  the  earth  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  tne 
battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty.— Rev.  16  :  12-14. 


364  LECTUBB  XLYI. 

If  oar  theory  of  interpretation  ifl  correct,  our  ezpoeition  has  brought  na 
to  the  present  time ;  and  we  must  expect  that  the  sixth  and  seyenth  vials 
will  refer  to  events  which  are  yet  future.  In  our  present  lecture,  there- 
fore, we  enter  upon  a  new  and  important  field.  Heretofore  we  have  inves- 
tigated  symbols  which  have  been  fulfilled ;  hereafter  we  are,  for  the  most 
part,  to  investigate  symbols  which  are  yet  to  be  fulfilled.  In  our  past 
lectures  we  have  traced  the  histoiy  of  the  world  from  the  time  of  John 
till  the  present ;  in  our  future  lectures  we  are  to  study  the  symbols  which 
the  Spirit  has  chosen  to  shadow  forth  the  prominent  events  in  the  history 
of  the  world  from  the  present  till  the  end.  As  we  turn  from  the  fulfilled 
to  the  unfulfilled,  it  will  be  well  to  lay  down  some  general  principles  for 
our  government  in  our  subsequent  investigations. 

1.  In  un^lfilled  prophecy,  there  mu3t  be  a  resemblance  between  the 
symbols  and  the  things  symbolized.  This  is  the  case  in  all  fulfilled 
prophecy.  As  we  have  compared  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse  with  the 
history  of  the  world,  we  have  been  astonished,  and  sometimes  startled,  by 
the  resemblance.  And  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  this  resemblance 
will  be  as  marked  in  unfulfilled  prophecy  as  it  has  been  in  fulfilled. 

2.  The  interpretation  of  unfulfilled  prophecy  is  difficult.  The  interpre- 
tation of  fulfilled  prophecy  is  difficult  enough ;  but  how  much  greater  must 
be  the  difficulties  attending  the  interpretation  of  unfulfilled  prophecy! 
The  symbols  employed  are  so  wisely  chosen  that  they  do  not  point  with 
undoubted  certainty  to  the  events.  It  is  only  after  the  events  that  we  can 
be  certain  as  to  their  meaning.  The  difficulty  in  the  interpretation  of  un- 
fulfilled prophecy  is  seen  in  the  whole  history  of  the  church.  The  proph- 
ecies concerning  the  Messiah  appear  to  us  very  plain,  but  the  Jews  who 
lived  before  the  incarnation  found  difficulty  in  interpreting  them.  The 
prophecies  which  have  been  fulfilled  in  the  past  history  of  the  nations  seem 
to  us  very  plain,  but  the  Others  found  difficulty  in  interpreting  them. 
We  must,  therefore,  expect  greater  difficulties  in  interpreting  that  part  of 
the  Apocalypse  which  relates  to  the  future,  than  we  have  experienoed  in 
interpreting  that  part  which  relates  to  the  past. 

3.  The  difficulty  in  interpreting  unfulfilled  prophecy  arises  mainly  horn 
the  fact  that  in  such  interpretation  we  can  no  longer  be  guided  by  history. 
Heretofore  our  plan  has  been  to  explain  the  symbols,  and  then  to  oompai« 
them  with  well  known  historical  fiicts;  but  in  our  future  interpretations, 
this  plan,  for  obvious  reasons,  cannot  be  followed. 

4.  In  the  interpretation  of  unfulfilled  prophecy,  we  must  speak  with 
humble  diffidence.  This  is  no  field  for  positive  assertion.  Those  who 
have  interpreted  unfulfilled  prophecy  by  declaring  with  all  assurance  the 
events  which  are  to  take  place,  and  the  time  and  manner  of  their  occur- 
rence, have  again  and  again  been  put  to  shame.  It  is  not  for  us  to  say 
how  or  when  God  will  fulfill  the  symbols  of  the  future.     These  times  and 


THE  SIXTH   VIAL.  365 

seaaons  are  in  his  own  hand.  It  becomes  us,  in  oar  attempts  to  interpret 
onfdlfilled  prophecy,  to  speak  with  humble  diffidence.  If,  in  future  lectures, 
we  should  seem  to  speak  dogmatically  and  to  say  that  God  can  fulfill  his 
inspired  symbols  only  in  this  way  or  in  that,  it  will  be  because  we  have 
forgotten  this  obvious  principle  in  the  interpretation  of  unfulfilled 
prophecy. 

5.  We  have  abundant  encouragement  to  study  unfulfilled  prophecy  and 
to  attempt  its  explanation.  In  the  very  opening  of  the  Apocalypse,  these 
encouraging  words  are  written:  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that 
hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written 
therein."  And  in  this  very  vision  it  is  said,  "Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments."  The  obvious  meaning  of  these  declarations  is 
this :  that  man  is  blessed  who  watches  for  the  fulfillment  of  these  prophe- 
cies, who  notes  the  indications  of  their  approach,  and  who  is  prepared  for 
the  predicted  events  when  they  come.  Surely,  then,  we  have  abundant 
encouragement  to  study  unfulfilled  prophecy  and  to  attempt  its  explanation. 

6.  The  plan  to  be  pursued  in  interpreting  unfulfilled  prophecy  is  to 
study  the  eymbols,  to  discover  in  what  events  they  would  receive  a  natural 
fulfillment,  and  then  to  suggest,  in  all  humility,  in  what  events  they  will 
probably  be  fulfilled.  This  is  the  plan  we  intend  to  follow.  If  any  are 
expecting  that  we  will  predict  the  year  when  the  world  will  come  to  an 
end,  or  the  events  which  will  certainly  take  place,  and  the  time  and  man- 
ner of  their  occurrence,  they  will  be  disappointed.  The  failures  which 
have  attended  such  predictions  in  the  past,  and  the  unalterable  conviction 
that  man  is  unable  to  fathom  the  unfulfilled  purposes  of  God,  forbid  such 
presumption.  We  will  only  study  the  symbols,  and  suggest  their  possible 
or  probable  fulfillment. 

Bearing  these  principles  in  mind,  we  are  ready  to  enter  upon  the  expo- 
sition of  the  sixth  vial,  which  carries  us  into  the  dark  but  not  very  remote 
foture.  The  pouring  out  of  this  vial  is  described  in  verses  12-16.  In 
ihese  verses  there  are  four  points,  which  will  be  noticed  in  their  order.  1. 
The  drying  up  of  the  river  Euphrates ;  2.  The  firog-like  spirits  which 
issued  out  of  the  mouths  of  the  dragon,  the  beast  and  the  fUse  prophet ; 
3.  The  note  of  warning ;  4.  The  great  gathering  of  Armageddon.  The 
first  two  points  will  be  sufficient  to  occupy  our  attention  in  the  present 
lecture.  In  suggesting  the  events  in  which  these  symbols  may  be  fulfilled, 
we  will  be  guided  by  the  natural  meaning  of  these  symbols,  by  the  inter- 
pretation of  similar  symbols  in  prophecies  which  have  been  fulfilled,  and 
by  any  other  indication  which  God  has  given,  either  in  the  history  of  the 
past  or  in  his  holy  word. 

L  We  are  to  notice  the  drtino  up  of  the  river  Euphrates. 
"And  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  great  river  Euphrates ; 


366  LEOTURE  XLVI. 

and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  ap,  that  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  east 
might  be  prepared.*'     The  Euphrates  is  a  well  known  river  of  Asia  to  the 
east  of  Palestine.     In  the  most  prosperous  days  of  Israel^  it  was  the  east- 
ern boundary  of  the  kingdom,  and  it  separated  the  people  of  God  from 
their  enemies  toward  the  rising  of  the  sun.     But  the  language  of  the 
verse  before  us  cannot  refer  to  the  literal  Euphrates,  or  to  any  literal  dry- 
ing up  of  that  river ;  for  then  it  would  not  be  a  symbol.     In  looking  for 
the  meaning  of  the  symbol  we  are  at  once  reminded  of  the  vision  contained 
in  chapter  9 :  13-21,  in  which  the  same  river  occupies  a  prominent  piaoe. 
In  a  previous  lecture  these  verses  were  explained  as  referring  to  the  Turk* 
ish  power,  which  was  let  loose  from  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  and  whlok 
continued  in  its  career  of  conquest  for  a  prophetic  hour,  and  day,  and 
month,  and  year ;  that  is,  for  about  three  hundred  and  ninety-one  literal 
years.     It  was  also  shown  that  the  symbols  of  the  vision  were  satisfactorily 
fulfilled  in  the  cavalry,  the  numbers,  the  uniform,  the  artillery  and  the 
standards  of  the  Turkish  army,  and  in  the  destruction  which  it  wrought 
in  the  countries  which  it  invaded.     We  will  now  take  it  for  granted  that 
these  symbols  were  correctly  explained.     If  the  river  Euphrates  was  the 
symbol  of  the  Turkish  power  under  the  sixth  trumpet,  we  are  certainly 
justified  in  concluding  that  this  river  is  the  s3rmbol  of  the  same  power 
under  the  sixth  vial.     And  if  the  Euphrates  is  the  symbol  of  the  Turkish 
power,  the  diying  up  of  that  river  would  be  the  symbol  of  the  gradual 
weakening  and  final  destruction  of  that  power.     Though  that  power  has 
not  yet  been  destroyed,  it  is  gradually  growing  weaker.     In  proof  of  this, 
we  might  review  the  history  of  the  Ottoman  empire  for  the  last  fifty  yeare. 
The  Greek  insurrection,  which  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  the  king- 
dom of    Greece,   the  rebellion   and   destruction   of  the  Janixaries,  the 
revolt   of    the    Egyptian    pasha,    the   Crimean   war,  and    many  other 
reverses  have  one  afler  another  crippled  that  great  power  which  once  ruled 
the  East.*     But  the  best  proof  is  to  be  found  in  the  present  condition 
of  that  empire.     This  condition  is  thus  described  by  Alison,  vol.  6,  p.  6. 
^'Generally  speaking,  the  country  is  retrograde,  and  exhibits  the  usual  and 
well  known  features  of  decaying  societies.     Beads  there  are  none,  exoept 
bridle  paths,  often  impassable  for  any  except  daring  horsemen ;  harbors  choked 
up ;  walls  falling  into  ruins ;  bridges  broken  down  and  never  repaired ;  villages 
wholly  deserted  or  consisting  of  a  few  huts  among  extensive  ruins;  rich  plains 
in  a  state  of  nature,  or  traversed  only  by  the  wandering  Arab,  who  seeks 
shelter  in  the  remains  of  former  magnificence,  are  the  general  features  of  the 
country.     The  Turkish  empire  is  perishing,  literally  speaking,  for  want  of 

*  Stirring  events  have  transpired  in  the  East  since  these  words  were  written. 
The  Turco-Russian  war,  which  humbled  the  pride  and  weakened  the  power  of 
the  Sultan,  has  passed  into  history.  The  treaty  of  Berlin  furnishes  unmistaka- 
ble evidence  that  the  mystical  Euphrates  is  drying  up ;  and  thus  becomes  a 
marvelous  interpreter  of  this  vision  of  the  Apocalypse. 


THE  SIXTH   VIAL.  367 

inhabitants ;  and  wbile  the  philosophers  of  Europe  were  contemplating  with 
dread  the  productive  powers  of  the  overflowing  inhabitants,  the  travelers 
in  Asia  were  anticipating  the  entire  disappearance  of  the  human  race  in 
the  regions  where  it  was  first  created,  and  ^here  the  most  ample  means 
were  provided  for  its  increase.  The  Ottoman  domains  present  from  day  to 
day  a  wide  void  for  anarchy  and  barbarism  to  rule  in  territories  without 
inhabitants,  tribes  without  rulers,  plains  without  culture.  No  foreign  in- 
terposition 18  necessary  to  complete  its  downfall ;  it  is  working  out  its  own 
rain ;  the  colossus  is  falling  without  even  a  hand  being  stretched  forth  to 
hurl  it  to  the  ground.  The  population,  thrown  back  upon  itself  is  ex- 
piring from  its  own  impotence ;  in  many  places,  it  no  longer  exists.  The 
Mussulman  race  is  reduced  to  nothing  in  the  sixty  thousand  square  leagues 
which  compose  its  immense  and  fertile  domain.  Except  in  the  capital  and 
a  few  great  cities,  there  is  scarcely  a  Turk  to  be  seen.  The  conquered 
races  have  generally  increased,  while  the  conquering  is  daily  dbappear- 
mg. 

From  this  description  in  the  calm  narrative  of  the  historian,  whose  ac- 
curacy may  be  relied  on,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  Turkish  empire  is  drying 
up,  and  that  its  Sultan  deserves  the  name  which  a  few  years  ago  was  so 
often  applied  to  bun,  ^*  The  Sick  Man  of  the  East."  Therefore,  the  present 
condition,  and  the  past  history  of  the  Turkish  empire,  as  well  as  the  natural 
meaning  of  the  symbol  we  are  now  considering,  leads  us  to  expect  that  the 
time  is  coming  when  that  empire  will  be  utterly  destroyed.  The  symbolical 
river  Euphrates  is  to  be  dried  up ;  it  will  no  longer  occupy  the  prominent 
place  which  it  has  filled  in  the  political  geography  of  the  world. 

The  reason  for  the  drying  up  of  the  river  is,  that  the  way  of  the  kings 
of  the  East  may  be  prepared.  The  figure  is  no  doubt  suggested  by  the 
drying  up  of  the  Red  sea  and  the  Jordan  before  the  advancing  hosts  of 
Israel*  A  river  without  bridges  and  without  fords  is  an  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  travelers  and  of  an  army ;  and  th^  drying  up  of  such  a  river  would 
naturally  symbolize  the  removal  of  such  an  obstacle.  Applying  this  natural 
interpretation  to  the  case  in  hand,  what  would  the  symbols  under  consider- 
ation lead  us  to  expect  ?  The  Euphrates  is  a  symbol  of  the'  Turkish  empire. 
ThiB  empire  is  an  obstacle  or  barrier  in  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  East. 
But  thb  kingdom  is  overthrown,  and  in  this  overthrow  the  obstacle  or 
barrier  is  taken  away  and  the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  East  is  prepared. 
But  who  are  meant  by  the  kings  of  the  East?  Some  expositors  reply  to 
this  question  by  saying  that  the  kings  of  the  East  are  the  Jews,  and  they 
explain  the  words  before  us  as  a  prediction  that  the  Jews  are  to  return  and 
take  possession  of  Palestine,  which  the  Turkish  power  has  held  for  so  many 
years.  But  the  scattered  Jews  are  nowhere  called  kings.  They  are  rather 
described  by  such  expressions  as  this  of  the  prophet,  ''a  nation  scattered 
and  peeled.*''    Nor  will  the  Jews,  even  if  they  are  to  be  gathered  in  the 


368  LECTURE  XLVI. 

land  of  their  fathers,  which  I  am  not  willing  to  admit,  come  exclusiTely 
from  the  East.  They  will  come  from  the  North,  and  Sonth,  and  East,  and 
West,  from  all  the  lands  in  which  they  are  wanderers.  For  these  reasons, 
the  phrase,  *^  the  kings  of  the  East,''  cannot  be  descriptive  of  the  Jews. 
It  is  more  natural  to  suppose  that  the  kings  of  the  East  are  the  kings  whose 
homes  and  kingdoms  are  in  the  East  We  know  that  the  kings  and  peoples 
of  the  earth  will  one  day  be  converted  to  Christianity,  for  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  it.  Kings  shall  become  nursing  fathers,  and  queens  nur- 
sing mothers  to  the  church.  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ.  Scores  of  other  promises  of  a  similar 
character  will  suggest  themselves  to  your  memory.  But  in  the  East,  the 
great  obstacle  to  this  conversion  to  Christianity  has  been  the  Turkish  power. 
It  has  persecuted  and  put  to  death  those  who  believed  in  Jesus.  It  has 
done  everything  it  could  do  to  hinder  the  spread  of  the  true  religion.  If  that 
power  was  entirely  dried  up,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  the  great  hin- 
drance in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  the  East  would  be 
removed ;  that  missionary  operations  would  be  more  successfril ;  and  that 
the  kings  of  the  East,  followed  by  their  people,  would  enter  the  spiritual 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 

This  is  the  most  natural  interpretation  of  this  part  of  the  vision.  The 
Ottoman  empire,  either  from  internal  weakness,  or  from  external  foes,  or 
from  both,  is  to  fall  to  pieces.  With  its  fall,  the  great  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  missionary  enterprise  in  the  East  will  be  removed,  and  those  nations 
which  have  long  been  in  bondage  will  be  blessed  with  the  freedom  where- 
with Christ  makes  his  people  free.  No  barrier  will  be  in  the  way  of  the 
kings  of  the  East  as  they  return  and  come  to  Zion  with  songs  of  everlasting 
joy.  The  obvious  meaning  of  the  symbols  employed,  the  history  of  the 
past,  and  the  outlook  of  the  future  all  lead  us  to  believe  that  this  is  the 
correct  interpretation  of  the  words,  "  the  sixth  angel  poured  out  his  vial 
upon  the  great  river  Euphrates,  and  the  water  thereof  was  dried  up,. that 
the  way  of  the  kings  of  the  East  might  be  prepared." 

II.  We  were  to  notice  the  three  froq-like  spirits,  which  issued 
from  the  dragon,  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet.  "And  I  saw  three  an- 
dean spirits  like  frogs  come  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out  of 
the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet.  For 
they  are  the  spirits  of  devils,  working  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the 
kings  of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather  them  to  the  battle 
of  that  great  day  of  God  Almighty."  The  symbols  are  here  plainlj 
described.  In  appearance  they  were  like  frogs.  Although  frogs  are  not 
spoken  of  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures  as  a  symbol,  they  are  among  men 
generally  regarded  as  symbols  of  pollution,  of  loquacity,  of  unreasoning 
complaint,  and  of  pride ;  and  we  may  expect  that  the  things  symbolised 


THE  SIXTH  VIAL.  369 

by  them  will  be  distiogaished  by  some  or  all  of  these  characteristics. 
These  frogs  are  described  as  spirits,  as  unclean  spirits,  and  as  the  spirits  of 
devils.  They  wonld  not,  therefore,  properly  be  symbols  of  persons,  but  of 
systems,  opinions,  or  influences.  And  we  may  expect  that  the  systems, 
opinions,  or  influences,  symbolized  by  them,  will  be  unclean  and  devilish  ; 
that  is,  they  will  be  unholy,  hostile  to  the  true  religion,  and  enemies  of 
God  and  his  church. 

The  first  of  these  unclean  spirits  came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon. 
While  we  may  be  in  doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  frog-like  spirit  which 
came  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  we  cannot  be  in  doubt  as  to  the 
meaning  of  the  dragon,  for  this  symbol  is  explained  in  chapter  12 :  9. 
''And  the  great  dragon  was  oast  out,  that  old  serpent,  called  the  Devil,  and 
Satan,  which  deoeiveth  the  whole  world."     The  dragon  is  the  symbol  of 
Satan.  In  the  lecture  in  which  the  vision  of  the  beautiful  woman,  whose  child 
wa£  caught  up  into  heaven,  and  who  was  compelled  to  flee  into  the  wilder- 
ness, was  discussed,  it  was  shown  that  the  special  power  of  Satan,  which 
was  there  symbolized,  was  the  persecuting  power  of  pagan  Rome,  which 
was,  without  question,  under  the  direction  of  the  devil.    But  it  is  manifest 
that  Satan,  who  deceives  the  whole  world,  is  not  only  the  god  of  paganism, 
strictly  so  called,  but  also  the  god  of  infidelity  of  every  form,  in  its  widest 
sense,  in  Christian  as  well  as  pagan  lands.     And  this  infidelity  we  believe 
to  be  the  frog-like  spirit  which  issued  from  the  mouth  5f  the  dragon. 
The  firog-like  spirit  would  be  an  appropriate  symbol  of  such  a  spirit  of  in- 
fidelity.    Infidelity  is  unclean,  for  infidels  in  Christian  and  in  pagan  lands 
are  unholy  in  their  lives.     It  is  proud  and  boastful,  for  infidel  science 
claims  to  know  more  of  the  works  of  Ood  in  nature  and  in  providence, 
than  God  himself.    It  is  devilish,  for  it  exerts  itself  to  build  up  the  king- 
dom of  Satan,  and  to  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  Christ.     Without  any 
question,  it  proceeds  from  Satan,  for  it  is  not  one  of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit, 
it  is  not  one  of  the  good  and  perfect  gifts  which  come  down  from  the 
Father  of  lights.     We  may,  therefore,  conclude  that  the  frog-like  spirit 
which  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon  is  the  spirit  of  infidelity. 

The  symbol  would  lead  us  to  believe  that  there  is  to  be  in  that  future 
time  which  is  here  referred  to,  a  great  increase  of  infidelity.  Satan  is  to 
send  forth  instruments  of  infidelity,  which  will  swarm  over  the  world,  as 
the  frogs  swarmed  over  the  land  of  Egypt  during  the  prevalence  of  the 
second  plague ;  and  by  these  instruments  he  is  to  make  a  mighty  effort  to 
stay  the  progress  of  Christianity  and  to  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
in  the  worldi  Are  there  any  indications  that  such  a  time  is  coming  ? 
^is  question,  every  man  who  is  acquainted  with  the  progress  of  modem 
thought  must  answer  in  the  affirmative.  In  pagan  lands,  the  old  pagan 
forms  of  infidelity  seem  to  be  galvanized  into  new  life.  This  is  noticeably 
the  case  in  India,  where  the  religion  of  Buddha  is  wonderfully  revived. 

24 


370  .  LBOTURS   XLVII. 

But  it  is  in  Christian  lands  that  the  activity  of  the  spirit  of  infidelity  is 
especially  noticeable.  Men  have  attacked  the  Christian  system  at  every 
point.  They  have  sought  to  prove  that  there  is  no  inspired  word,  no 
miracles  to  attest  its  inspiration,  no  Saviour  and  no  God.  Infidel  writings 
are  to  be  found  everywhere.  They  are  in  our  book  stores,  in  our  libraries, 
in  our  homes,  and  on  our  tables.  They  cover  the  land  as  the  firogs  did  the 
land  of  Egypt.  By  means  of  books,  lectures,  newspapers,  and  periodicals, 
infidel  sentiments  are  spreading  in  all  directions,  and  the  youth  of  Chris- 
tendom are  in  danger  of  pollution.  If  the  same  rate  of  progress  is  main- 
tained for  the  next  century  which  has  been  maintained  for  the  last  oentury, 
the  result  will  be  fearftil  to  contemplate.  This  we  believe  to  be  the 
meaning  of  the  frog-like  spirit  which  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon. 
Some  time  in  the  ftiture  Satan  will  send  out  the  spirit  of  infidelity  and 
make  a  final  and  terrible  attack  on  Christianity. 

The  second  frog-like  spirit  issued  frx>m  the  mouth  of  the  beast.  The 
beast  with  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  which  is  first  introduced  to  our 
notice  in  chapter  XIII,  is  a  symbol  of  the  Papal  church.  This  has  already 
been  proven  with  sufficient  clearness.  Though  the  fifUi  vial  wa3  poured 
out  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast,  and  though,  under  the  outpouring  of  that 
vial,  the  Papal  church  suffered  great  reverses,  yet  it  was  not  entirely  de- 
stroyed. Its  final  destruction  will  not  be  till  the  seventh  vial  is  poured 
out.  And  th^  symbol  under  consideration  leads  us  to  expect  that  some 
time  in  the  future  that  church  will  put  forth  a  new  and  mighty  effort  to 
stay  the  progress  of  Christianity  and  to  overthrow  the  true  church  of 
Christ.  And  there  are  indications  that  such  a  time  is  approaching.  The 
zeal  of  the  leaders  and  members  of  that  church,  its  missionary  activity,  its 
proselyting  spirit,  and  the  ritualistic  tendencies  which,  proceeding  from  it, 
have  invaded  evangelical  churches,  convince  us  that  Rome  will  not  fall 
till  she  has  made  one  more  mighty  attempt  to  gain  the  supremacy.  This 
we  believe  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  frog-like  spirit  which  issued  from  the 
mouth  of  the  beast.  Some  time  in  the  future,  and  there  are  indications 
that  such  a  time  is  approaching,  the  Papal  church  will  send  forth  anew  its 
anti-ChriBdan  spirit,  and  make  a  final  and  terrible  attack  upon  Christianity. 

The  third  frog-like  spirit  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  iklse  prophet 
This  is  the  first  introduction  of  the  false  prophet  under  this  name 
upon  the  scene  of  the  Apocalyptic  visions;  though  there  is  reaaon  to 
believe  he  was  introduced  to  our  notice  under  the  symbol  of  the  falling 
star  of  chapter  IX ;  for  there  is  no  opinion  so  probable  as  that  which  makes 
the  fiilse  prophet  Mohammed,  or  the  Mohammedan  power.  And  the 
symbol  under  consideration  leads  us  to  expect  that  some  time  in  the  fritore 
the  Mohammedan  power,  mustering  all  its  expiring  strength  for  one  laat 
struggle,  will  make  a  final  and  terrible  attack  upon  Christianity:  This  we 
believe  to  be  the  meaning  of  the  fit>g-like  spirit  which  issued  from  tlie 
mouth  of  the  false  prophet. 


THE   SIXTH  VIAL — OONTINUSD.  371 

These  three  frog-like  spirits,  viz.,  the  spirit  of  infidelity,  the  spirit  of 
poperjy  and  the  spirit  of  Mohammedanism,  would  work  miracles,  that  is, 
lying  miraoleSi  This  would  be  no  new  thing  in  their  history,  for  they 
have  always  claimed  miraculous  power.  Their  great  mission  would  be  to 
array  the  kings  and  nations  of  the  earth  for  the  conflict  which  is  yet  to 
be  between  Christianity  and  all  opposing  systems,  and  which  is  described 
as  the  "  battle  of  that  great  day  of  Otod  Almighty/'  Of  this  battle,  we  will 
have  occasion  to  speak  when  we  come  to  consider  the  gathering  at  Arma- 
geddon 4 

Space  will  not  permit  us  to  speak  at  greater  length  of  the  three  frog- 
like  spirits,  which  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the 
false  prophet,  but  we  have  indicated  with  sufficient  deamess  what  we  be- 
lieve to  be  shadowed  forth  by  these  symbols.  Some  time  in  the  future, 
the  spirit  of  infidelity,  the  spirit  of  popery,  and  the  spirit  of  Mohammed- 
anism will  unite  in  making  a  final  and  terrible  attack  upon  Christianity. 
The  members  of  the  true  church  of  Christ  should  be  prepared  for  that 
attack  by  studying  what  God  has  revealed  concerning  it.  They  can  wait 
for  the  attack  with  confidence,  for  they  have  the  promise  which  can  never 
fail,  that  no  weapon  which  is  formed  against  the  church  shall  prosper,  and 
that  the  gates  of  hell  cannot  prevail  against  it. 


LECTURE    XLVII. 


THE  SIXTH  VIAL— Continued. 

Behold,  I  come  ae  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  gar- 
mentfs,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his  shame.  And  he  gathered  them 
together  into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon. — Kev.  16 :  15, 16. 

We  are  still  engaged  in  the  exposition  of  the  sixth  vial.  In  this  exposi- 
tion we  have  reached  the  third  division,  viz. : 

III.  The  note  of  warning.  '*  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed 
is  he  that  watcheth,  and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they 
see  his  shame."  These  are  the  words  of  Christ.  The  great  ohject  of  this 
note  of  warning  is  to  lead  the  saints  to  he  ever  watching.  There  are  three 
comings  of  Christ,  which  are  jet  future,  and  for  which  we  are  to  be  watch- 
ing. There  is  his  coming  in  desolating  judgments.  "  Thus  wOl  I  do  unto 
thee,  O  Israel ;  and  because  I  will  do  this  unto  thee,  prepare  to  meet  thy 
God,  0  Israel."     There  is  his  coming  at  death.     "  In  such  an  hour  as  ye 


872  LEOTUBE  XLYII. 

think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  There  is  his  coming  at  the  last  day 
to  judge  the  world.  '*  He  shall  come  the  second  time  without  sin  unto 
salvation.''  We  have  to  decide,  from  the  context,  to  which  of  these  comings 
any  particular  passage  refers.  The  passage  now  under  consideration  seems 
to  refer  to  the  Saviour's  coming  in  desolating  judgments.  It  does  not  refer 
to  hiB  coming  at  the  end  of  the  world,  for  the  end  of  the  world  is  not  to  be 
under  the  sixth  vial.  It  does  not  refer  to  his  coming  at  the  death  of  the 
individual  Christian,  for  in  this  respect  it  would  be  no  more  applicable  to 
this  particular  period  of  the  church  than  to  any  other.  Therefore,  it  must 
refer  to  the  Saviour's  coming  in  desolating  judgments.  And  the  context 
points  to  a  time  of  desolating  judgments.  Infidelity,  popery  and  Moham- 
medanism were  to  combine  against  Christianity.  The  conflict  was  to  be 
fierce.  It  is  described  as  "  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  Ood  Almighty." 
We  cannot  expect  that  battle  to  be  decided  without  sore  suffering.  Many 
of  the  saints  will  fall  before  the  power  of  the  enemy  and  seal  their  testimony 
with  their  blood.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  saints  to  watch  for  this  great  day 
of  the  Lord  Almighty,  when  the  Saviour  would  come  in  desolating  judg- 
ments as  a  thief  in  the  night.  One  peculiarity  of  these  comings  of  Christ 
will  be  that  they  are  sudden  and  unexpected.  The  figure  we  are  now  con- 
sidering is  a  common  one  in  the  Scriptures.  Jesus  himself  said,  when  he 
was  here  on  earth,  "  Watch  ye,  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  in  what  hour  your 
Lord  doth  come.  But  know  this,  that  if  the  good  man  of  the  house  had 
known  in  what  watch  the  thief  would  come,  he  would  have  watched  and 
would  not  have  suffered  his  house  to  be  broken  up."  Paul  says,  "  the  day 
of  the  Lord  so  cometh  as  a  thief  in  the  night."  Our  Lord  says  to  the 
church  in  SardiS;  "  If  therefore  thou  shalt  not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee 
as  a  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon  thee." 
And  the  same  Lord  says,  in  the  verse  before  us,  "  Behold,  I  come  as  a 
thief." 

Christ  comes  as  a  thief  when  he  comes  in  death.  Though  we  know  that 
we  must  die,  though  the  lesson  of  our  mortality  is  repeated  in  the  word 
and  in  providence  till  we  are  as  &miliar  with  it  as  with  the  alphabet,  yet, 
after  all,  death  comes  upon  us  suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  Christ  will  oome 
as  a  thief  when  he  comes  at  the  end  of  the  world.  As  it  was  in  the  days 
of  Noah,  so  it  will  be  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man.  Men  will  be  eating, 
and  drinking,  and  marrying,  and  giving  in  marriage  until  the  Saviour  ap- 
pears in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  Christ  comes  in  his  judgments  as  a  thief. 
While  men  are  expecting  prosperity,  sudden  calamity  cometh  like  a  whirl- 
wind. And  the  Saviour,  in  this  note  of  warning,  assures  us  that  he  will 
come  in  this  sudden  and  unexpected  manner  when  he  comes  in  those  judg- 
ments which  will  visit  the  earth  during  the  great  and  final  conflict  between 
the  true  church  and  the  combined  forces  of  infidelity,  and  popery^  and 
Mohammedanism. 


THE  SIXTH  VIAL — CONTINUED.  873 

And  because  he  always  comes  in  this  way, ''  blessed  is  he  that  watoheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his  shame." 
The  figure  which  underlies  these  words  is  a  peculiar  and  expressive  one. 
A  man  careless  in  the  presence  of  danger  lays  aside  his  garments  and 
betakes  himself  to  slumber.  While  he  sleeps,  a  thief  comes  and  takes  away 
his  garments.  When  he  awakes,  he  is  compelled  to  go  on  his  journey  un- 
clothed, and  he  is  an  object  of  laughter  and  shame.  So  the  Christian 
pilgrim  should  walk  in  spotless  raiment.  If  he  is  careless,  the  great  enemy 
will  come  and  steal  his  raiment  while  he  sleeps.  The  same  truth  may  be 
expressed  by  another  figure.  The  Christian  is  a  soldier  in  an  enemy's 
country.  If  he  lacks  in  watchfulness,  the  enemy  will  come  and  steal  his 
armor  while  he  sleeps,  and  he  will  be  left  powerless  against  his  foes.  These 
figures  show  the  necessity  of  watchfulness  and  the  blessedness  of  him  who 
watches  and  keeps  his  garments ;  for  such  a  one  is  never  taken  by  surprise; 
he  is  never  left  to  walk  in  nakedness  ;  he  is  never  put  to  shame. 

This  note  of  warning  is  one  to  which  we  do  well  to  take  heed.  When 
Christ  comes  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation,  he  will  come  as  a 
thief.  Those  who  are  then  alive  on  the  earth  will  not  be  looking  for  his 
coming.  It  is  not  probable  that  any  of  us  will  be  among  the  living  on  that 
day,  for  the  signs  of  the  times  do  not  indicate  its  speedy  approach ;  though, 
of  course,  in  this  we  may  be  mistaken.  His  coming  may  be  sooner  than  we 
think.  But  his  coming  to  us  at  the  hour  of  death,  which  will  be  in  effect 
his  last  coming,  so  iar  as  we  are  concerned,  will  be  that  of  a  thief  in  the 
night.  If  we  are  not  on  our  guard,  that  coming  will  find  us  unprepared.  Our 
bu^ness  will  be  unsettled ;  our  duties  will  be  unfinished  ;  our  souls  will  be 
unsaved.  We  know  not  in  what  form  death  may  come  to  call  us.  It  may 
be  by  accident,  or  by  sharp  disease,  or  by  lingering  sickness.  Knowing 
that  death  is  the  most  certain,  and  yet  the  most  uncertain  of  all  events, 
let  us  watch  and  keep  our  garments,  lest  we  walk  naked  and  are  put  to 
shame.  But  this  note  of  warning  should  be  especially  heeded  by  us  who 
live  at  this  particular  period  of  the  world's  history.  If  our  theory  of  in- 
terpretation is  correct,  we  are  approaching  the  time  when  the  conflict  will 
be  joined  between  the  church  and  the  spirits  which  issue  from  the  mouth 
of  the  dragon,  and  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet.  Before  we  are  aware 
of  it,  the  noise  of  that  battle  may  startle  us  from  our  security.  It  may  be 
that  the  opposing  hosts  are  even  now  marshalling.  It  does  seem  as  if  in- 
fidelity, under  the  guise  of  philosophy  and  science  falsely  so  called,  and 
popery,  and  Mohammedanism,  are  girding  on  their  armor.  Are  we  ready 
for  the  battle  ?  Have  we  made  ouraelves  familiar  with  the  tactics  of  the 
foe  ?  Are  we  aware  that  infidel  philosophy  and  science  are  tiying  to  under- 
mine the  foundations  of  Christianity  ?  Are  we  aware  that  popery  is  exerting 
itself  to  the  utmost  to  hold  the  power  it  has  so  long  exercised  over  the 
bodies  and  souls  of  men  ?     Are  we  aware  that  Mohammedanism  seems  to 


874  LECTURE  XLYXI. 

be  gatheriDg  ap  all  its  remaining  strength  for  one  more  desperate  stroggie? 
Unless  we  and  the  chorch  are  aware  of  these  things,  we  will  be  taken  at  a 
disadvantage.  There  is,  therefore,  need  for  us  to  lay  this  note  of  warning 
to  heart.  In  view  of  the  sudden  and  unexpected  coming  of  Christ  at  the 
day  of  judgment ;  in  view  of  his  sudden  and  unexpected  coming  at  death ; 
in  view  of  his  sudden  and  unexpected  coming  in  calamity  ;  in  view  of  his 
sudden  and  unexpected  coming  in  the  approaching  conflict  between  Christian- 
ity and  all  opposing  errors,  which  will  try  the  souls  of  the  saints ;  how 
carefully  should  we  ponder  these  words,  and  how  diligently  should  we  put 
them  in  practice,  "  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief.  Blessed  is  he  that  watcheth, 
and  keepeth  his  garments,  lest  he  walk  naked,  and  they  see  his  shame." 

IV.  We  come  now  to  the  fourth  point  in  the  vision  of  the  sixth  vial, 
viz.,  THE  GATH^BiNQ  AT  ARMAaEDDON.  ''And  he  gathered  them  together 
into  a  place  called  in  the  Hebrew  tongue  Armageddon."  In  our  version, 
it  is  said  ^^he  gathered  them."  The  meaning  would  seem  to  be  that 
Qod,  or  the  sixth  angel,  or  Satan  gathered  them.  But  some  of  the 
best  Biblical  critics  had,  for  grammatical  reasons,  translated  the  clause, 
'*  they  gathered  them."  And  now,  in  the  standard  manuscripts  which  have 
recently  been  brought  to  light,  it  is  found  that  the  correct  reading  is,  "they 
gathered  them."  This  reading  makes  the  meaning  plain.  They,  that  is, 
the  three  spirits  which  proceeded  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  the 
beast  and  the  false  prophet,  gathered  them,  that  is,  the  kings  and  peoples 
of  the  earth,  into  a  place  called,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon. 
The  explanation  of  verses  13  and  14,  already  given,  must  be  borne  in 
mind.  There  is  to  be  a  great  conflict  between  truth  and  error.  Infi- 
delity, popery  and  Mohammedanism  are  to  make  a  final  and  desperate 
attack  upon  the  church.  In  this  attack,  the  enemies  of  the  church  are  to 
be  gathered  and  marshalled  under  the  leadership  of  the  three  frog-like 
spirits  which  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet.  The  attack  is  to  be  fierce  and  furious,  for  it  is  to  be  the  battle 
of  the  great  day  of  Ood  Almighty.  We  are  not  told  in  this  passage  how 
the  battle  would  result,  but  we  may  be  sure  of  this :  that  the  truth  will 
triumph,  and  that  the  church,  under  the  leadership  of  her  Great  King, 
will  come  off  victorious.  So  much  seems  plain ;  but,  when  we  are  told  that 
this  conflict  is  to  be  in  a  place  called,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Armageddon, 
we  are  met  by  a  difficulty  over  which  many  a  reader  and  expositor  of  the 
Apocalypse  has  stumbled.  Armageddon!  Where  is  it  ?  What  is  it? 
We  look  back  over  the  pages  of  Jewish  history  and  we  can  find  no  such 
place  as  Armageddon  mentioned.  But  when  we  examine  the  word  more 
closely,  we  find  that  it  is  composed  of  two  Hebrew  Wordstar  and  me^iddo. 
The  Hebrew  word *ar  means  "  a  hill  or  country."  Therefore  the  word 
Armageddon  is  equivalent  to  this:  "  the  hill  or  country  of  Megiddo."     Is 


THE  SIXTH   VIAL — CONTINUED.  375 

there  any  hill  or  countrj  of  this  name  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  ? 
Those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  and 
with  the  gei^raphy  of  the  Holy  Land,  will  at  once  recognize  a  &niliar 
name,  and  discover  the  key  which  unlocks  the  meaning  of  the  riddle. 
There  is  a  plain  stretching  across  central  Palestine,  from  the  Mediterranean 
sea  on  the  west  to  the  Jordan  on  the  east,  ahout  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
wide,  called  the  plain  of  Jesreel,  or  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  This  plain 
was  the  great  battle  field  of  the  Jewish  nation.  On  it  many  of  their 
grandest  victories  were  achieved ;  on  it  they  suffered  some  of  their  most 
disastrous  defeats;  on  it  some  of  their  greatest  warriors  gave  up  the  ghost. 
It  was  watered  with  the  best  blood  of  Israel  and  of  IsraeVs  enemies.  The 
cities  in  and  about  this  plain  are  celebrated  for  the  battles  which  have 
been  fought  around  their  walls.  In  the  centre,  there  is  Bethshean ;  on 
the  north,  there  is  Tabor ;  on  the  south,  there  are  Oilboa,  Endor  and  Jez- 
reel ;  and  on  the  west,  there  are  Taanach  and  Megiddo. 

Let  us  refer  to  the  first  great  battle  which  made  this  plain  celebrated  in 
Jewish  history.  The  Canaanites  were  not  entirely  exterminated  by  Joshua. 
Mter  the  death  of  that  great  leader,  the  Israelites  fell  into  idolatry,  and 
the  Canaanites  were  permitted  to  oppress  them.  Very  soon  afler  the 
death  of  Joshua,  the  Lord  sold  them  into  the  hand  of  Jabin,  king  of 
Canaan,  the  captain  of  whose  hosts  was  Sisera.  The  bondage  of  Israel 
was  sore.  All  their  weapons  were  taken  from  them,  so  that  there  was 
not  a  spear  or  a  shield  to  be  seen  among  forty  thousand  in  Israel.  Jabin 
had  hundreds  of  chariots  of  iron  and  abundance  of  the  munitions  of  war. 
For  twenty  years  he  oppressed  Israel.  When  the  twenty  years  drew  to  an 
end,  and  Israel  cried  to  the  Lord  for  deliverance,  a  deliverer  was  raised 
up.  Under  the  palm  of  Bethel  lived  Deborah.  She  sends  for  Barak,  and 
they  take  counsel  together.  The  tribes  are  summoned  and  some  of  them 
obey.  The  place  of  gathering  was  mount  Tabor,  on  the  north  side  of  this 
plain  of  Esdraelon,  In  the  meantime,  Jabin  hears  of  the  rebellion,  and 
sends  Sisera  at  the  head  of  the  Canaanite  host  to  crush  it.  They  encamp 
beside  the  waters  of  Megiddo.  Deborah  and  Barak  watch  them  from  the 
summit  of  Tabor ;  and  when  the  appointed  time  arrives,  Barak  with  his 
ten  thousand  men  comes  down  from  the  mountain,  and  marches  directly 
west  across  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  towards  Megiddo,  which  was  distant 
about  twelve  miles.  As  they  drew  near  the  Canaanite  encampment,  and 
just  as  the  battle  was  joined,  a  furious  storm  of  sleet  and  hail  swept  across 
the  plain  from  the  east,  driving  full  in  the  faces  of  the  Canaanites.  They 
were  crippled  by  the  biting  cold.  Their  archers  and  swordsmen  were 
almost  powerless.  But  the  Israelites,  having  the  storm  in  their  backs,  were 
not  greatly  disturbed  by  it,  and  they  were  encouraged  by  the  conscious- 
ness that  they  were  receiving  providential  aid.  They  felt  and  saw  that 
the  stars  in  their  courses  were  fighting  against  Sisera.     The  rain  which 


376  LECTURE  XLYII. 

descended  turned  the  plain  into  a  swamp,  and  the  horses  and  iron  chariots 
of  Sisera,  on  which  he  relied  for  victory,  sank  helplessly  in  the  morass. 
The  little  streams  of  Megiddo  and  the  river  Kishon,  into  which  they 
emptied,  became  raging  torrents  and  swept  away  horse  and  rider  together. 
All  this  is  described  in  the  inspired  song,  Judges  6 :  21,  22.  The  great 
army  of  Jabin  was  utterly  defeated.  They  broke  and  fled  in  all  directions, 
with  the  thousands  of  Barak  furiously  following.  Never  was  an  army 
more  thoroughly  routedt  Sisera  himself  perished  by  the  hand  of  Jael,  the 
wife  of  Heber.  Day  after  day  of  expectation  passed  away,  while  the 
mother  of  Sisera  and  the  princesses  of  the  court  watched  ei^rly  from  the 
windows  of  the  palace  for  the  return  of  their  loved  ones,  before  a  very  few 
fugitives  came  to  tell  of  the  disastrous  defeat  of  Megiddo. 

And  this  was  but  the  first  of  many  battles  which  made  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon.  the  land  of  Megiddo,  famous  in  history.  Here  Gideon  wrought 
his  great  victory.  Here  Saul  and  Jonathan  were  overthrown.  Here 
Ahaziah  was  defeated.  Here  Josiah  met  Pharaoh  Nechoh,  king  of  Egypt, 
and  was  slain.  Therefore,  Megiddo  would  be  to  the  Jew  what  Marathon 
was  to  the  Greek,  Waterloo  to  the  English  and  Gettysburg  to  us.  It 
would  be  more  to  the  Jew,  because  it  was  the  field  of  many  decisive  bat- 
tles, while  each  of  the  other  places  mentioned  was  the  scene  of  but  one 
decisive  battle.  To  the  Jew,  and  to  every  one  acquainted  with  Jewish 
history,  Megiddo  would  be  the  emblem  of  any  great  and  decisive  battle. 
We  oflen  make  use  of  similar  expressions,  and  no  one  misunderstands  their 
meaning.  We  say  of  any  political  or  moral  confiictyin  which  one  side  suffers 
a  disastrous  defeat,  it  was  a  Waterloo.  Now  John  was  a  Jew,  and  he  was 
writing  for  those  who  were  more  or  less  familiar  with  Jewish  history  and 
geography ;  and  when  he  says  that  the  confiict  between  the  church  and  its 
great  enemies  was  to  be  another  field  of  Megiddo,  he  means  that  this  con- 
flict was  to  be  as  decisive  in  its  results  as  that  which  terminated  in  the 
utter  rout  of  Sisera  and  his  hosts. 

Therefore,  for  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  vision,  we  need  not  ex- 
pect the  contending  hosts  to  meet  on  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  or  on  the 
field  of  Waterloo,  or  in  any  particular  locality.  We  need  only  expect  a 
great  and  decisive  moral  conflict,  which  will  be,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  a 
Megiddo,  and,  in  the  English  tongue,  a  Waterloo,  in  the  moral  world.  Nor  is 
it  necessary  to  expect  that  this  conflict  will  be  waged  with  the  sword  or  with 
weapons  of  literal  warfare.  While  there  may  be  bloodshed,  and  fighting 
armies  arrayed  against  each  other,  this  conflict  is  to  be,  for  the  most  part^ 
one  of  opinion.  It  is  to  be  a  moral  conflict.  It  is  to  be  fought  with  in- 
tellectual swords,  and  not  with  swords  of  steel.  Christianity  on  the  one 
side,  and  infidelity,  popery  and  Mohammedanism  on  the  other,  are  to  con- 
tend for  the  victory.  It  is  to  be  the  fight  of  truth  against  error,  that  old 
fight  which  has  been  going  on  in  the  world  since  the  banning;  but  it  is 


THE  SEVENTH  YIAL.  377 

DO  loDger  to  be  carried  on  on  the  battle  fields  of  eartb,  but  in  the  high 
places  of  intellectual  activity. 

For  this  moral  and  spiritual  battle  of  Armageddon,  which  is  to  decide 
the  supremacy  of  truth  for  ever,  the  hosts  are  now  gathering.  We  see 
this  gathering  in  the  various  forms  which  infidelity  has  assumed,  and  in 
the  violent  attacks  it  is  making  upon  Christianity.  We  see  it  in  the  in- 
creased activity  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  We  see  it  in  the  mus- 
tering hosts  of  Christianity  and  in  the  closer  union  which  is  everywhere 
being  formed  between  those  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  The  unclean 
spirits  which  issued  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet  are  gathering  their  hosts,  and  the  Great  Captain  of  our  salvation 
is  gathering  his  faith-girded  warriors  for  the  battle  of  Armageddon,  which 
will  decide  who  is  to  be  the  governor  of  the  world.  In  that  battle  we 
must  act  our  part,  we  are  acting  our  part ;  for  though  the  fighting  may 
not  actually  have  b^un,  the  preparations  and  the  preliminary  skirmishes 
are  in  progress,  and  Christ  expects  every  man  to  do  his  duty.  And 
what  is  our  duty  ?  First  of  all,  to  know  the  truth  of  Christianity;  then 
to  know  the  strength  of  the  enemy^  and  then  to  strike  for  our  freedom, 
our  fiuth  and  our  Gk>d.  Thus  doing,  the  coming  conflict,  which  is  even 
now  upon  us,  will  be  a  field  of  Megiddo,  a  moral  Waterloo,  in  which  the 
stars  in  their  courses,  and  the  forces  of  nature,  and  heaven  itself,  will  fight 
for  the  church,  and  in  which  the  dragon,  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet 
will  be  put  to  utter  rout. 


LECTURE    XLVIIl. 


THE  SEVENTH  VIAL. 

And  the  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air ;  and  there  oame  a 
great  voice  out  of  the  temple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne,  saying,  It  is  done. 
And  there  were  voices,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings ;  and  there  was  a  great 
«farthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an 
earthcjuake  and  so  great.  And  the  great  citv  was  divided  into  three  parts,  and 
the  cities  of  the  nations  fell :  and  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before 
God,  to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath.  And 
every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were  not  found.  And  there  fell  upon 
men  a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and 
men  blasphemed  Qod  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the  plague  thereof 
was  exceeding  great.— Rev.  16  :  17-21. 

The  seventh  vial,  like  the  sixth,  has  reference  to  the  ftiture.  In  the 
words  which  describe  the  pouring  out  of  this  vial,  the  events  of  the 
future  are  briefly  described ;  in  some  of  the  following  chapters  the  same 
events  are  described  in  greater  detail.  These  events  must  follow  the  events 


878  LECTURE   XLVIII. 

described  under  the  previous  vial.  In  our  exposition  of  that  yial  we  saw 
that  there  was  to  be  a  great  conflict  between  truth  and  error.  Christianity 
on  the  one  hand,  and  infidelity,  popery  and  Mohammedanism  on  the  other, 
were  to  fight  for  the  supremacy.  This  battle  is  to  be  a  decisive  one.  It 
is  to  be,  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  a  moral  Megiddo,  and  in  the  English  tongue, 
a  moral  Waterloo.  Under  the  seventh  vial  we  are  to  trace  the  history  of 
the  world  after  this  gathering  at  Armageddon.  We  are  to  see  the  conflict 
between  the  two  opposing  armies,  and  the  decisive  result.  We  are  to  follow 
the  progress  of  the  battle  until  the  enemies  of  the  church  are  overthrown 
and  everything  is  prepared  for  the  introduction  of  the  millennium.  As  has 
been  said,  the  progress  and  result  of  the  great  battle  are  very  briefly  sketched 
in  the  verses  before  us.  For  a  full  description  we  must  wait  till  we  reach 
the  visions  of  the  following  chapters.  And  in  these  verses  the  events  of 
the  future  are  described  in  figurative  language.  Though  the  symbols  em- 
ployed will  be  plain  enough  after  the  events  which  they  shadow  forth,  yet 
now  they  are  so  dark  that  we  must  enter  upon  their  explanation  with  many 
a  doubt  and  fear.  When  we  attempt  to  describe  what  shall  be  when  the 
seventh  angel  pours  out  his  vial,  it  becomes  us  to  speak  with  diffidence.  We 
will  not  try  to  foretell  what  shall  be.  We  will  only  mention  the  events  in 
which  these  symbols  may  be  fulfilled,  and  in  which  the  laws  of  symbolic 
interpretation  lead  us  to  believe  they  will  probably  be  ftdfilled. 

''The  seventh  angel  poured  out  his  vial  into  the  air.''  In  this  respect 
it  differs  from  the  preceding  vials.  One  was  poured  upon  the  land ;  another 
upon  the  sea ;  another  upon  the  rivers  and  fountains  of  waters ;  another 
upon  the  sun ;  another  upon  the  seat  of  the  beast ;  another  upon  th^  river 
Euphrates ;  but  this  one  is  poured  out  into  the  air.  If  there  is  a  significance 
in  the  localities  on  which  the  preceding  vials  were  poured  out,  we  may  well 
suppose  that  there  is  significance  in  the  fact  that  the  seventh  vial  was  poured 
out  into  the  air.  What  is  that  significance  ?  The  effect  of  each  of  the 
other  vials  was  confined  to  a  particular  locality ;  the  effect  of  the  seventh 
vial  is  to  be  universal ;  for  the  atmosphere  into  which  it  was  poured  sur- 
rounds the  whole  world  as  a  garment.  It  touches  the  land  and  the  sea, 
the  streams  and  the  fountains  of  waters,  the  seat  of  the  beast  and  the 
river  Euphrates.  Therefore,  we  must  expect  that  the  judgments  which 
the  seventh  vial  shadows  forth  will  visit  every  land  and  every  people. 
Those  who  live  in  the  city  of  Rome,  and  in  the  villages  in  which  the  in- 
fluence of  Rome  is  least  powerful ;  those  who  wander  in  the  desert,  and 
who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  ;  those  who  hew  down  the  forests  and  who 
plow  the  soil ;  those  who  shiver  in  the  cold  of  the  north,  and  who  bask  in 
tropical  sunshine  ;  all  those  who  breathe  the  free  air  of  heaven  are  to  feel 
the  effects  of  the  seventh  vial,  for  it  is  poured  out  into  the  air.  Any  ex- 
planation which  confines  this  vision  to  a  particular  locality  must  come 
short  of  the  truth. 


THE  SEYSNTH  YIAL.  379 

And  the  fxilfillinent  of  this  vision  is  not  only  to  be  world-wide — it  is  a 
vision  of  peculiar  solemnity.  It  is  introduced  by  '*a  great  voice  out  of  the 
temple  of  heaven,  from  the  throne."  None  of  the  preceding  vials  is  thought 
worthy  of  such  an  introduction.  Under  the  seventh  vial  there  are  to  be 
SBch  divine  judgments  and  such  manifestations  of  the  divine  glory,  that 
the  voice  from  the  heavenly  temple  announces  its  outpouring.  This  is  the 
heavenly  temple  which  has  occupied  such  a  prominent  place  in  all  the  pre- 
Tious  visions  of  this  book — ^the  temple  whose  courts  were  at  times  thronged 
with  the  holy  angels  and  with  redeemed  saints.  Lest  we  might  think  that 
this  might  be  the  voice  of  an  angel  or  a  saint,  we  are  expressly  told  that 
it  came  from  the  throne.  It  must  be  the  voice  of  Ood  himself.  This  divine 
voice  proclaimed  the  startling  words,  *'  It  is  done,"  words  which  remind  us 
of  the  similar  voice  which  was  once  heard  just  without  the  walls  of  ancient 
Jerusalem,  announcing  to  the  universe,  ^*  It  is  finished.'*  You  know  from 
whose  lips  this  cry  came ;  you  know  what  work  it  was  which  was  then 
finished.  And  we  may  well  believe  that  when  this  same  divine  person  cries 
again,  "  It  is  done/'  he  must  refer  to  some  great  work,  which  is  worthy  to 
be  compared  with  the  work  of  redemption,  whose  finishing  called  forth  the 
last  cry  from  the  cross.  What  was  this  work  which  called  forth  this  cry  from 
the  temple,  and  which  was  to  be  finished  when  the  seventh  vial  was  poured 
out  ?  It  was  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  enemies  of  the  church,  and  the 
final  victory  of  the  church.  Surely  this  is  a  victory  second  only  to  the 
Saviour's  victory  over  death  and  sin.  For  century  after  century  the  struggle 
had  been  going  on.  Satan  and  his  hosts  seemed  to  be  an  equal  match,  and 
sometimes  more  than  an  equal  match  for  the  church.  But  at  last  the  dc* 
oasive  battle  was  to  be  fought,  and  when  that  battle  was  ended  the  church, 
tiiroughout  all  the  unknown  centuries  of  its  future  history,  would  be  left 
without  a  foe.  It  was  of  this  victory  the  Saviour  spake  on  his  cross,  for 
his  death  made  it  possible,  and  opened  the  way  for  achieving  it.  It  is  of 
the  same  final  and  complete  victory  the  Saviour  speaks  from  his  throne, 
when  he  says,  ^'  It  is  done."  And  yet  we  are  not  to  suppose  that  this 
victory  has  already  been  gained  when  the  seventh  vial  begins  to  be  poured 
out.  The  first  outpouring  of  this  vial  was  but  the  beginning  of  the  end. 
It  was  now  as  it  had  been  when  the  Saviour  cried  on  the  cross.  When  he 
said  **  It  is  finished,"  the  work  of  redemption  was  not  entirely  finished. 
He  had  yet  to  die,  and  to  be  buried,  and  to  be  raised  from  the  dead.  But 
the  end  of  that  work  was  so  near  and  so  certain,  that  he  spake  of  it  as 
already  accomplished.  So  in  the  present  instance.  The  overthrow  of  the 
combined  forces  of  the  dragon,  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  is  so  near 
and  so  certain,  that  the  voice  from  the  throne  speaks  of  it  as  already  accom- 
plished. **  It  is  done."  This  series  of  judgments  is  about  to  be  finished. 
The  persecution  of  the  saints  is  about  to  be  finished.  The  dominion  of 
the  beast  is  to  come  to  an  end  for  ever  and  ever. 


880  LBCTURB  XLVIir. 

Let  this  announoement  from  the  heavenly  temple  arouse  oar  expeota- 
tions.  Glorious  things  have  been  spoken  of  the  church  in  the  past,  but 
none  so  glorious  as  this.  Great  victories  have  been  wrought  by  the  church 
and  for  the  church  in  the  past,  but  the  greatest  of  all  is  the  one  which  is 
brought  before  us  in  the  symbols  we  are  now  considering.  Let  us  take  up 
these  symbols,  one  by  one,  and  see  if  we  can  discover  their  probable  or 
possible  fulfillment. 

1.  The  first  thing  which  attracted  the  apostle's  attention  when  (lie 
seventh  vial  was  poured  out  was  '^voices,  and  thunderings,  and  lightnings." 
These  are  no  new  symbols  to  us.  We  have  seen  and  heard  them  again  and 
again,  as  we  have  studied  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse.  We  cannot,  there- 
fore, be  at  a  loss  as  to  their  meaning.  We  have  seen  their  meaning  in  the 
visions  which  have  been  fulfilled,  and  we  cannot  be  wrong  if  we  suppose 
their  meaning  in  this  vision  of  the  future  is  similar  to  their  meaning  in  the 
visions  of  the  past.  In  chapter  IV,  John  saw  through  the  open  door  of  heaven 
the  throne  of  God  and  the  glory  by  which  that  throne  was  surrounded. 
And  he  tells  us,  '^  out  of  the  throne  proceeded  lightnings,  and  thunderings, 
and  voices."  So  in  chapter  11:19,  which  introduces  a  new  series  of  visions, 
he  tells  US;  "  the  temple  of  God  was  opened  in  heaven,  and  there  was  seen 
in  his  temple  the  ark  of  his  testimony,  and  there  were  lightnings,  and  voices, 
and  thunderings."  In  both  these  passages,  '< voices,  thunders  and  lightnings" 
were  symbols  of  the  divine  presence  and  majesty.  They  remind  us  of  the 
sublime  scene  on  Sinai,  where  '^  there  were  thunderings,  and  lightnings,  and 
the  voice  of  a  trumpet  exceeding  loud."  They  remind  us  of  the  grand 
description  of  the  divine  presence  and  majesty  which  is  contained  in  Psahn 
18.  They  indicate  that  Qtod,  whose  voice  is  omnipotent,  who  rides  upon 
the  clouds,  and  who  dwells  in  light  that  is  inaccessible,  is  about  to  manifest 
himself  in  great  and  terrible  works.  So  in  the  present  instance,  the  voices, 
and  the  thunders,  and  the  lightnings,  are  evidences  of  the  divine  presence, 
and  they  indicate  that  God  is  about  to  manifest  himself  in  a  peculiar  man- 
ner. We  know  from  the  context  what  God  is  about  to  do.  He  is  to  lead 
his  church  to  the  final  victory,  and  to  destroy  the  church's  foes.  We  must 
therefore  expect  an  unusual  victory  on  the  part  of  the  church,  and  an 
unusual  destruction  on  the  part  of  the  church's  enemies.  It  is  to  be  a 
destruction  more  terrible  than  that  which  visited  the  cities  of  the  plain.  It 
is  to  be  a  victory  more  complete  than  the  church  has  ever  yet  gained. 

2.  The  next  symbol  which  appeared  when  the  seventh  vial  was  poured  out 
was  *'  a  great  earthquake,  such  as  was  not  since  men  were  upon  the  earth." 
This  symbol  has  been  explained  in  the  visions  which  have  been  considered. 
An  earthquake  is  a  symbol  of  commotions,  rebellions  and  political  changes. 
It  is  a  natural  and  appropriate  symbol  of  these  things.  When  an  earthquake 
comes,  homes  and  temples  are  overthrown,  rocks  are  rent,  hills  sink  out  of 
"^ight,  plains  are  lifted  into  mountain  ranges,  islands  appear  where  there  was 


THE  SEVENTH  VIAL.  381 

nothing  font  a  wide  expanse  of  water  before,  and  the  whole  face  of  nature 
18  changed.  Surely,  then,  an  earthquake  is  an  appropriate  symbol  of  com- 
motions, rebellions  and  political  changes.  Therefore,  when  the  opening  of 
the  sixth  seal  shadowed  forth  the  time  when  pagan  Rome  was  to  become 
Christian  llome,  and  when  there  was  to  be  an  entire  change  in  the  rulers 
and  the  government,  this  change  is  symbolized  by  a  great  earthquake.  And 
we  must  expect  that  the  earthquake,  which  made  its  appearance  when  the 
seventh  vial  was  poured  out,  shadows  forth  great  oonmiotions  and  changes 
on  the  earth ;  and  that  the  commotions  and  changes  shadowed  forth  are 
unusually  great,  for  we  are  told  that  such  an  earthquake  ''  was  not  since 
men  were  upon  the  earth,  so  mighty  an  earthquake  and  so  great."  Though 
there  have  been  great  revolutions  in  centuries  past,  the  revolution  which 
is  to  be  during  the  time  covered  by  the  seventh  vial  is  to  be  one  of  un- 
paraUeled  magnitude.  K  our  theory  of  interpretation  is  correct,  we  can 
readily  see  that  at  the  time  referred  to  there  are  to  be  great  changes. 
Infidelity,  popery,  and  Mahommedanism  are  to  be  overthrown.  The  com- 
bined forces  under  the  command  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet  are  to  be  destroyed.  The  true  church  is  to  be  supreme.  When 
all  this  comes  to  pass,  our  earth  will  be  a  new  earth.  When  all  infidelity, 
as  ashamed  hides  its  head,  when  all  the  adherents  of  the  church  of  Rome 
are  delivered  from  their  superstitions  and  their  errors,  when  all  the  fol- 
lowers of  Mohammed  turn  with  true  hearts  to  the  great  prophet  of  all 
ages,  those  who  were  familiar  with  the  past  history  of  the  world  will 
hardly  recognize  it  in  its  new  regeneration.  When  aU  mosques  and  tem- 
ples of  idolatry  are  thrown  down,  when  aU  infidel  institutions  become 
teachers  of  a  true  fiuth,  when  all  lands  are  covered  with  Christian  churches, 
when  all  homes  are  sanctified  by  Christian  altars,  when  all  men  will 
journey  toward  Zion,  with  their  faces  thitherward,  there  will  be  such  a 
change  £rom  the  present  as  could  be  wrought  only  by  such  a  moral  earth- 
quake as  has  not  been  since  men  lived  on  the  earth. 

3.  The  next  symbol  which  appeared  when  the  seventh  vial  was  poured 
out  is  thus  described :  "  The  great  city  was  divided  into  three  parts."  The 
city  here  spoken  of  is  the  same  city  which  has  been  brought  to  our  notice 
in  previous  visions.  It  is  the  great  city  of  mystical  Babylon,  the  city 
called  Sodom  and  Egypt.  It  has  already  been  shown  that  this  city  is  the 
church  of  Rome.  We  will  not  now  repeat  the  arguments  by  which  this 
conclusion  was  reached.  We  will  take  it  for  granted  that  those  arguments 
were  correct.  This  part  of  the  vision,  then,  foretells  the  fiict  that  the  time 
is  coming  when  the  church  of  Rome  will  be  divided  into  three  parts. 
What  does  this  mean  ?  You  will  remember  that  the  fiist  beast  which 
came  up  out  of  the  sea  and  which  was  interpreted  as  a  symbol  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  had  ten  horns  and  ten  crowns.  These  ten  horns  and  ten 
crowns  were  explained  as  symbolizing  ten  nations  which  were  immedi- 


382  .     LECTURE   XLVIII. 

ately  under  the  authority  of  the  church  of  Rome.  But  the  yisioQ  we 
are  now  considering,  asserts  that  by  and  by  this  tenfold  division  mU  be 
done  away  with,  and  that  a  threefold  division  will  take  its  place.  What 
this  division  will  be,  we  cannot  now  conjecture.  If  we  were  to  judge 
from  present  appearances,  we  might  say  that  the  three  parts  into  which 
the  city  was  to  be  divided,  in  other  words,  the  three  great  nations  which 
were  to  uphold  the  Papal  power,  would  be  France,  Spain  and  Italy ;  bat  a 
few  more  campaigns  such  as  those  which  have  recently  deluged  Europe 
with  blood  would  change  the  whole  face  of  the  political  geography  of  the 
continent.  This  much  seems  to  be  certain.  There  are  to  be  such  politi- 
cal changes  that  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out,  there  will  be  three 
great  upholders  of  the  Papal  power.  The  city  will  be  divided  into  three 
parts.  This  division  is  somehow  to  be  an  element  of  weakness.  The 
three  parts  will  not  present  a  solid  front.  The  church  of  Rome  will  be  a 
house  divided  against  itself.  All  this  is  manifest  from  what  follows. 
Recent  events  in  France,  Spain  and  Italy,  seem  to  confirm  this  interpreta- 
tion. Though  they  are  prominent  in  supporting  the  church  of  Rome, 
there  is  such  a  lack  of  harmony  that  the  downfall  of  the  power  they  are 
upholding  seems  to  be  approaching. 

4.  The  next  symbol  which  appears  when  the  seventh  vial  was  poured 
out  was  this :  "  The  cities  of  the  nations  fell."  Many  nations  which  are 
not  upholders  of  the  Roman  power  have  in  them  strongholds  of  that 
power.  This  is  the  case  in  Germany,  in  England,  and  in  our  own  landi 
These  strongholds  are  in  the  words  under  consideration  called  *'  cities  of 
the  nations"  ;  and  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out,  when  the  Roman 
power  is  divided,  and  when  through  this  divLuon  it  trembles  on  the  verge 
of  destruction,  these  cities  of  the  nations  will  fall.  We  oan  readily  see 
how  this  is  to  be.  When  the  head  is  smitten,  the  limbs  will  be  paialyied. 
If  the  Roman  pontiff  loses  his  prestige  and  power  in  Europe,  if  the  iia< 
tions  which  have  all  along  supported  him  are  destroyed,  tiie  adherents  of 
that  church  in  every  land  will  be  powerless.  This  vial,  then,  is  not  to  be 
poured  out  merely  on  the  seat  of  the  beast,  it  is  to  be  poured  out  upon  the 
whole  world,  wherever  a  worshiper  of  the  beast  is  to  be  found.  The  great 
city  itself  is  to  be  divided  to  its  fall;  and  tiien  all  the  cities  of  the  nations,  all 
churches  and  institutions,  which  have  for  their  object  the  glory  of  the 
Papal  church,  will  fall. 

5.  The  next  symbol  which  appears  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out 
is  thus  described :  ''And  great  Babylon  came  in  remembrance  before  Gk)d, 
to  give  unto  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath." 
Here  again  mystical  Babylon  is  brought  to  our  notice.  The  typieal  mean> 
ing  of  this  city  is  too  well  fixed  in  our  minds  to  require  any  explanatiott 
in  the  present  connection.  As  we  look  back  over  the  history  of  the  church, 
it  seems  as  if  Babylon,  the  great  enemy  of  true  Christianity,  had  been 


THE  8SVBNTH   VIAL.  383 

overlooked.  It  has  been  permitted  to  cairy  on  its  abominations,  to  teadi 
its  Mse  doctrines,  to  worship  its  idols,  to  pervert  the  word  of  God,  and  to 
peisecnte  the  saints,  as  if  God  did  not  see.  But  at  the  time  referred  to 
in  this  vision,  its  case  would  be  brought  to  God's  remembrance.  It  would 
be  called  up  for  punishment.  The  long  suspended  judgment  would  be  in- 
flicted. God  would  give  her  the  cup  of  the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his 
wrath.  This  figure  we  have  had  more  than  once  in  our  previous  lectures. 
It  IB  that  of  giving  a  cup  of  poison  to  a  criminal  who  was  in  this  way  to 
meet  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law.  Babylon  was  guilty  before  God, 
guilty  of  capital  crime.  For  a  long  time,  divine  patience  had  borne  with 
her,  but  now  -that  patience  was  exhausted  ;  the  sentence  was  to  be  execa- 
ted  at  once.  The  poisoned  cup  of  divine  wrath  is  put  into  her  hand  and 
she  is  compelled  to  drink.  If  it  is  asked  just  how  mystical  Babylon  is  to  be 
destroyed,  we  must  reply,  we  cannot  tell.  Whether  it  will  be  by  the  shook 
of  eontending  armies,  or  by  the  mightier  shock  of  intellectual  warfkre, 
God  only  knows ;  but  he  has  infinite  resources  at  his  command,  and  when 
he  selects  a  punishment,  it  will  be  appropriate  and  adequate.  The  cup  of 
the  wine  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath,  of  whatever  ingredients  it  may  be 
composed,  will  be  sufficient  to  accomplish  the  purpose  he  intended  to  ac- 
complish. And  when  mystical  Babylon  puts  this  cup  to  her  lips,  her  doom 
b  sealed,  for  there  is  poison  in  the  cup. 

6,  The  ncfct  symbol  which  appears  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out 
is  thus  described :  '^And  every  island  fled  away,  and  the  mountains  were 
not  found."  This  symbol  shadows  forth  great  and  terrible  judgments.  So 
fierce  was  to  be  the  wrath  of  Gt)d,  that  the  inanimate  creation  would  de- 
sire to  escape  from  his  presence.  It  has  sometimes  been  the  case,  that 
daring  great  earthquakes  in  the  natural  world,  islands  have  disappeared 
and  the  mountains  have  been  leveled.  So  in  the  great  moral  earthquake, 
the  whole  earth  will  be  convulsed.  Institutions  and  theories  which  have 
long  been  established,  and  which  seemed  as  stable  as  the  everlasting  hills, 
will  be  shaken  from  their  foundations  and  be  removed  out  of  their  places. 
This  symbol,  in  connection  with  the  preceding  ones,  must  lead  us  to  expect 
that  the  destruction  of  the  enemies  of  the  church  wiU  be  full  of  fearful- 
ness. 

7.  The  last  symbol  which  appears  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out 
is  thus  described :  "  There  fell  upon  men  a  gre^t  hail  out  of  heaven,  every 
stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent :  and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of 
the  plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the  plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great.'' 
This  symbol  is  in  such  perfect  keeping  with  all  the  other  symb<^s  of  this 
vision,  that  it  requires  little  explanation.  A  hail  storm,  like  an  earthquake, 
is  a  symbol  of  great  calamity.  The  calamity  suggested  by  this  haO  storm 
is  to  be  one  of  unusual  severity,  for  it  was  to  be  such  a  storm  as  has  not 
been  since  men  lived  on  the  earth.     Every  stone  was  about  the  weight  of 


384  LECTURE   XLIX. 

a  talent,  that  ie,  in  round  numbers,  a  hundred  pounds.  If  such  a  hail 
storm  should  ever  burst  upon  the  world,  a  storm  in  which  every  hail' stone 
weighed  about  a  hundred  pounds,  it  would  be  an  hour  of  destmctioii  and 
terror.  It  would  be  more  destruetive  than  the  heaviest  cannonading. 
Human  homes  and  military  fortifications  would  afford  no  protection.  And 
though  we  are  not  to  expect  such  a  literal  storm,  the  judgments  which  this 
figurative  storm  shadows  forth,  would  be  full  of  horror  and  destruction. 
And  yet,  strange  to  say,  these  judgments  would  not  lead  the  enemies  of 
God  to  repentance.  But  why  should  we  call  their  hardness  of  heart 
strange  ?  From  the  time  of  Pharaoh  until  the  present,  unbelievers  have 
only  grown  worse  under  the  judgments  of  the  Most  High.  In  spite  of 
these  terrible  calamities,  the  wicked  would  continue  to  blaspheme  the  name 
of  Gt>d,  and  they  would  go  down  to  the  power  of  an  endless  death  with 
words  of  blasphemy  still  trembling  on  their  lips.  On  the  other  hand,  as 
it  was  in  Egypt,  so  now  the  people  of  God  would  be  protected.  The  earth- 
quake would  not  in  the  slightest  degree  disturb  their  homes,  and  the  great 
hail  stones  would  not  harm  a  hair  of  their  heads.  They  would  stand  by 
and  see  the  wonderful  works  of  God.  And  when  these  works  were  finished, 
they  would  enter  upon  the  fiill  enjoyment  of  the  blessedness  which  their 
God  had  promised. 


LECTURE    XLIX. 


THE  MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS. 

And  there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  bad  the  seven  vials,  and 
talked  with  me,  saying  unto  me,  Come  hither ;  I  will  shew  unto  thee  the 
judgment  of  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters  :  with  whom  the 
kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  fornication,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
have  been  made  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication.  So  he  carried  me 
away  in  the  spirit  into  the  wilderhess :  and  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet- 
coloured  beast,  full  of  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns-. 
And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet-colour,  and  decked  with  gold 
and  precious  stones  and  pearls,  havine  a  golden  cup  in  her  hand  full  of  abom- 
inations and  filthiness  or  her  fornication  :  and  upon  her  forehead  was  a  name 
written,  MYSTERY,  BABYLON  THE  GREAT,  THE  MOTHER  OF 
HARLOTS  AND  ABOMINATIONS  OF  THE  EARTH.  And  I  saw  the 
woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
of  Jesus :  and  when  I  saw  her,  I  wondered  with  great  admiration. — Rxv.  17  : 
1-6. 

Thb  yision  of  the  seven  viak,  whose  outpouring  we  have  been  consider- 
ing, gives  a  brief  but  connected  history  of  prominent  events  £rom  the 
French  revolution  to  the  introduction  of  the  millennium.     In  our  exposi- 


THE  MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS.  385 

tioD,  we  have  traced  the  events  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbols  so  far  as 
they  have  been  fulfilled,  and  we  have  suggested  the  events  in  which  the 
rest  of  the  symbols  will  probably  be  fulfilled.  The  seventh  vial  was  explained 
as  being  a  summary  of  what  is  to  be  during  the  period  which  immediately 
precedes  the  millennium,  and  which  is  especially  to  be  distinguished  by  the 
final  and  complete  victory  of  the  church  and  the  final  and  complete  de- 
struction of  the  enemies  of  the  church.  But  the  events  of  this  period  are 
so  important,  so  interesting  and  so  encouraging  to  every  one  who  loves  the 
church,  that  they  are  in  this  and  the  following  chapters  described  in 
greater  detail.  This  must  be  borne  in  mind  or  we  will  fail  in  understand- 
ing the  visions  before  us.  Let  it  then  be  remembered  that  in  chapters 
XVII,  XYIII  and  XIX,  we  have  a  more  extended  description  of  the 
judgments  shadowed  forth  under  the  seventh  vial,  judgments  which  re- 
sulted in  the  triumph  of  the  church  and  the  overthrow  of  its  foes. 

Of  course  the  church  has  had,  and  still  has,  many  enemies ;  but  the  one 
most  powerful  in  the  days  of  John  and  most  powerful  ever  since,  is  Rome 
civil  and  ecclesiastical.  This  enemy  has  assumed  many  different  forms  and 
has  shown  its  hatred  in  many  different  ways,  but  it  has  always  been  the 
great  foe  of  true  religion.  This  is  the  reason  why  it  occupies,  under 
various  symbols,  such  a  prominent  place  in  the  Apocalypse.  These  sym- 
bols, as  well  as  other  passages  of  Scripture,  lead  us  to  expect  that  when 
this  enemy  is  destroyed,  the  great  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  Saviour's 
kingdom  will  be  removed.  We  must,  therefore,  expect  that  the  enemy 
whose  destruction  is  described  in  the  present  chapter  is  anti-Christian 
Rome.  And  the  symbols  employed,  when  we  come  to  consider  them,  will 
show  U0  that  our  expectation  is  well  founded. 

There  is  another  thing  which  should  excite  our  attention  and  arouse  our 
thankfulness  as  we  turn  to  the  chapter  upon  whose  consideration  we  enter 
in  the  present  lecture.  An  angel  appears  and  explains  the  symbols  which 
make  their  appearance.  And  the  symbols  which  the  angel  explains  are  not 
confined  to  this  chapter ;  they  are  to  be  found  in  other  places  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse. The  explanation  of  the  angel  helps  us  to  understand  visions  whose 
meaning  would  otherwise  have  been  beyond  our  reach.  Let  us,  then,  be 
thankful  that  Qod  sent  his  angel  to  show  us  things  which  must  be  here- 
after; and  let  us  with  reverence  listen  to  the  words  of  the  heavenly  expos- 
itor of  the  Apocalyptic  visions. 

This  chapter  may  be  divided  into  three  parts.  The  first  part,  which  is 
contained  in  verses  1-3,  is  an  introduction.  An  angel  appears  and  an- 
nounces that  the  reason  of  his  coming  was  to  show  the  judgments  of  the 
great  enemy  of  the  church.  In  the  second  part,  which  is  contained  in 
verses  4*^,  certain  symbols  which  the  apostle  saw  are  vividly  described. 
In  the  third  part,  which  is  contained  in  verses  7-18,  we  have  the  angel's 

25 


886  LBCTUBB  XLIX. 

explanation  of  the  symbols.     In  this  and  the  following  lecture  we  will  con- 
sider these  divisions  in  their  order. 

I.  Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  the  angel,  and  to  the  purpose  of  his 
coming,  as  announced  by  himself.  ^'And  there  came  one  of  the  eeven 
angels  which  had  the  seven  vials,  and  talked  with  me,  saying  unto  me, 
Come  hither  ;  I  will  show  unto  thee  the  judgment  of  the  great  whore  that 
sitteth  upon  many  waters :  with  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  com- 
mitted fornication,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have  been  made  drunk 
with  the  wine  of  her  fornication.  So  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit 
into  the  wilderness.''  The  angel  is  described  as  one  of  the  seven  angels 
which  had  the  seven  viab ;  which  one  we  are  not  told,  nor  is  it  important 
for  us  to  know.  This  angel  had  poured  out  his  vial,  had  stood  by  when 
the  other  angels  had  poured  out  their  vials,  and  had  seen  all  the  symbols 
which  followed.  He  would,  therefore,  be  interested  in  these  revelations,  more 
interested  than  one  who  had  taken  no  part  in  them.  And  though  of  him- 
self he  might  not  be  able  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  symbols  which 
he  had  seen,  yet  when  he  was  commissioned  to  explain  these  symbols  to 
the  apostle,  &od  would  enable  him  to  understand  their  meaning.  This 
angel  came  to  the  apostle's  side,  not  in  all  the  majesty  of  his  superior  and 
sinless  nature ;  he  came  as  John's  fellow  servant.  He  talked  with  him  as 
a  man  might  t-alk  with  a  friend.  Coming  in  this  way  and  talking  in  this 
way,  the  apostle  was  better  able  to  understand  his  explanation. 

The  angel  announces  the  purpose  for  which  he  came.  It  was  to  show 
the  aposUe  the  judgments  which  were  to  come  upon  the  great  enemy  of 
the  church.  This  enemy  is  described  under  the  figpire  of  a  harlot,  which 
reminds  us  of  some  of  the  most  striking  passages  in  the  Old  Testament 
prophecies.  In  order  to  give  us  some  idea  of  the  sin  of  those  who  forsake 
the  Lord  for  other  gods  as  it  appears  in  the  sight  of  a  pure  heaven,  it  is 
described  as  adultery  and  fornication.  This  great  enemy  is  further  de- 
scribed as  sitting  upon  many  waters.  Seas  and  oceans  are  symbols  of 
peoples  and  nations.  This  great  enemy  is  to  rule  over  and  be  supported  by 
many  nations.  This  enemy  is  further  described  as  having  committed  for- 
nication with  the  kings  of  the  earth.  Through  its  influence,  the  kings  of 
the  nations  were  seduced  from  their  allegiance  to  God,  and  were  persuaded 
to  enter  into  alliance  with  his  foes  This  enemy  is  still  further  described 
as  making  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her  forni- 
cation. Its  influence  extended  not  only  to  the  rulers,  but  to  the  people  as 
well.  Through  the  intoxication  of  its  influence,  they  became,  as  it  were, 
crazed  in  their  sinful  practices. 

You  will  observe  that  the  great  enemy  of  the  church  is  represented  aader 
a  twofold  figure.  She  is  described  as  a  harlot,  and  as  the  keeper  of  a  house 
of  entertainmenr,  who  gave  or  sold  intoxicating  drinks  to  her  guests.      In 


THE   MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS.  387 

ancient  times,  the  two  were  closely  associated.  In  proof,  I  need  only  refer 
to  the  well  known  case  of  Rahab,  who  entertained  the  spies  during  their 
visit  to  Jericho.  And  in  modern  times,  the  sins  of  prostitution  and  drunk- 
enness are,  to  a  very  considerable  extent,  associated  and  dependent.  Ac- 
cording to  the  angel's  announcement,  the  enemy  of  the  church  as  a  harlot 
seduced  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  commit  spiritual  fornication  ;  and  as  the 
keeper  of  a  house  of  entertainment,  she  made  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
drank  with  the  wine  of  her  figurative  adultery.  Such  was  the  great  enemy 
of  the  church.  On  the  symbols  employed  to  describe  her  we  need  not  dwell 
at  greater  length  in  the  present  connection,  for  they  will  claim  extended 
dbcuBsion  in  subsequent  parts  of  this  vision. 

No  sooner  had  the  angel  made  this  announcement  of  the  purpose  for 
which  he  came,  than  he  carried  John  away  in  the  spirit  into  the  wilderness. 
The  apostle  seemed  to  be  in  a  desert  place.  Why  the  scene  of  this  vision 
is  laid  in  the  wilderness,  we  are  not  told,  but  we  will  see  by  and  by  that 
the  wilderness  is  an  appropriate  symbol  of  the  civil  power  here  referred  to, 
at  the  time  referred  to.  When  we  compare  the  third  verse  with  the  first 
verse,  there  seems  to  be  some  confusion  in  the  imagery.  There  the  woman 
is  said  to  sit  upon  many  waters;  here  she  is  represented  as  being  in  the 
wilderness.  But  there  is,  in  reality,  no  contradiction.  The  woman  was  seen 
in  a  barren  waste,  but  it  was  not  a  barren  waste  of  dry  sand.  There  were 
marehes,  and  stagnant  pools,  and  great  lakes;  and  at  the  side  of  these  waters, 
in  a  desolate  wilderness,  the  woman  was  sitting.  Into  this  wilderness,  made 
all  the  more  dreary  by  the  marshes,  and  stagnant  pools,  and  great  lakes, 
the  apostle  seemed  to  be  carried,  and  here  he  saw  the  wonderful  vision 
which  the  angel  afterwards  explained. 

II.  Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  this  vision.  Let  us  consider  the 
STMB0L8,  one  by  one,  and  get  them  vividly  impressed  upon  our  minds. 
Let  us,  ¥rithout  reference  to  any  particular  theory  of  interpretation,  discover, 
if  we  can,  their  natural  meaning.  In  this  way  we  will  be  able  to  understand 
and  appreciate  the  angel's  subsequent  explanations. 

1«  The  first  symbol  in  the  vision,  the  one  around  which  all  the  other 
symbols  cluster,  is  a  woman.  She  is  the  same  woman  of  whom  the'  angel 
had  spoken  in  the  first  verse,  and  whom  he  calls  "the  great  whore.''  This 
name,  as  well  as  her  raiment,  the  inscription  on  her  forehead,  and  her  con- 
duct as  described  in  the  context,  shows  her  to  be  a  woman  of  depraved 
character  and  impure  life.  Of  what  would  such  a  woman  be  a  symbol  ? 
Hitherto  in  these  Apocalyptic  visions  but  one  symbolical  female  has  been 
introduced  to  our  notice.  In  chapter  XII,  we  saw  a  crowned  and  beautiful 
woman,  with  pure  and  spotless  garments.  We  saw  how  she  was  persecuted 
by  Satan  and  protected  by  God.  It  was  shown  that  this  woman  was  the 
symbol  of  the  true  church.     If  the  pure  and  spotless  woman  of  chapter  XII 


388  LEOTUBE   XLIX. 

is  the  symbol  of  the  true  charch,  we  may  expect  that  the  abandoned  female 
of  the  present  chapter  would  be  the  symbol  of  a  corrupt  church.  This 
conclusion  is  greatly  confirmed  and  strengthened  by  the  use  which  the  Old 
Testament  prophets  make  of  this  and  similar  symbols.  When  Israel  went 
astray  and  corrupted  herself  with  idolatry  and  the  immoral  practices  of  the 
heathen,  she  is  deicribed  as  playing  the  harlot,  {"or  proof,  I  refer  to  the 
prophecies  of  Hosea  and  £zekiel.  Nor  is  this  symbol  peculiar  to  the 
prophets.  It  is  to  be  found  in  the  Psalms,  and  even  in  the  historical  books 
of  the  Old  Testament.  In  fact  the  symbol  is  so  common  that  no  reader 
of  the  Bible  can  overlook  or  misunderstand  it.  And  this  figure,  better 
than  almost  any  other  the  Holy  Spirit  has  seen  fit  to  employ,  reveals  the 
relation  which  exists  between  GK>d  and  the  church,  and  the  great  sin  of  the 
church  when  it  forsakes  the  worship  of  the  true  &od  for  the  worship  of 
idols.  Therefore,  the  common  usage  of  the  Scriptures,  as  well  as  the  anal- 
ogy between  this  vision  and  the  vision  of  chapter  XII^  leads  us  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  abandoned  woman,  whom  the  apostle  saw  in  the  wilderness, 
is  the  symbol  of  an  impure  and  conrupt  church. 

2.  The  next  symbol  in  the  vision  is  the  beast  on  which  the  woman  is 
sitting.  ^'And  I  saw  a  woman  sit  upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast,  full  of  names 
of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns."  This  beast  is  already 
a  familiar  symbol  to  us.  He  has  made  his  appearance  once  and  again  in 
the  visions  we  have  considered.  In  chapter  12  :  3,  we  are  told,  "  and  there 
appeared  another  wonder  in  heaven ;  and  behold  a  great  red  dragon,  having 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  seven  crowns  upon  his  heads."  Again,  in 
chapter  13  : 1,  2,  we  are  told,  '^  and  I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and 
saw  a  beast  rise  up  out  of  the  sea,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and 
upon  his  horns  ten  crowns,  and  upon  his  heads  the  name  of  blasphemy. 
And  the  beast  which  I  saw  was  like  unto  a  leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as 
the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion  ;  and  the  dragon 
gave  him  his  power  and  his  seat,  and  great  authority."  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  great  red  dragon  of  chapter  XII,  and  the  beast  rising  out  of 
the  sea  of  chapter  XIII,  are  the  same  as  the  scarlet-colored  beast  upon  which 
the  woman  was  sitting.  The  similarity  of  the  description,  given  in  each 
case,  forbids  any  doubt  of  this  point.  If  we  were  correct  in  our  explana- 
tion of  this. symbol  in  previous  visions,  we  cannot  be  mistaken  as  to  its 
meaning  in  the  present  vision.  What  was  our  explanation  of  the  great  red 
dragon  and  the  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea  ?  It  was  explained  as  a  symbol 
of  the  civil  power  of  Rome,  which  took  its  rise  before  the  time  of  the 
apostle,  and  just  after  the  downfall  of  the  Grecian  empire,  and  which  has 
continued  through  various  vicissitudes  and  forms  of  administration  to  the 
present  generation.  This  power  has  been  exercised  by  kings,  and  by  con- 
suls, and  by  emperors,  and  by  popes,  and  by  other  rulers  of  different  names, 
but  it  has  always  been,  in  all  its  forms  and  under  all  its  rulers,  the  great 


THE  MOTHER  OF  HARLOTS.  389 

enemy  of  the  true  oharoh.  If  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  great  red  dragon 
and  the  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea,  this  most  also  be  the  meaning  of  the 
beast  on  which  the  woman  was  sitting.  It  must  be  a  symbol  of  the  civil 
power  of  Rome.  Let  there  be  no  misunderstanding  here.  The  beast  is 
not  a  symbol  of  the  ecclesiastical,  but  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  Though 
these  two  powers  are  at  times  closely  connected  and  intimately  interwoven, 
they  are  distinct.  The  beast  is  a  symbol  of  the  civil  power  whose  capital 
was  the  city  of  Rome,  and  which,  under  kings,  and  consuls,  and  emperors, 
and  finally  under  popes,  ruled  the  world. 

This  conclusion,  to  which  the  interpretation  of  previous  visions  has  led 
us,  is  confirmed  by  the  description  of  the  beast  which  is  here  given.  It 
was  a  scarlet-colored  beast.  Scarlet  and  purple  have  always  been  the  favorite 
colors  of  the  Roman  power.  The  military  cloaks  of  the  empire  were  of  this 
color,  as  witnesses  the  robe  which  was  thrown  in  mockery  over  the  Saviour's 
shoulders  at  the  conclusion  of  his  trial  before  Pilate.  The  robes  of  the 
emperors  and  of  the  high  officials  of  the  empire  were  of  this  color.  In 
later  days,  the  robes  of  the  popes,  and  cardinals,  and  higher  clergy  were  of 
this  color.  It  is  therefore  a  significant  fact  that  the  symbol  which  shadowed ' 
forth  this  power  was  a  scarlet-colored  beast.  And  this  symbolical  beast  was 
full  of  the  names  of  blasphemy ;  that  is,  it  was  all  covered  over  with  blas- 
phemous titles  and  names.  It  is  well  known  that  the  rulers  of  Rome,  both 
the  emperors  and  popes,  have  called  themselves  by  divine  names,  have 
claimed  divine  attributes,  and  have  received  divine  worship.  It  is  of  them 
Paul  speaks  when  he  says,  ''he  exalteth  himself  above  all  that  is  called 
God  or  that  is  worshiped,  so  that  he  as  Ood  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  Ood, 
showing  himself  that  he  is  Ood."     Herein  is  blasphemy. 

This  symbolical  beast  had  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  These  symbols 
have  already  been  explained.  The  seven  heads  symbolize  the  seven  hills 
npon  which  the  capital  of  the  Roman  power  was  builded,  and  the  seven 
forms  of  government  through  which  that  power  was  perpetuated.  The 
ten  horns  symbolize  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  that  power  was  at  one 
time  divided,  and  by  which  it  was  upheld.  But  as  we  will  have  occasion 
to  discuss  the  meaning  of  the  seven  heads  and  ten  horns  when  we  come  to 
consider  the  angel's  explanation,  we  will  not  dwell  upon  it  at  greater  length 
just  now. 

This  much  seems  to  be  plain.  The  scarlet-colored  beast  is  a  symbol  of 
the  civil  power  of  Rome.  The  abandoned  woman  is  the  symbol  of  a  corrupt 
church.  As  the  woman  is  sitting  upon  the  scarlet-colored  beast  and  guiding 
its  movements,  we  must  expect  that  the  corrupt  church  is  somehow  to  be 
supported  by  the  civil  power  of  Rome,  and  that  it  is  to  rule  over  that  power 
as  a  man  rules  the  horse  upon  which  he  is  riding.  All  this  is  so  plain, 
that  we  might,  without  considering  the  other  symbols  and  without  waiting 
for  the  angel's  explanation,  step  to  the  conclusion  that  the  abandoned  woman 


390  LEOTURE  XLIX. 

\b  the  symbol  of  the  Papal  church.     But  let  us  not  rush  to  a  couclusion 
before  examining  the  other  symbols. 

3.  The  next  thing  in  the  vision  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  dre$s 
of  the  woman,  *^And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and  scarlet^olor, 
and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls,  having  a  golden  cup 
in  her  hand  full  of  abominations  and  filthiness  of  her  fomicadon."  Her 
raiment  betrays  her  character.  It  is  the  raiment  of  a  harlot.  Her  robes 
are  expensive  and  gaudy.  She  is  loaded  with  jewelry.  She  has  gold,  and 
precious  stones,  and  pearls  in  profusion.  She  holds  in  her  hand  a  golden 
cup  wherewith  to  entice  her  lovers.  But  this  cup,  instead  of  being  filled 
with  wine,  wsm  filled  with  abominations  and  filthiness.  This  symbolical 
description  leads  us  to  expect  that  the  corrupt  church  symbolized  by 
the  abandoned  woman,  would  be  a  church  of  extensive  ceremonies ;  it 
would  be  a  church  of  gorgeous  vestments.  Is  there  any  church,  the 
outgrowth  of  the  Roman  power,  whose  high  officials  are  arrayed  in  pur- 
ple and  scarlet-color  ?  Is  there  any  church  distinguished  by  these  colors 
in  all  its  public  festivals  and  processions?  And  this  corrupt  church 
would  be  rich.  With  it  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls  would  be 
in  common  use.  Is  there  any  church  whose  priests  are  decked  in  gold, 
and  precious  stones,  and  pearls?  Is  th^re  any  church  whose  altars  are 
loaded  with  precious  metals  and  sparkling  gems  ?  Is  there  any  church  whose 
wealth  in  jewels,  and  houses,  and  lands,  and  money  is  almost  fabulous  ? 
This  corrupt  church  would  also  be  a  captivating  and  alluring  one.  By  its 
pretensions  and  promises,  by  its  rites  and  ceremonies,  it  would  allure  kings 
and  peoples  to  be  its  servants  and  lovers.  Its  most  powerful  allurement 
would  be  the  abomination  and  filthiness  which  it  permitted  and  encouraged. 
Is  there  any  church  which  has  seduced  kings  and  peoples  by  its  ceremonies, 
by  its  easy  morality,  and  its  promise  of  a  free  pardon  for  any  crime?  Is 
there  any  church  which  has  been  guilty  of  spiritual  adultery  in  its  worship 
of  images  and  of  saints  ?  Is  there  any  church  which  has  permitted  licen- 
tiousness and  immorality  of  every  form  among  its  officers  and  members  to 
go  unrebuked  ?  Perhaps  we  are  ready  even  now  to  answer  these  questions, 
and  to  say  that  aU  these  symbols  are  fulfilled  in  the  Papal  church.  But 
before  coming  to  a  conclusion,  let  us  wait  till  we  examine  the  rest  of  the 
vision. 

4.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  name  toHiten  on  the 
woman* 8  forehead*  ^*  And  upon  her  forehead  was  a  name  written.  Mystery, 
Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the  earth." 
The  name  is  threefold.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  "mystery" ;  that  is,  it  is 
mysterious,  obscure,  hidden.  It  revealed  the  character  of  the  woman,  not 
plainly,  but  under  a  figure,  which  could  be  understood  only  through  study 
and  wisdom.  In  the  next  place,  the  name  is  "  Babylon  the  great."  This 
is  a  mysterious  name,  a  name  so  mysterious  that  we  would  not  have  been 


THE  MOTHSB  OF  HA&L0T8.  391 

able  to  nnderstand  it  without  the  help  of  the  Spirit.  In  the  third  place, 
die  name  is,  ''mother  of  harlots  and  abominations  of  the  earth";  that  is, 
the  instigator  of  spiritual  adultery  and  of  all  manner  of  unoleanness.  The 
woman's  name,  as  well  as  her  raiment,  betrays  her  character.  It  is  the  name 
of  a  harlot.  This  name  leads  us  to  expect  that  the  corrupt  church  symbol- 
ized by  the  abandoned  woman  would  resemble  Babylon  of  old,  which  was 
iuU  of  wickedness,  and  which  was  the  great  enemy  of  the  ancient  church. 
Is  there  any  church  which  resembles  ancient  Babylon  m  magnificence  and 
wickedness  ?  Is  there  any  church  which  has  always  been  the  foe  of  true 
Christianity  as  Babylon  was  the  foe  of  Israel  ?  This  name  would  also  lead 
us  to  expect  that  this  corrupt  church  would  be  the  author  and  promoter  of 

• 

spiritual  adultery  and  abomination.  Is  there  any  church  which  has  been 
the  promoter  of  lewdness  and  adultery  ?  Is  there  any  church  which  carries 
upon  its  forehead  through  all  the  centuries  of  its  history  the  name  written 
in  unmistakable  characters,  *<  Mystery,  Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of 
harlots  and  abominations  of  the  earth''?  Perhaps  we  are  ready  even  now 
to  answer  these  questions,  and  to  say  that  these  symbols  are  fulfilled  in  the 
Papal  church.  But  before  coming  to  a  conclusion,  let  us  examine  the  other 
symbol* 

5.  The  last  thing  which  claims  our  attention  in  the  vision  is  t?ie  conduct 
of  the  toomaiu  "  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of  the 
saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus ;  and  when  I  saw  her  I 
wondered  with  great  admiration."  She  was  intoxicated.  It  is  indeed  a 
loathsome  figure,  a  figure  whose  loathsomeness  is  almost  without  a  par- 
allel in  the  word  of  God.  A  reeling,  drunken  woman !  A  drunken  man 
is  loathsome  enough  ;  but  a  drunken  woman  !  And  a  drunken  woman 
who  is  arrayed  in  rich  apparel,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones, 
and  pearls  ;  and  Vhose  drunkenness  is  only  a  part  of  her  sin  and  shame  ! 
Is  it  any  wonder  we  turn  away  in  horror  from  such  a  sad  and  loathsome 
symbol  ?  But  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  full  extent  of  the  loathsome- 
ness of  the  figure.  She  is  drunken,  but  not  with  wine  ;  but  with  blood  ; 
and  the  blood  with  which  she  is  drunken  is  the  blood  of  the  saints  and  the 
martjrrs  of  Jesus.  To  the  sins  of  fornication  and  drunkenness,  she  adds 
the  sins  of  cruelty  and  murder.  Her  victims  are  the  holy  ones  of  earth. 
To  show  her  cruelty  and  want  of  feeling,  she  mingles  their  blood  with  the 
contents  of  her  intoxicating  cup.  It  is  no  wonder  that  when  John  saw 
ker,  he  wondered  with  great  admiration,  or  rather,  with  great  astonishment. 
He  was  astonished  at  her  appearance,  at  her  apparel,  at  her  name,  but  es- 
pecially at  her  conduct  as  he  saw  her  reeling  under  the  influence  of  the 
intoxicating  cup,  in  which  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  was  an  ingredient. 
The  woman's  conduct,  as  well  as  her  raiment  and  her  name,  betrays  her 
character.  It  is  the  conduct  of  a  shameless  harlot.  This  conduct  leads 
us  to  expect  that  this  corrupt  church,  symbolized  by  the  abandoned  woman, 


392  LEOTURB  L. 

would  be  distinguished  for  her  cruelties  and  murders,  that  she  would  es- 
pecially shed  the  blood  of  the  saints  of  GK)d,  that  she  would  become  so 
beside  herself  with  cruelty  as  to  seem  to  be  intoxicated,  and  that  she  would, 
in  the  madness  of  her  intoxication  and  bloody  cruelty,  be  a  wonder  to  the 
world.  Is  there  any  church  which  has  been  notorious  for  its  persecutions, 
which  has  poured  out  the  blood  of  the  saints  like  water  on  the  ground, 
which  has  been  so  intoxicated  with  bloodshed  as  to  be  a  wonder  in  history? 
Perhaps  we  are  ready  even  now  to  answer  these  questions,  and  to  say  that 
these  symbols  are  fulfilled  in  the  Papal  church.  But  before  coming  to  a 
certain  conclusion,  let  us  wait  till  we  hear  the  angel's  explanation  of  these 
symbols,  which  will  be  considered  in  the  next  lecture.  And  yet,  why  need 
we  wait  ?  The  natural  meaning  of  'these  symbols,  the  laws  of  symbolic 
interpretation,  parallel  symbols  in  other  parts  of  this  book,  and  the  facts  of 
history,  all  assure  us  that  the  shameless  harlot  is  tlie  Papal  church. 


LECTURE    L. 


THE  ANGEL'S  EXPLANATION. 

And  the  anejel  said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ?  I  will  tell  thoe 
the  mystery  of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  the 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  The  beast  that  thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not;  and  shall 
ascend  out  of  the  bottomless  pit,  and  go  into  perdition :  and  they  that  dwell  on 
the  earth  shall  wonder,  (whose  names  were  |not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from 
the  foundation  of  the  world,)  when  they  behold  the  beast  tha^  was,  and  is  not, 
and  yet  is. — Rev.  17  :  7,  8. 

In  order  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  angel's  explanation,  we  must 
keep  yividly  before  our  minds  the  vision  of  the  preceding  venes.  At  the 
close  of  the  last  lecture  we  ventured  the  conclusion  that  all  the  symbola  of 
this  vision  were  satisfactorily  fulfilled  in  the  characteristics  and  history  of 
the  church  of  Rome.  Let  us  now  turn  to  the  explanation  of  the  angel 
and  see  if  that  conclusion  was  well  founded.  Certainly  the  heavenly 
Father,  having  commissioned  the  angel  to  show  the  judgment  of  the  great 
enemy  of  the  church,  would  enable  him  to  understand  the  vision.  And 
though  the  angel's  exposition  is  itself  in  some  places  hard  to  understand, 
yet  it  is  of  great  assistance  in  opening  the  meaning  of  some  of  the  darkest 
visions  of  this  book. 

The  angel's  discourse  may  be  divided  into  the  following  parts :  1.  The 
introduction,  in  which  the  angel  announces  his  intention  to  unfold  the  mys- 
tery which  the  apostle  had  seen,  verse  7  ;  2.  The  explanation  of  the  soarlet- 


THE  anobl'b  explanation.  398 

colored  beast,  verse  8 ;  3.  The  explanation  of  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast, 
verses  9-11 ;  4.  The  explanation  of  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast,  verses 
12-14 ;  5.  The  explanation  of  the  waters  upon  which  the  harlot  was 
siting,  verse  15 ;  6.  The  explanation  of  the  harlot  and  the  prediction  of 
her  terrible  death,  verses  16-18.  The  first  and  second  parts  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  occupy  our  attention  in  the  present  lecture. 

I.  We  must  notice  the  angel's  introduction.  "And  the  angel 
said  unto  me,  Wherefore  didst  thou  marvel  ?  I  wiU  tell  thee  the  mystery 
of  the  woman,  and  of  the  beast  that  carrieth  her,  which  hath  the  seven 
heads  and  ten  horns."  The  apostle  wondered  with  great  astonishment  at 
what  he  saw.  He  wondered  at  the  woman's  dress,  at  her  name  and  at  her 
conduct.  And  now  the  angel  wondered  at  the  wonder  of  the  apostle,  who 
stood  watching  the  symbols  in  speechless  amazement.  Had  the  angel  for- 
gotten that  the  apostle  was  a  mere  man  that  he  should  say,  ^'  Wherefore 
didst  thou  marvel"  ?  Or  would  the  angel  by  this  question  intimate  to  the 
apostle  that  he  need  marvel  no  more  ?  This  seems  more  probable,  for  the 
vision  was  about  to  be  explained  and  the  mystery  solved.  Having  thus 
arrested  the  apostle's  attention,  he  tells  him  plainly  the  object  of  his 
coming.  It  was  to  solve  the  mystery  of  the  woman  and  the  beast.  The 
woman  and  the  beast  were  a  mystery.  Their  meaning  was  hidden  and  ob- 
scure. It  required  wisdom  to  understand  it.  And  the  angel  had  wisdom, 
both  natural  and  expressly  communicated  to  him  for  this  mission  upon 
which  he  came.  We  may  therefore  be  confident  that  the  angel  was  com- 
petent to  explain  this  mystery,  and  that  if  wc  are  unable  to  understand 
his  explanation,  the  fault  must  be,  not  in  the  angel  or  in  his  explanation, 
but  in  ourselves. 

II.  We  have  the  anoel's  explanation  ov  the  beast.  *<  The 
beast  that  thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not ;  and  shaU  ascend  out  of  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  and  go  into  perdition ;  and  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall 
wonder,  whose  names  were  not  written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world,  when  they  behold  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and 
yet  is."  Bemember  that  the  beast  is  a  symbol.  Remember  also  that  the 
beast  is  a  symbol  of  a  civil  power.  This  is  evident  from  previous  visions, 
in  which  the  same  symbol  has  occupied  a  prominent  place.  It  is  also  evi- 
dent from  the  angel's  subsequent  explanation  of  the  heads  and  horns.  The 
question^  then,  with  which  we  now  have  to  do  is  this,  of  what  civil  power 
is  the  beast  a  symbol  ?  This  is  the  question  which  the  angel  answers.  It 
is  true  he  does  not  answer  it  by  giving  us  the  name  of  the  civil  power. 
He  describes  its  origin^  its  history  and  its  destiny.  If  I  mistake  not,  we 
will  find  that  his  description  is  applicable  to  but  one  of  all  the  civil  powers 
which  have  flourished  on  the  earthl     One  other  remark  before  we  enter 


894  LBOTURE  L. 

upon  the  conBideration  of  the  angel's  explanation  :  oar  venion  of  the  last 
clause  of  this  verse  is  a  little  faulty.  According  to  the  standard  manu< 
scripts,  to  which  we  have  had  occasion  so  often  to  appeal,  the  concluding 
words  of  the  verse  should  read,  "  when  they  behold  the  beast  that  was, 
and  is  not,  and  shall  again  be  present."  The  variation  is  not  great,  but 
the  amended  reading  expresses  more  clearly  than  the  received  text  the  idea 
which  was  intended  to  be  conveyed. 

These  words  remind  us  of  the  similar  words  used  by  the  Saviour  with 
reference  to  himself  in  his  valedictory  discourse.  He  said, ''  A  little  while 
and  ye  shall  see  me ;  and  again  a  little  while  and  ye  shall  not  see  me ;  be- 
cause I  go  to  the  Father.''  These  words  puzzled  the  sorrowing  disciples, 
but  the  Saviour  explained  them  so  plainly  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  as 
to  their  meaning.  He  was  speaking  of  his  death  and  resurrection.  He 
was  then  with  his  disciples ;  in  a  little  while  he  would  die  and  be  buried, 
and  then  they  would  not  see  him ;  in  another  little  while  he  would  rise 
from  the  dead  and  go  in  and  out  as  before,  and  then  they  would  see  him. 
In  other  words  he  was,  and  he  would  not  be,  and  he  would  be  present  with 
them  again.  If  we  explain  the  similar  language  of  the  angel  in  a  similar 
way,  it  teaches  us  that  the  civil  power  symbolized  by  the  beast  was  for  a 
time,  that  is,  for  a  time  it  existed  and  prospered ;  that  after  a  time  of  life 
and  prosperity,  it  was  not,  that  is,  it  became  practically  extinct,  it  disap- 
peared from  human  view  as  the  Saviour  did  during  the  three  days  of  his 
burial ;  that  after  a  time  of  apparent  death,  it  came  forth  from  the  abyss 
of  its  figurative  grave,  and  that  after  its  restoration  to  life  and  power  it 
was  again  present  in  all  its  former  vigor  and  prosperity ;  that  afler  its 
second  period  of  vigor  and  prosperity,  it  wculd  be  finally  and  completdy 
destroyed ;  and  that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  save  the  saints  to  whom 
the  purposes  of  the  Lord  had  been  revealed,  would  wonder  when  they  saw 
the  prosperity,  the  apparent  extinction,  the  resurrection,  the  new  pros- 
perity and  the  final  destruction  of  this  civil  power.  All  this  seems  to  be 
plain.  No  civil  power  will  meet  the  requirements  of  the  angel's  explana- 
tion, which  does  not  have  these  characteristics  and  pass  through  these 
vicissitudes.  It  must  first  be  prosperous  ;  then  it  must  apparently  die ; 
then  it  must  be  raised  from  its  apparent  death ;  then  it  must  enter  upon  a 
new  career  of  prosperity ;  at  last  it  must  be  totally  destroyed ;  and  in 
all  these  changes  it  must  be  the  wonder  of  the  world.  And  no  civil 
power  will  meet  the  requirements  of  the  angel's  explanation,  which  does  not 
maintain  its  identity  through  all  these  changes.  From  the  beginniog  to 
the  end,  it  must  be  the  same  power  under  all  its  vicissitudes  and  forms  of 
administration.     Is  there  such  a  power? 

There  are  two  ways  in  which  this  question  might  be  answered.  In  the 
first  place,  we  might  sketch  the  history  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  and 
then  see  in  which  one  all  the  characteristics  necessary  to  the  fulfillment  of 


THE  anqil's  explanation.  395 

the  fljmbol  are  to  be  found.  But  this  would  require  more  time,  research 
tnd  ability  than  I  am  able  to  command.  In  the  second  place,  we  might 
take  up  the  history  of  that  particular  nation,  in  which  the  previous  visions 
Ited  us  to  believe  that  the  symbols  are  fulfilled ;  and  if  we  find  that  the 
sjmbok  are  exactly  fulfilled  in  the  history  of  that  nation,  we  may  conclude, 
without  going  further,  that  this  la  the  nation  shadowed  forth  by  the  scarlet- 
oolored  beast.  This  is  the  pUn  which,  on  account  of  its  brevity,  we  will 
follow  in  the  present  lecture. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  previous  visions  and  their  interpretation  lead  us 
to  believe  that  the  scarlet-oolored  beast  shadows  forth  the  civil  power  of 
Borne.  The  question  then  before  us  for  our  immediate  consideration  is, 
Does  the  angel*s  explanation  satisfactorily  describe  the  Roman  power? 
Was  that  power  for  a  long  time  prosperous  ?  Did  it  then  apparently  die  ? 
Was  it  after  a  season  raised  from  its  apparent  death  ?  Did  it  then  enter 
ipon  a  new  career  of  prosperity  ?  Was  it  through  all  these  vicissitudes 
the  wonder  of  the  world  ?  And  did  it  through  all  these  changes  maintain 
its  identity  ?  That  the  Roman  power  was  for  a  long  time  prosperous  re- 
quires no  extended  proof.  Historians  describe  in  glowing  terms  its  rise  and 
progress.  From  a  lowly  origin  it  grew  and  spread  till  it  filled  the  earth. 
Captives  of  every  land  performed  its  work.  The  wealth  of  every  land  flowed 
into  its  treasuries.  The  fruits  of  every  land  were  found  upon  its  tables. 
Hen  of  every  race  and  complexion  jostled  in  the  streets  of  its  capital.  Its 
standards  floated  in  every  breeze,  and  its  armies  were  known  and  feared  in 
every  clime.  For  centuries  Rome  was  the  mistress  of  the  world.  Its  history 
during  these  centuries  was  the  history  of  the  world.  This  era  of  prosperity 
continued  from  the  time  of  the  kings  to  the  time  of  the  emperors  who  sat 
upon  the  throne  when  John  was  an  exile  in  Patmoe,  and  for  many  centuries 
afterwards.  All  this  is  so  well  known  that  a  single  extract  from  history 
need  not  be  read  to  prove  it. 

Was  this  long  period  of  prosperity  followed  by  a  period  of  adversity  so 
great  that  the  Roman  power  seemed  to  be  entirely  extinct  ?  Every  student 
of  history  is  ready  to  answer  this  question  in  the  affirmative.  Afler  bun- 
dreds  of  years  of  prosperity  the  Roman  empire  entered  upon  its  decline. 
Through  the  enervation  of  wealth,  luxury  and  dissipation,  it  became  too 
weak  to  resist  its  enemies — too  weak  to  bear  up  under  its  own  weight.  The 
sturdy  barbarians  of  the  north  came  rolling  over  the  fertile  plains  of  the 
south  like  the  billows  of  the  sea.  Province  after  province,  city  af^er  city 
£dl  before  them,  until  Rome  became  but  a  name  and  memory  of  the  past, 
and  its  rich  possessions  became  a  howling  wilderness.  In  proof  of  these 
assertions,!  refer  to  Gibbon's  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  the  historian  whose  words  have  thrown  light  upon  so  many  of  the 
previous  visions  of  the  Apocalypse.  His  account  of  the  condition  of  the 
Roman  empire  at  the  beginning  of  the  sixth  century  seems  to  be  descrip- 


396  LECTURE  L. 

tive  of  that  wilderness  in  which  the  woman  was  seated  beside  the  waters, 
and  an  explanation  of  the  statement  that  the  beast  was  not :  '*  Rome  had 
reached,  about  the  close  of  the  sixth  century,  the  lowest  period  of  its  de- 
pression.   By  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  empire,  and  the  succeflsire  loss  of 
the  proyinces,  the  sources  of  public  and  private  opulence  were  exhausted. 
The  lofty  tree,  under  whose  shade  the  nations  of  the  earth  had  reposed, 
was  deprived  of  its  leaves  and  branches,  and  the  sapless  trunk  was  left  to 
wither  on  the  ground.     The  ministers  of  command  and  the  messengers  of 
viotoiy  no  longer  met  on  the  Appian  or  Flaminian  way  ;  and  the  hostile 
approach  of  the  Lombards  was  often  felt  and  continually  feared.     The  in- 
habitants of  a  potent  and  peaceful  capital,  who  visit  without  an  anxious 
thought  the  gardens  of  an  adjacent  country,  will  faintly  picture  in  their 
fancy  the  distress  of  the  Romans.    They  shut  or  opened  their  gates  with  a 
trembling  hand,  beheld  from  their  walls  the  flames  of  their  burning  houses, 
and  heard  the  lamentations  of  their  brethren,  who  were  coupled  together 
like  dogs,  and  dragged  away  into  distant  slavery  beyond  the  sea  and  the 
mountains.  Such  incessant  alarms  must  annihilate  the  pleasures  and  inter- 
rupt the  labors  of  a  rural  life ;  and  the  Campagna  of  Rome  was  speedily 
reduced  to  the  state  of  a  dreary  wUdemess,  in  which  the  land  is  barren, 
the  waters  are  impure,  and  the  air  is  infectious.     Curiosity  and  ambition 
no  longer  attracted  the  nations  to  the  capital  of  the  world ;  but  if  chance 
or  necessity  directed  the  steps  of  a  wandering  stranger,  he  contemplated 
with  horror  the  vacancy  of  the  city,  and  might  be  tempted  to  ask,  Where 
is  the  senate  and  where  are  the  people  ?    In  a  season  of  excessive  rains 
t^e  Tiber  swelled  above  its  banks  and  rushed  with  irresistible  violence  into 
the  valleys  of  the  seven  hills.  A  pestilential  disease  arose  from  the  stagna- 
tion of  the  deluge,  and  so  rapid  was  the  contagion  that  fourscore  persons 
expired  in  an  hour  in  the  midst  of  a  solemn  procession  which  implored  the 
mercy  of  heaven.  A  society  in  which  marrii^e  is  encouraged  and  industry 
prevails  soon  repairs  the  accidental  losses  of  pestilence  and  war ;  but  as  the 
far  greater  part  of  the  Romans  was  condemned  to  hopeless  indigence  and  ce- 
libacy, the  depopulation  was  constant  and  visible,  and  the  gloomy  enthusiasts 
might  expect  the  approaching  failure  of  the  human  race.   Tet  the  number 
of  citizens  still  exceeded  the  measure  of  subsistence ;  their  precarious  food 
was  supplied  from  the  harvests  of  Sicily  or  Egypt ;  and  the  frequent  repeti- 
tion of  famine  betrays  the  inattention  of  the  emperor  to  a  distant  provinoe. 
The  edifices  of  Rome  were  exposed  to  the  same  ruin  and  decay ;  the  moul- 
dering fabrics  were  easily  overthrown  by  inundations,  tempests  and  earth- 
quakes ;  and  the  monks  who  had  occupied  the  most  advantageous  stations 
exulted  in  their  base  triumph  over  the  ruins  of  antiquity.*'  Gibbon's  Rome, 
vol.  4,  p.  416. 

Was  this  period  of  adversity  and  apparent  death  followed  by  an  apparent 
lesurrection ?  This  question  must  also  be  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Out 


THE  angel's  explanation.  397 

of  tlie  ruins  of  the  old  empire  a  new  one  arose ;  and  this  new  empire  fairly 
eclipsed  the  old  one  in  its  extent,  its  power,  its  magnificence,  and  its  wick- 
edness. This  new  empire  was  ruled  by  the  popes  of  Borne.    It  was  founded 
by  Gregoiy,  the  first  and  greatest  of  the  popes.    For  proof  of  this  figurative 
resurrection  of  the  Roman  power,  I  refer  again  to  the  historian  Gibbon  : 
"  Like  Thebes,  or  Babylon,  or  Carthage,  the  name  of  Bome  might  have 
been  erased  from  the  earth,  if  the  city  had  not  been  animated  by  a  vital 
principle  which  again  restored  her  to  honor  and  dominion.     A  vague  tra- 
dition was  embraced  that  two  Jewish  teachers,  a  tent  maker  and  a  fisherman, 
had  formerly  been  executed  in  the  circus  of  Nero,  and  at  the  end  of  five 
hundred  years  their  genuine  or  fictitious  relics  were  adored  as  the  palladium 
of  Christian  Bome.  The  pilgrims  of  the  east  and  west  resorted  to  the  holy 
threshold  ;  but  the  shrines  of  the  apostles  were  guarded  by  miracles  and 
invisible  terrors ;  and  it  was  not  without  fear  that  the  pious  Catholic  ap- 
proached the  object  of  his  worship.   It  was  fiital  to  touch,  it  was  dangerous 
to  behold,  the  bodies  of  the  saints ;  and  those  who  from  the  purest  motives 
presumed  to  disturb  the  repose  of  the  sanctuary,  were  affrighted  by  visions, 
or  punished  with  sudden  death.    The  unreasonable  request  of  an  empress, 
who  wished  to  deprive  the  Bomans  of  their  sacred  treasure,  the  head  of 
St.  Paul,  was  rejected  with  the  deepest  abhorrence ;  and  the  popes  asserted, 
most  probably  with  truth,  that  a  linen  cloth  which  had  been  sanctified  in 
the  neighborhood  of  his  body,  or  the  filings  of  his  nails,  which  it  was  some- 
times easy  and  sometimes  impossible  to  obtain,  possessed  an  equal  degree  of 
miraculous  virtue.     But  the  power  as  well  as  the  virtue  of  the  apostles 
resided  with  living  energy  in  the  breast  of  their  successors  ;  and  the  chair 
of  St.  Peter  was  filled  under  the  reign  of  Maurice  by  the  first  and  greatest 
of  the  name  of  Gregory.     *     *     *     Gregory  might  justly  be  styled  the 
fiither  of  his  country.    *    *    *    The  sword  of  the  enemy  was  suspended 
over  Bome ;  it  was  averted  by  the  mild  eloquence  and  seasonable  gifts  of 
the  pontiff,  who  commanded  the  respect  of  heretics  and  barbarians.''    Gib- 
bon's Bome,  vol.  4,  p.  418. 

And  Gibbon  is  not  the  only  historian  who  describes  this  figurative  re- 
surrection. I  quote  two  other  brief  extracts  firom  writers  of  the  middle 
ages :  *'  The  empire  having  been  overthrown,  unless  God  had  raised  up  the 
pontificate,  Bome,  resuscitated  and  restored  by  none,  would  have  become 
uninhabitable  and  been  a  most  foul  habitation  thenceforward  of  cattle.  But 
in  the  pontificate  it  revived  as  in  a  second  birth ;  its  empire  in  magnitude 
not  indeed  equal  to  the  old  empire,  but  its  form  not  very  dissimUar ;  be- 
cause all  nations,  from  east  and  from  west,  venerate  the  pope,  not  otherwise 
than  they  before  obeyed  the  emperors."  **The  princes  of  the  world  now 
adore  and  worship  as  perpetual  dictator,  the  successor,  not  of  Ceesar,  but  of 
the  fisherman  Peter ;  that  is,  the  supreme  pontiff,  the  substitute  of  the 
aforesaid  emperor."  See  Barnes'  Notes,  p.  421. 


398  JLEOTUBE  L. 

In  these  extracts  the  following  points  are  made  plain  :  the  Roman  em^ 
pire  was  brought  very  low ;  it  seemed  to  tremble  on  the  very  edge  of  utter 
and  final  dissolution ;  it  was  unexpectedly  and  strangely  revived.  Its  disso- 
lution seemed  so  complete  that  it  might  have  been  described  as  having  gone 
down  into  the  abyss  of  the  grave,  or  Hades,  for  this  is  the  exact  meaning  of 
the  word  translated  "  bottomless  pit."  Its  revival  seemed  so  strange  that  it 
might  be  described  as  ascending  out  of  the  grave,  or  the  abyss,  or  Hades. 
Surely  in  all  this  the  explanation  of  the  angel  is  strikingly  fulfilled  in  the 
history  of  the  Roman  empire. 

Was  this  apparent  resurrection  followed  by  a  new  career  of  prosperity? 
This  question  must  also  be  answered  in  the  affirmative.  After  the  sixth 
century,  Rome  became  even  greater  than  it  had  been  before.  Mighty  as 
were  the  emperors,  the  popes  were  mightier  still.  The  kings  and  nations 
of  the  earth  reverenced  Augustus,  but  they  paid  a  more  profound  reverence 
to  Gregory  and  his  successors.  The  old  empire  exerted  a  great  influence 
over  the  affairs  of  the  world,  but  the  civil  power  of  the  Papacy  exerted  a 
still  greater  influence.  These  assertions  require  no  proof.  The  whole  civil 
history  of  the  church  of  Home,  from  the  days  of  Gregory  to  the  present 
generation,  shows  that  the  Roman  power  under  its  new  form  was  even  more 
powerful  than  under  its  old  form.  Surely  in  all  this  the  explanation  of 
the  angel  is  strikingly  fulfilled. 

Was  this  power  under  all  its  vicissitudes  the  wonder  of  all  the  inhabitants 
of  the  world  except  the  saints  ?  This  question  must  also  be  answered  in 
the  affirmative.  You  will  observe  how  the  saints  are  here  described.  They 
are  those  * 'whose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world."  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  Scripture,  the  church  of  Christ 
is  compared  to  a  kingdom.  The  names  of  all  the  subjects  of  this  kingdom 
are  enrolled.  The  book  in  which  they  are  enrolled  is  called  the  book  of 
life,  for  those  whose  names  are  written  therein  are  delivered  from  the  pow^ 
of  an  endless  death,  and  are  heirs  for  ever  and  ever  of  life  eyerlastiDg. 
Those  whose  names  are  written  therein  have  received  this  honor  notbeoaiise 
of  any  merit  or  righteousness  ef  their  own.  Their  names  were  written  in 
the  book  of  life  before  they  had  any  merit  or  righteousness,  before  they 
were  born,  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.  Mysterious  as  this  doctrine 
is,  here  it  stands  in  unmistakable  words  on  the  pages  of  inspiration,  and 
it  becomes  us  to  believe  it,  though  we  are  not  able  to  understand  it.  And 
the  saints  are  better  acquainted  with  the  plans  and  doings  of  the  Lord  than 
other  men  are.  '^The  secret  of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  him.*'  By 
a  study  of  the  Scriptures,  by  communion  with  God,  and  by  the  enlighten- 
ment of  the  Spirit,  they  are  so  well  informed  that  they  are  not  astonished 
at  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked  and  at  the  sorrows  of  the  righteous.  There- 
fore, knowing,  at  least  in  part,  what  God  intended  to  accomplish  by  the 
great  Roman  empire,  they  did  not  wonder  at  its  prosperity,  its  death,  its 


THE  angel's  explanation.  399 

resurrection,  and  its  new  life.  All  the  rest  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  world 
did  wonder.  The  career  of  the  Roman  power  has  indeed  been  wonderful. 
Even  the  saints,  with  all  their  superior  knowledge  of  the  divine  government, 
could  not  restrain  their  wonder.  And  those,  whose  unbelief  compelled 
them  to  assign  everything  to  natural  causes  alone,  were  astonished  beyond 
measure,  for  they  could  not  account  for  the  prosperity,  the  apparent  death, 
the  resurrection,  and  the  new  life  of  the  Roman  empire.  I  state  a  fact 
which  is  well  known,  when  I  say  that  the  Roman  empire  has  always  been 
a  wonder  to  the  world. 

Once  more:  did  the  Roman  empire  remain  the  same  during  all  these 
changes  ? — or  rather,  did  it  preserve  its  identity  ?  This  question  must  also 
be  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Its  capital  was  always  the  same.  Its  laws 
and  forms  of  government  were  substantially  the  same.  Its  great  design 
and  ambition  to  rule  the  world  was  always  the  same.  Under  kings,  em- 
perors and  popes,  it  has  always  been  the  same ;  and  therefore  it  is  appro- 
priately i^rmbolized  by  the  one  beast  which  was,  and  is,  and  shall  again  be 
present. 

But  one  thing  remains  to  be  noticed  in  the  angeUs  explanation,  viz.,  the 
destiny  of  the  beast.  It  goeth  to  perdition.  The  word  rendered  "  perdition," 
properly  means  deetmotion.  This  is  its  meaning  here.  The  power  sym- 
bolized by  this  beast  will  be  destroyed.  The  angel  assures  the  apostle  of 
this  for  his  encouragement.  The  apostle  might  have  thought  that  this 
power,  so  marvelously  restored  to  new  life  after  its  apparent  death,  would 
exist  for  ever  as  the  great  foe  of  the  church,  but  the  angel  assures  him  that 
he  need  not  fear.  The  same  divine  hand  which  brought  that  power  up 
from  the  abyss  would,  when  it  had  accomplished  its  mission,  consign  it  to 
destruetion. 

This  is  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  scarlet-oolored  beast,  which  har- 
monises perfectly  with  the  theory  we  have  adopted  in  the  interpretation 
of  previous  visions,  and  which  finds  its  exact  fulfillment  in  the  rise,  progress 
and  history  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  We  may  therefore  conclude  that 
the  scarlet-colored  beast  of  this  vision,  as  well  as  the  great  red  dragon  and 
the  beast  which  rose  out  of  the  sea,  was  intended  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be 
a  symbol  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  That  power  was  for  a  long  time 
prosperous ;  then  it  declined  to  apparent  death ;  then  it  was  strangely 
revived  as  if  it  was  brought  up  from  the  abyss ;  then  it  entered  upon  a 
new  career  of  prosperity,  to  the  wonder  of  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth, 
save  those  who  through  divine  grace  were  partakers  of  the  secret  of  the 
Lord.  Read  again  the  angel's  explanation,  and  tell  me  how  the  history  of  the 
civU  power  of  Rome  could  be  described  in  fewer  and  plainer  words.  If  the 
remaining  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  .points  in  the  same  direction,  we 
will  be  confinned  in  the  conclusion  that  the  scarlet-colored  beast  is  the  di* 
vinely  appointed  symbol  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome. 


400  LECTURE   LI. 


LECTURE    LI. 


THE  ANGEL'S  EXPLANATION— Coktinued. 

And  here  is  the  mind  wliich  hath  wisdom.  The  seven  heads  are  seven  moun- 
tains,  on  which  the  woman  sitteth.  And  there  are  seven  kings  :  five  are  fallen, 
and  one  is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  con- 
tinue a  short  space.  And  the  heast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth, 
and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition. — Rev.  17  :  9-11. 

The  vision  which  the  apostle  had  seen  must  still  be  kept  before  our 
minds.  He  had  seen  a  gaudily-attired,  impure  and  drunken  woman,  sitting 
upon  a  scarlet-colored  beast,  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns.  In  the  last 
lecture  we  considered  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  scarlet-colored  beast ; 
and  we  concluded  that  the  beast  was  the  divinely  appointed  symbol  of  the 
civil  power  of  Bome. 

III.  We  are  now  to  consider  the  third  part  of  the  angel's  discourse, 
viz.,  his  explanation  of  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast.  '*And  here  is 
the  mind  which  hath  wisdom.  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains,  on 
which  the  woman  sitteth.  And  there  are  seven  kings :  five  are  fallen,  one 
is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come ;  and  when  he  cometh,  he  must  continue 
a  short  space.  And  the  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth, 
and  is  of  the  seven,  and  goeth  into  perdition."  The  angel's  explanation 
of  the  seven  heads  is  introduced  with  the  obscure  remark,  *'  here  is  the 
mind  that  hath  wisdom."  I  say  "obscure,"  for  though  the  general  mean- 
ing of  the  remark  is  obvious  enough,  its  exact  meaning  and  its  particular 
application  are  not  easy  to  reach.  However,  this  much  seems  plain.  The 
symbol  can  be  understood  and  explained ;  but  in  order  to  understand  and 
explain  it,  there  must  be  wisdom.  The  mind  which  shows  itself  able  to 
understand  and  explain  it  has  true  wisdom,  the  wisdom  which  cometh  down 
firom  above.  This  is  manifestly  true,  for  even  the  angel's  explanation  does 
not  make  the  symbol  so  plain  that  there  is  no  danger  of  falling  into  error 
in  its  interpretation:  If  we  wish  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  vision, 
we  must  first  seek  the  wisdom  which  comes  from  the  iilomination  of  the 
Spirit,  and  then  through  a  diligent  use  of  that  wisdom,  and  the  faculties 
and  opportunities  which  divine  grace  has  bestowed  upon  us,  we  may  reach 
that  knowledge  which  only  the  mind  that  has  wisdom  may  hope  to  reach. 

According  to  the  angel's  explanation,  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast  have 
a  twofold  meaning.  In  the  first  place,  they  are  symbols  of  seven  mountains. 
"  The  seven  heads  are  seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth."  This 
part  of  the  angel's  explanation  is  of  great  clearness  and  importaooe.  It 
describes  and  fixes  the  locality  of  the  civil  power  symbolized  by  the  beast 


THE  angel's  explanation — CONTINUED.  401 

in  sach  a  way  as  precludes  the  possibility  of  mistake.  There  is  a  city 
bailded  upon  seven  hills  which  has  long  been  known  as  the  seven-hilled 
city.  This  name  is  well  known  to  every  student  of  history ;  and  every 
school  boy  knows  that  it  describes  Rome,  the  capital  of  the  civil  power 
symbolized  by  the  beast.  The  fact  that  Rome  was  builded  on  seven  hills 
requires  no  proof.  If  proof  was  necessary,  I  might  quote  extract  after 
extract  from  the  pages  of  history,  in  which  the  fact  is  distinctly  stated. 
From  the  city  of  Rome,  the  civil  power  of  Rome  has  ruled  the  world. 
From  this  seven-hilled  city  issued  the  decrees  which  moulded  the  destiny  of 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  From  this  seven-hilled  city  marched  the  armies 
which  carried  the  victorious  standards  of  the  empire  through  all  the  lands. 
From  this  seven-hilled  city  went  forth  the  laws  and  the  influences  which 
are  yet  felt  to  the  remotest  parts  of  civilization.  From  this  seven-hilled 
city  thundered  the  Papal  bulls  which  made  the  mightiest  kings  and  king- 
doms of  Christendom  to  tremble.  No  city,  except  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
has  exerted  such  a  prominent  and  extended  influence  as  the  city  of  the  seven 
hills. 

The  angel  tells  us  that  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast  are  the  symbol  of 
this  city.  The  capital  of  a  nation,  as  the  etymology  of  the  wOrd  indicates, 
is  the  head  of  the  nation.  There  is  therefore  a  peculiar  propriety  that  the 
beast  which  symbolized  the  civil  power  of  Rome  should  have  seven  heads, 
for  the  capital  of  that  power  was  builded  on  seven  mountains.  And  the 
angel's  explanation  is  made  all  the  more  plain,  when  we  consider  the  rela- 
tion between  the  woman  and  the  seven  hills.  They  are  "  the  seven  mountains 
on  which  the  woman  sitteth."  The  woman  is,  as  we  have  seen,  the  symbol 
of  an  impure  and  corrupt  church.  We  have  already  ventured  the  conclusion, 
that  the  oorrupt  church  symbolized  is  no  other  than  the  church  of  Rome, 
a  conclusion  which  will  be  abundantly  confirmed  hereafter.  And  it  is  a 
matter  of  history,  that  the  seat  of  the  church  of  Rome  was  the  city  of 
Rome.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  the  angel's  explanation,  on  this  inter- 
pretation of  it,  corresponds  exactly  with  well  known  flicts.  The  seven- 
hilled  city  was  the  head,  the  capital  of  the  Roman  power ;  it  was  the  seat 
of  the  Papal  church,  the  centre  and  source  of  its  influence.  When  the 
angel  says,  "  the  seven  heads  are  the  seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman 
sitteth,"  hq  could  not  have  described  the  city  of  Rome  more  plainly,  unless 
he  had  spoken  in  the  ears  of  the  apostle  the  very  name  of  Rome. 

The  seven  heads  of  the  beast  symbolize  not  only  the  seven-hilled  city 

which  was  the  capital  of  the  Roman  empire,  but  also  the  sevenfold  gov- 

emoaent  of  that  empire.    "And  they  are  seven  kings."    The  word  translated 

*' kings"  may  denote  those  who  are  literally  kings,  those  who  exercise  royal 

or  supreme  authority.    It  may  denote  those  who  exercise  subordinate 

authority,  as  deputies^  princes  or  leaders.     Thus  in  the  New  Testament, 

Herod  is  called  a  king,  and  yei^  he  was  under  the  authority  of  the  Roman 

26 


402  LECTURE  LI. 

emperori  It  may  denote  dynasties,  or  forms  of  government,  or  modes  of 
administration.  In  this  sense  the  word  is  evidently  used  in  Dan.  7  :  24. 
''And  the  ten  horns  out  of  this  kingdom  are  ten  kings  that  shall  arise:  and 
another  shall  rise  after  them ;  and  he  shall  be  diverse  from  the  first,  and  he 
shall  subdue  three  kings."  We  have  always  to  determine  from  the  context 
and  from  parallel  passages  of  Scripture  the  sense  in  which  the  word  is  used 
in  any  particular  connection.  What  does  it  mean  in  the  verse  under  con- 
sideration ?  Does  it  mean  kings,  properly  so  calledi  or  subordinate  rulers, 
or  dynasties  ?  There  is  nothing  in  the  text  or  context  which  clearly  answers 
these  questions.  The  language  of  the  angel  in  itself  considered,  will  apply 
equally  well  to  kings  or  to  dynasties.  But  the  parallel  in  the  book  of  Daniel, 
just  referred  to,  leads  us  to  believe  that  the  word  kings  here  as  well  as  there 
refers  to  dynasties  and  not  to  individual  rulers.  This  inference  is  strength- 
ened by  the  conclusions  which  we  have  already  reached.  If  the  civil  power 
of  Rome  is  symbolized  by  the  beast,  then  the  seven  heads  of  the  beast  could 
not  symbolize  seven  individual  rulers ;  for  the  number  of  individual  rulers 
in  the  Roman  kingdom  has  been  far  more  than  seven.  Therefore  it  is  prob- 
able that  in  the  present  instance  it  refers  to  dynasties,  or  to  forms  of 
government.  Let  us,  then,  turn  to  the  pages  of  Roman  history  and  see 
what  forms  of  administration  there  have  been.  In  Roman  history  we  find 
six  forms  of  government  distinctly  specified,  viz.,  by  kings,  by  consuls,  by 
dictators,  by  decemvirs,  by  tribunes,  and  by  emperors.  To  show  that  this 
is  no  arbitrary  or  fanciful  arrangement,  made  to  meet  a  theory  of  interpre- 
tation which  has  been  adopted,  I  quote  two  extracts  from  well  known  his- 
torians of  Rome.  The  first  is  from  Livy.  Speaking  of  what  b  contained 
in  the  previous  parts  of  his  history,  he  says,  ''  in  five  books,  I  have  related 
what  was  done  at  Rome,  pertaining  both  to  foreign  wars  and  domestic 
strifes,  from  the  foundation  of  the  city  to  the  time  when  it  was  taken,  as  it 
was  governed  by  kings,  by  consuls,  by  dictators,  by  decemvirs,  and  by 
consular  tribunes."  Book  6,  chapter  1.  Here  he  mentions  five  forms  of 
government  which  had  existed  in  Rome.  He  does  not  mention  the  sixth, 
vizi,  the  government  by  emperors,  for  this  form  did  not  exist  during  the 
time  covered  by  the  five  books  of  his  history  to  which  he  refers.  The 
second  extract  is  from  Tacitus,  who  was  almost  a  contemporary  with  the 
apostle  JohUi  "  In  the  beginning,  Rome  was  governed  by  kings.  Then 
L.  Brutus  gave  to  her  liberty  and  the  consulship.  A  temporary  power  was 
conferred  on  the  dictators.  The  authority  of  the  decemvirs  did  not  con- 
tinue beyond  the  space  of  two  years,  neither  was  the  power  of  the  militwry 
tribunes  of  long  duration.  The  rule  of  Cinna  and  Syila  was  brief,  and 
the  power  of  Pompey  and  Graasus  passed  into  the  hands  of  Cseaar,  mnd 
the  arms  of  Lepidns  and  Antony  were  surrendered  to  Augustus,  who  united 
all  things,  broken  by  civil  discord,  under  the  name  of  prince  in  the  imperial 
government."     Book  1,  chapter  1.     Here  the  historian  distinctly  mentions 


THE  anoel's  explanation— continued.  403 

six  forms  of  goTernmeDt.  If  it  was  necessary  I  might  quote  from  other 
historians  to  show  this  sixfold  form  of  government  which  had  existed  in 
Rome.  But  it  is  not  necessary.  It  is  safficiently  plain  that  the  Roman 
kingdom  had^been  ruled  by  kings,  then  by  consuls,  then  by  dictators,  then 
by  decemvirs,  then  by  tribunes,  and  then  by  emperors. 

But  was  there  a  seventh  form  of  government^  following  the  government 
by  emperors  ?  To  this  question  history  returns  no  doubtiiil  answer.  After 
the  breaking  up  of  the  imperial  power  and  the  division  of  the  empire,  ]Rome 
became,  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century,  a  dukedom  under  the  ex- 
archate of  Ravenna.  To  prove  that  Rome  was  then  reduced  to  a  dukedom, 
and  that  the  duchy  of  Rome  was  the  direct  successor  of  the  great  Roman 
empire  of  the  past,  I  quote  again  from  Gibbon's  history.  "  During  a  period 
of  two  hundred  years,  Italy  was  unequally  divided  between  the  kingdom  of 
the  Lombards  and  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna.  The  offices  and  professions, 
which  the  jealousy  of  Constantine  had  separated,  were  united  by  the  indul- 
gence of  Justinian ;  and  eighteen  successive  exarchs  were  invested,  in  the 
decline  of  the  empire,  with  the  full  remains  of  civil,  of  military,  and  even 
of  ecclesiastical  power.  Their  immediate  jurisdiction,  which  was  afterwards 
consecrated  as  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter,  extended  over  the  modem 
Romagna,  the  marshes  or  valleys  of  Ferrara  and  Commachio,  five  maritime 
cities  from  Rimini  to  Ancona,  and  a  second  inland  Pentapolis,  between  the 
Adriatic  coast  and  the  hills  of  the  Apennines.  Three  subordinate  provinces, 
of  Rome,  of  Venice,  and  of  Naples,  which  were  divided  by  hostile  lands 
from  the  palace  of  Ravenna,  acknowledged,  both  in  peace  and  in  war,  the 
supremacy  of  the  exarch.  The  duchy  of  Rome  appears  to  have  included 
the  Tuscan,  the  Sabine,  and  the  Latin  conquests,  of  the  first  four  hundred 
years  of  the  city,  and  the  limits  may  be  distinctly  traced  along  the  coast 
from  Civita  Vecchia  to  Terracina,  and  with  the  course  of  the  Tiber  from 
Ameria  and  Nami  to  the  port  of  Ostia."  Gibbon's  Rome,  vol.  4,  p.  408. 
From  these  extracts,  it  appears  that  the  seventh  form  of  government  was  a 
dukedom. 

It  is  therefore  evident  that  the  angel's  explanation,  on  this  interpretation 
of  it,  corresponds  exactly  with  well  known  historical  facts.  There  were 
seven  modes  of  administering  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  Kings,  consuls, 
dictators,  decemvirs,  tribunes,  emperors  and  dukes  had  one  afler  another 
held  the  scepter.  There  was  to  be  an  eighth  form  of  administration,  as 
we  will  see  when  we  come  to  consider  verse  11,  viz.,  that  of  the  popes';  but 
the  verse  now  under  consideration  refers  only  to  seven. 

The  angel  tells  us  something  more  about  these  seven  forms  of  adminis- 
tration, and  this  something  more  will  help  us  to  test  the  correctness  of  the 
conclusion  at  which  we  have  arrived.  He  tells  us  "  five  are  fallen,  and  one 
is,  and  the  other  is  not  yet  come."  If  we  were  correct  in  our  interpreta- 
tion of  the  word  ^*  kings,"  then  this  declaration  of  the  angel  teaches  us 


404  LECTURE  LI. 

that  five  of  the  above  mentioned  forms  of  government  had  passed  away 
at  the  time  he  was  speaking  to  the  apostle,  that  the  sixth  was  then  in  ex- 
istence, and  that  the  seventh  was  still  future.  We  know  when  it  was  that 
John  was  an  exile  in  Patmos  and  saw  these  visions.  It  was  near  the  close 
of  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era.  When  we  turn  to  the  pages  of 
histoiy,  we  find  that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  the  first  five 
forms  of  government  under  which  the  Roman  power  had  flourished  had 
passed  away;  that  the  sixth  form  of  government,  that  of  the  emperors,  was 
in  existence ;  and  that  the  seventh  form  of  government,  that  of  the  dukes, 
had  not  yet  begun.  Therefore,  it  is  evident  that  this  part  of  the  angeFs 
explanation  corresponds  exactly  with  well  known  historical  facts.  Kings, 
consuls,  dictators,  decemvirs  and  tribunes  had  all  disappeared  from  the  stage ; 
the  emperors  were  then  sitting  on  the  throne ;  and  the  dukedom  had  not 
yet  been  thought  of.  Of  the  seven  forms  of  government  under  which  the 
Roman  power  was  to  be  perpetuated,  five  had  fallen,  one  was,  and  one  had 
not  yet  come. 

The  angel  tells  us  that  this  seventh  form  of  government  would  be  of 
comparatively  short  duration.  '^  When  he  cometh  he  must  continue  for  a 
short  space."  This  seventh  form  of  government  was,  as  has  been  stated, 
a  dukedom.  Was  the  dukedom  of  Rome  under  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna 
of  short  duration?  According  to  Gibbon,  in  that  extract  which  was 
quoted  a  little  while  ago,  it  continued  *'  for  a  period  of  two  hundred  years." 
This  was  a  short  space  when  compared  with  the  centuries  through  which 
the  previous  forms  of  government  had  stretched.  And,  according  to  the 
same  extract,  this  dukedom  under  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna  was  a  pro- 
longation of  the  old  Roman  authority.  "Eighteen  successive  exarchs 
were  invested,  in  the  decline  of  the  empire,  with  the  full  remains  of  civil, 
of  military,  and  even  of  ecclesiastical  power."  It  is  therefore  evident 
that  this  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  corresponds  exactly  with  well 
known  facts  of  history.  The  seventh  form  of  government,  when  it  came, 
would  continue  only  for  a  short  space. 

The  angel  tells  us  still  further  that  there  was  to  be  an  eighth  head,  grow- 
ing up  after  the  seventh  and  out  of  the  seventh,  and  that  this  head  is  a 
symbol  of  the  same  power  which  is  symbolized  by  the  beast.  "And  the 
beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  even  he  is  the  eighth,  and  is  of  the  seven,  and 
goeth  into  perdition."  That  is,  after  the  seven  forms  of  government  which 
have  been  mentioned,  there  was  to  be  another,  differing  from  all  which  had 
preceded  it,  and  the  prolongation  of  them.  This  form  of  government  was 
to  be  entirely  distinct  from  all  the  others  ;  and  when  viewed  in  this  light 
it  could  be  called  the  eighth.  But  when  viewed  in  another  light,  it  would 
be  the  same  as  that  symbolized  by  the  beast  itself.  It  would  be  the  last 
form  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome.  Now  let  us  turn  to  history,  and  see 
whether  there  is  anything  there  which  corresponds  with  the  angel's  expla- 


THE  ANQEL'S  explanation — CONTINUED.  405 

nation;  After  the  period  of  two  hundred  jeara,  daring  which  Borne  was 
a  dukedom  under  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna,  what  was  the  next  form  of 
government?  This  question  is  sufficiently  answered  in  the  quotations 
which  were  made  in  the  last  lecture,  and  which  need  not  now  he  repeated. 
Ahout  the  heginning  of  the  seventh  century,  Gregory  the  Great,  whom 
Gihbon  calls  the  fiither  and  saviour  of  his  country,  established  a  new  mode 
of  administration,  that  of  the  popes.  This  mode  of  administration  differed 
from  any  that  had  preceded  it ;  and  therefore  it  might  be  called  the  eighth 
form  of  government.  But  under  this  new  form,  Bome  had  all  the  power 
which  it  ever  had,  and  was  guilty  of  all  the  wickedness  of  which  it  ever 
had  been  guilty.  It  was  Bome  still.  And  as  it  was  Bome  still,  it  may  be 
regarded  not  merely  as  the  eighth  form  of  government,  but  also  as  the 
great  civil  power  which  was  symbolised  by  the  beast.  In  other  words,  in 
one  aspect  of  it,  it  was  an  eighth  head ;  in  another  aspect  of  it,  it  was  the 
scarlet-colored  beast  itself. 

We  need  not  now  dwell  on  the  explanation  of  the  beast  which  the  angel 
here  gives,  for  it  has  already  been  considered  in  our  discussion  of  verse  8. 
'^  The  beast  that  was,  and  is  not,  and  goeth  into  perdition."  But  I  would 
call  attention  to  one  point  of  resemblance  between  this  and  the  previous 
visions  :  In  chaptef  13 :  3,  it  is  said,  *^  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  it  were 
wounded  to  death  ;  and  his  deadly  wound  was  healed."  This  language 
shadows  forth  the  fact  that  the  power  symbolized  by  the  beast  was  through 
great  adversity  brought  near  to  destruction,  and  that  it  was  unexpectedly 
and  marvelously  restored  to  its  former  prosperity.  And  though,  in  this 
vision,  we  are  not  told  which  head  was  wounded,  it  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  it  was  the  seventh  head.  We  have,  then,  in  this  vision,  an  ac- 
curate description  of  the  long  prosperity  of  the  Boman  kingdom,  of  its 
decline  until  it  became  but  the  dukedom  of  Eome,  when  it  seemed  to  be 
wounded  to  death  ;  and  of  its  remarkable  revival  under  the  popes,  when 
its  deadly  wound  seemed  to  be  healed.  In  verse  8  of  this  chapter,  we 
have  the  same  facts  shadowed  forth  under  different  symbols.  "  The  beast 
that  thou  sawest,  was,  and  is  not;  and  shall  ascend  out  of  the  bottomless 
pit,  and  go  into  perdition."  That  is,  the  beast  symbolized  a  civil  power 
which  was  prosperous  for  a  time,  and  then  became  practically  extinct,  and 
then  ascended  firom  its  abyss  of  figurative  death,  and  then  entered  upon  a 
new  era  of  prosperity,  and  was  finally  destroyed.  In  this  language,  we 
have  an  accurate  description  of  the  long  prosperity  of  the  Boman  kingdom, 
of  its  decline,  of -its  revival  under  the  popes,  and  of  its  final  destruction. 
In  the  verses  before  us,  we  have  the  same  facts  shadowed  forth  under  still 
different  symbols.  After  the  seven  heads  had  lived  and  flourished,  another 
head  appeared,  which  in  one  sense  would  be  the  eighth  head,  and  in 
another  sense  would  be  the  beast  itself.  We  have,  then,  in  this  language 
an  accurate  description  of  the  long  prosperity  of  the  Boman  kingdom,  of 


406  LECTUBB  LII. 

its  decline,  of  its  revival  under  the  popes,  and  of  its  final  destruction. 
This  marvelous  resemblance  between  these  three  passages  and  well  known 
facts  in  history,  must  have  great  influence  in  convincing  us  that  our  theory 
of  interpretation  is  correct. 

This  is  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  seven  heads  of  th^scarlet-colored 
beast.  They  have  a  twofold  meaning.  In  the  first  place,  they  symbolize 
the  seven  hills  on  which  Rome,  the  capital  of  the  civil  power  of  Rome 
was  builded,  and  from  which  she  ruled  the  world.  In  the  second  place, 
they  symbolize  the  seven  forms  of  government  under  which  the  civil 
power  of  Rome  was  perpetuated.  Of  these  forms  of  government,  five, 
viz.,  that  of  kings,  consuls,  dictators,  decemvirs  and  tribunes,  had  passed 
away  at  the  time  of  the  apostle ;  one,  that  of  the  emperors,  was  then  iu 
existence ;  one,  that  of  the  dukes,  was  to  arise  afterwards,  and  was  to  con- 
tinue for  a  short  space ;  and  finally,  there  was  to  be  an  eighth,  that  of  the 
popes,  which  would  be  the  last,  and  would  go  to^destruction.  We  cannot 
withhold  our  amazement  at  the  wonderful  correspondence  between  the 
angeFs  explanation  and  the  facts  of  history. 


LECTURE    LII. 


THE  ANGEL  S  EXPLANATION— Coktinukd. 

And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings,  which  have  received  nc 
kingdom  as  yet ;  but  receive  power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  The.«i' 
have  one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto  the  beast.  Thes4> 
shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them  :  for  he  i> 
Lord  of  lords,  and  King  of  kings :  and  they  that  are  with  him  are  called,  and 
chosen,  and  faithful.  And  he  saith  unto  me.  The  waters  which  thou  sawest, 
where  the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues. 
And  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the 
whore,  and  shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and 
burn  her  with  fire.  For  God  hath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfil  his  will,  and  U" 
agree,  and  give  their  kingdom  unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be 
fulfilled.  And  the  woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city,  which  reigneth 
over  the  kings  of  the  earth. — Rev.  17  :  12-18. 

In  the  present  lecture,  we  continue  and  conclude  our  examination  of  the 
angel's  explanation  of  the  vision  of  the  woman  and  tlie  scarlet-colored 
beast. 

IV.  We  come  to  the  fourth  part  of  the  angel's  discourse,  viz.,  his  ex- 
planation of  THE  TEN  HORNS  of  the  scarlet-coIorcd  beast.  *'And  the  ten 
horns  which  thou  sawest  are  ten  kings,  which  have  received  no  kingdom 


THE  angel's  explanation — CONTINUED.  407 

as  yet ;  bat  receive  power  as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast.  These  have 
one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto  the  beast.  These 
shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome  them ;  for 
he  is  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings ;  and  they  that  are  with  him  are 
called,  and  chosen,  and  faithful."  According  to  this  explanation,  the  ten 
hom^  are  ten  kings.  This  is  so  plain  that  it  may  not  be  questioned.  But 
of  what  kings  are  the  ten  horns  the  symbols?  In  order  to  answer  this 
question,  we  must  first  determine  what  is  meant  by  the  word  '^  kings."  In 
the  last  lecture,  it  was  stated  that  this  word  might  denote  either  kings, 
properly  so  called,  or  subordinate  rulers,  or  dynasties,  and  that  we  have  to 
decide  firom  the  context  and  from  parallel  passages  of  Scripture  what  is  the 
meaning  of  the  term  in  any  particular  connection.  In  verse  10  we  dis- 
covered that  it  meant  dynasties  or  forms  of  government.  A  little  reflec- 
tion will  convince  us  that  this  cannot  be  its  meaning  here.  It  seems  evi- 
dent that  these  ten  kings,  whatever  they  were,  existed  at  the  same  time, 
and  not  one  after  another ;  that  is,  they  were  contemporaneous,  and  not 
consecutive.  They  received  their  power  at  the  same  time  and  held  it  dur- 
ing the  same  brief  hour ;  they  were  united  in  their  support  of  the  beast 
and  in  their  hostility  to  the  Lamb.  This  language  does  not  describe  dy- 
nasties. We  therefore  conclude  that  the  word  "  kings  "  in  this  connection 
denotes  individual  rulers.  If  we  find  that  this  conclusion  is  sustained  by 
the  facts  of  histoiy,  we  may  be  sure  that  it  is  correct.  It  may,  perhaps, 
avoid  confusion  to  say  just  here,  that  the  words  hingz  and  kingdoms  will 
be  used  interchangeably.  Where  there  are  kings  there  must  be  kingdoms. 
If  the  horns  of  the  beast  are  symbols  of  ten  kings,  they  must  also  be 
symbols  of  ten  kingdoms. 

The  angel  tells  us  that  the  ten  kings  symbolized  by  the  ten  horns  had 
"  received  no  kingdom  as  yet"  ;  that  is,  they  had  not  come  into  power 
when  the  apostle  was  in  Patmos.  We  must  look  for  the  fulfillment  of  this 
part  of  the  angeFs  explanation  at  a  time  subsequent  to  the  first  century  of 
the  Christian  era.  Was  the  Roman  empire,  after  the  imperial  power  of 
the  emperors  had  declined,  divided  into  ten  kingdoms  ?  This  is  a  simple 
question,  and  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  finding  an  answer  in  history. 
If  this  question  can  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  then  we  have  addi- 
tional evidence  that  our  theory  of  interpretation  is  correct ;  but  if  this 
question  must  be  answered  in  the  negative,  then  our  theory  of  interpre- 
tation is  incorrect  and  must  be  abandoned.  Let  us,  then,  turn  to  Roman 
history  and  see  what  was  the  condition  of  the  Roman  empire  during  the 
centuries  which  followed  these  Apocalyptic  visions. 

When  John  saw  these  wonderful  visions,  the  emperors  were  firmly 
seated  upon  the  throne  of  the  Roman  empire,  and  their  authority  was  ac- 
knowledged in  nearly  all  the  civilized  world.  But  as  time  passed  away, 
that  empire  began  to  show  signs  of  approaching  dissolution.     Through  the 


408  LBOTURE  LII. 


\ 


enervation  of  riches,  luxary'  and  diasipationi  it  became  eo  weak  that  it 
could  not  resist  its  enemies,  it  could  not  eyen  bear  up  under  its  own 
weight.  The  sturdy  barbarians  of  the  north  swept  over  the  fertile 
plains  of  the  south  like  the  billows  of  the  sea.  City  after  city  was 
taken,  province  after  province  rebelled  against  the  oentral  power, 
until  the  great  empire  was  broken  into  fragments.  The  city  of  Rome, 
which  had  been  the  capital  of  the  world,  became  the  capital  of  a  petty 
dukedom  under  the  exarchate  of  Ravenna ;  and  the  other  parts  of  the 
empire  had  their  own  capitals  and  their  own  kings.  All  this  is  well  known. 
But  were  the  kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  divided 
ten  in  number  ?  This  is  the  question  with  which  we  have  noy^  to  do, 
and  it  is  a  question  of  vital  importance  to  our  theory,  of  interpretation. 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  finds  the  following  kingdoms  in  the  territory  which  was 
once  occupied  by  the  Roman  empire  :  ^^1.  The  kingdom  of  the  Yandak 
and  Alans  in  Spain  and  Africa ;  2.  The  kingdom  of  the  Suevians  in  Spain; 
3.  The  kingdom  of  the  Ybigoths ;  4.  The  kingdom  of  the  Alans  in  Oallia ; 

5.  The  kingdom  of  the  Burgnndians ;  6.  The  kingdom  of  the  Franks ;  7. 
The  kingdom  of  the  Britons;  8.  The  kingdom  of  the  Huns ;  9.  The  king- 
dom of  the  Lombards  ;  10.  The  kingdom  of  Ravenna."  Maohiavelli,  in 
his  History  of  Florence,  mentions  die  following :  "  1.  The  Ostrogoths  in 
MoDsia  ;  2.  The  Visigoths  in  Pannonia;  3.  The  Suevee  and  Alans  in  6«s- 
coigne  and  Spain ;  4.  The  Vandals  in  AfHca  ;  5.  The  Franks  in  Franoe ; 

6.  The  Burgnndians  in  Burgundy  ;  7.  The  Heruli  and  Turingi  in  Italy; 
8.  The  Saxons  and  Angles  in  Britain  ;  9.  The  Huns  in  Hungaiy  ;  10.  The 
Lombards  at  first  upon  the  Danube,  afterwards  in  Italy.'*  Lyman,  in  his 
Chart  of  History,  mentions  the  following :  ^'  The  Vandals,  Alans,  Suevi, 
Heruli,  Franks,  Visigoths,  Ostrogoths,  Buigundians,  Lombards  and  Brit^ 


ons. 


Though  these  authors,  and  others  which  might  be  quoted,  differ  some- 
what in  their  arrangement,  yet  they  substantially  agree.  If,  then,  the 
testimony  of  history  is  to  be  relied  on,  the  Roman  empire  was  divided  into 
ten  kingdoms  subsequent  to  the  time  of  the  apostle's  exile.  Therefore,  it 
is  evident  that  this  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  exactly  corresponds 
with  established  historical  facts.  The  Roman  empire,  symbolized  by  the 
beast,  was  divided  into  ten  kingdoms,  symbolized  by  the  ten  horns  of  the 
beast ;  or,  in  the  language  of  the  angel,  "  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest 
are  ten  kings,  which  have  received  no  power  as  yet." 

The  angel  tells  us  still  further,  that  the  ten  kings  "received  th^r  power 
as  kings  one  hour  with  the  beast."  It  is  not  said  from  what  source  they 
would  receive  their  power,  but  of  course  their  authority  would  be  conferred 
upon  them  from  God,  for  "  he  puts  down  one,  and  sets  another  up." 
But  their  authority  was  to  be  of  short  duration.  It  was  to  be  for  one 
hour.     In  the  prophetic  visions  of  this  book,  a  day  stands  for  a  literal  year, 


THE  angel's  explanation — CONTINUED.  409 

and  the  fractional  part  of  a  day  for  the  corresponding  part  of  a  literal  year. 
Is  the  word  in  this  connection  used  in  its  prophetic  sense  ?  We  think  not 
The  verse  under  consideration  is  not  a  vision  ;  it  is  the  angel's  explanation 
of  the  vision.  Hence  the  word  "  hour/'  like  the  other  terms  which  the 
angel  employs,  would  be  used  not  in  its  prophetic  but  in  its  ordinary  sense. 
If  it  is  used  in  its  ordinaiy  sense,  then  it  must  mean  that  ihe  authority  of 
the  ten  kings  was  to  be  of  short  duration.  These  kings  were  also  to  re- 
ceive and  exercise  Uieir  authority  with  the  beast;  that  is,  they  were  to 
arise  at  the  same  time  the  Papal  power  arose,  they  were  to  live  side  by  side 
with  it,  and  they  were  to  be  under  its  influence.  Are  these  characteristics 
to  be  found  in  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  di- 
vided, and  which  we  have  supposed  to  be  symbolized  by  the  ten  horns  ? 
Were  these  kingdoms  of  short  duration  ?  Eveiy  reader  of  history  knows 
that  they  were.  They  were  temporary  in  their  character.  They  soon 
passed  into  the  more  permanent  -  forms  of  government  which  succeeded 
them.  They  exercised  their  power  only  for  a  brief  hour,  and  then  the 
continent  of  Europe  crystaliced  into  those  permanent  governments  which, 
with  certain  variations,  have  remained  till  the  present.  These  ten  king- 
doms took  their  rise  at  the  time  the  Papal  power  aroscj  that  is,  about  the 
b^;inning  of  the  seventh  century ;  during  their  short  existence  they  lived 
side  by  side  with  the  Papal  power,  and  they  were,  to  a  greater  or  less  ex- 
tent, moulded  by  its  influenee.  To  prove  these  assertions  would  require 
more  extracts  from  history  than  I  have  space  to  quote.  Besides  this,  such 
proof  is  hardly  necessary.  Our  knowledge  of  general  history  is  probably 
sufficient  to  convince  us  that  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  em- 
pire was  divided  were  of  short  duration,  and  that  they  received  and  exer- 
cised their  authority  with  the  power  symbolized  by  the  beast.  Therefore, 
it  is  evident  that  this  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  corresponds  with  well 
known  historical  facts.  <' The  ten  kings  were  to  receive  power  as  kings 
one  hour  with  the  beast." 

The  angel  tells  us  still  further,  that  the  king?  symbolized  by  the  ten 
horns  "  have  one  mind,  and  they  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto 
the  beast."  Though  in  some  respects  they  would  be  wholly  independent 
of  each  other,  in  other  respects  they  would  be  one.  Though  they  would 
maintain  a  separate  existence,  they  would  be  of  the  same  mind.  The 
particular  thing  in  which  they  would  be  of  the  same  mind  was  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  Papacy,  the  power  symbolized  by  the  beast.  They  would  be 
supporters  of  the  Papal  power;  they  would  give  all  the  weight  of  their 
moral  influence  and  material  strength  to  uphold  it.  Though  they  might 
be  at  war  among  themselves,  yet  in  every  question  which  had  reference  to 
the  Papal,  power,  they  would  be  one.  The  question,  then,  presents  itself, 
and  it  is  a  question  easily  answered,  were  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  the 
empire  was  divided  separate  and  independent,  and  yet  united  in  the  sup- 


410  LECTURE  LII. 

port  of  the  Papacy  ?  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  at  length  on  the  answer 
to  this  question.  These  ten  nations  were  of  different  origin,  they  often 
engaged  in  war  with  each  other,  each  had  its  own  king,  its  own  govern- 
ment, and  its  own  capital ;  and  yet  they  were  all  suhject  to  the  Papacy, 
and  they  continued  so  during  their  separate  existence,  and  when  they  were 
merged  into  other  powers,  until  the  Reformation  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
All  these  are  well  known  facts  in  history.  It  is  therefore  evident  that 
this  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  corresponds  with  historical  facts.  The 
ten  kingdoms,  though  separate  and  independent  of  each  other,  were  united 
in  their  support  of  the  Papacy ;  or,  in  the  figurative  language  of  the 
angel,  they  *'  have  one  mind,  and  shall  give  their  power  and  strength  unto 
the  beast.'' 

The  angel  tells  us  still  further,  that  the  kings  symbolized  by  the  ten 
horns  '^  shall  make  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome 
them ;  for  he  is  Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings"  ',  that  is,  they  would 
be  united  not  only  in  their  support  of  the  Papacy,  but  also  in  their  hos- 
tility to  the  Lamb  and  his  followers.  The  Lamb  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt.  In  the  sacrifices  of  the  old  dispensation, 
he  was  shadowed  forth  under  this  figure.  The  Baptist  pointed  him  out  to 
his  disciples  as  ^'  the  Lamb  of  Gt)d  which  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world.*'  In  this  book|  he  is  revealed  as  '^  the  Lamb  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne,"  and  as  "the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.'' 
But  notice  how  this  Lamb  is  here  described.  "  He  is  Lord  of  lords  and 
King  of  kings."  He  is  the  Supreme  Ruler  over  the  earth  and  over  the 
mightiest  kings  of  earth.  Surely,  then,  he  is  no  mere  creature,  as  some 
would  have  us  believe.  He  who  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords 
must  be  the  Supreme  King  and  Lord,  Gt>d  over  all,  blessed  for  ever.  And 
because  the  Lamb  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,  we  can  easily  see 
that  any  hostility  against  him  is  hopeless.  The  Lamb  shall  overcome  them 
that  combine  against  him.  The  nations  of  the  earth  who  see  the  hope- 
lessness of  making  war  with  him  will  be  safe ;  but  those  who  are  given  up 
to  blindness  of  heart  rash  upon  the  thick  bosses  of  Jehovah's  buckler. 

Notice  also  the  angel's  description  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb.  They 
that  are  with  him  are  "  called,"  called  out  of  the  world,  called  by  divine 
grace,  called  through  the  everlasting  gospel,  called  to  be  saints.  They  are 
"chosen,"  chosen  fo)m  the  sons  of  Adam's  fallen  race,  chosen  not  because 
they  are  worthy,  but  through  the  sovereign  mercy  of  Gt)d,  chosen  to  be 
sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty.  They  are  also  "  faithful," 
faithful  in  spite  of  their  many  temptations,  faithful  through  all  their 
bloody  persecutions,  faith^l  unto  death «  Those  who  are  thus  called, 
chosen,  and  faithful,  follow  the  Lamb  in  this  life,  and  they  will  follow  him 
whithersoever  he  goeth  in  the  life  to  come.  They  are  partakers  of  his  suf- 
ferings here,  and  they  shall  be  partakers  of  his  glory  hereafter. 


THE  angel's   explanation — CONTINUED.  411 

Against  the  Lamb  and  his  followers,  the  nations  symbolized  by  the  ten 
horns  were  to  make  war,  and  though  for  a  time  they  would  prevail,  in  the 
end  the  Lamb  would  gain  the  yictory.  Did  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which 
the  Roman  empire  was  divided  make  war  with  the  Lamb  and  his  followers? 
Of  course  it  is  not  meant  that  they  openly  and  avowedly  made  war  against 
the  Son  of  Qod,  but  that  they  did  this  practically.  As  Christ  and  his 
followers  are  one,  those  who  persecute  the  church  persecute  the  Lamb. 
Did  these  nations  persecute  the  church  ?  It  is  unnecessary  to  show  from 
history  that  they  not  only  sustained  the  Papacy  in  its  persecutions,  but 
also  engaged  actively  in  persecutions  themselves,  for  all  this  is  well  known. 
Nor  is  it  necessary  to  sjiow  from  the  signs  of  the  times,  from  the  records 
of  the  past,  and  from  the  word  of  God,  that  they  will  not  be  able  to  ex- 
tinguish the  true  religion,  and  that  notwithstanding  all  their  persecutions 
the  church  and  the  Lamb  will  ultimately  be  victorious.  Therefore,  it  is 
evident  that  this  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  corresponds  with  well 
known  historical  facts.  The  ten  kingdoms  have  made  war  with  the  Lamb, 
and  the  Lamb  is  overcoming  them. 

The  angel's  explanation  of  the  ten  horns  of  the  beast  is  accurately  ful- 
filled in  the  facts  of  history.  They  symbolise  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which 
the  Roman  empire  was  divided,  which  were  of  short  duration,  and  which 
were  united  in  their  support  of  the  Papacy,  and  in  their  hostility  towards 
Christ  and  his  church. 

y.  We  come  now  to  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  waters  on  which 
THE  WOMAN  WAS  SITTING.  <*And  he  saith  unto  me.  The  waters  which 
thou  saweit,  where  the  whore  sitteth,  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and 
nations,  and  tongues."  The  reference  is  to  that  part  of  the  symbol  which 
is  described  in  verse  1.  "  Come  hither;  I  will  show  unto  thee  the  judg- 
ment of  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters."  The  sea  is  a 
wdl  known  symbol  of  a  great  multitude  of  people.  This  symbol  is  to  be 
found  in  the  writings  of  both  inspired  and  uninspired  men.  It  is  in  such 
common  use  that  no  one  is  likely  to  mistake  its  meaning.  The  angel  tells 
us  that  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  symbol  in  the  present  vision.  The 
waters  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues.  These  four 
words  mean  substantially  the  same  thing;  but  the  word  *'  peoples  "  points  to 
the  different  tribes  of  earth ;  the  word  "  multitudes,"  to  the  numbers  which 
compose  them;  the  word  "nations,"  to  the  different  governments  under 
which  they  live ;  and  the  word  "tongues,"  to  the  different  languages  which 
they  speak.  According  to  the  angel's  explanation  this  symbol  has  a  two- 
fold meaning.  In  the  first  place,  it  represents  a  great  multitude  of  people ; 
and  in  the  second  place,  it  represents  a  great  multitude  of  people  composed 
of  many  different  nations  and  langaages.  We  have  already  reached  the 
conclusion  that  the  woman  is  a  symbol  of  the  corrupt  church  of  Rome. 


412  LBOTURB  LIT. 

If  this  is  correct,  that  part  of  the  angel's  explanation  under  consideration 
would  lead  us  to  expect  that  the  church  of  Rome  would  bear  rule  over 
great  multitudes  of  peoples,  living  under  different  governments,  and  speak- 
ing different  languages.  Is  it  necessary  to  show  that  this  is  actually  the 
case  ?  Many  nations  have  been  under  its  control.  All  forms  of  govern- 
ment, kings,  empires  and  republics  have  felt  its  power.  All  languages 
have  spoken  its  praises.  No  government  which  has  ever  existed  on  earth, 
not  even  the  Babylonian,  or  the  Grecian,  or  the  ancient  Roman,  embraced 
so  many  nations,  speaking  so  many  languages.  Men  of  every  tribe 
brought  presents  to  the  Vatican,  and  kneeled  side  by  side  before  the  throne 
of  Peter's  successors.  Men  of  every  tongue  united  in  the  adoration  of 
the  holy  father,  and  all  languages  blended  together  in  praise  at  the  com- 
mand of  Rome.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  this  part  of  the  angel's  ex- 
planation corresponds  with  well  known  historical  facts.  The  church  of 
Rome  ruled  over  many  lands.  The  waters  upon  which  the  woman  was 
sitting  were  "  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and  nations,  and  tongues." 

VI.  We  come  now  to  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  great  ha&lot 
and  the  account  of  her  final  destruction.  ''And  the  ten  horns  which  thou 
Bawest  upon  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  whore,  and  shall  make  her  deso- 
late and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh,  and  bum  her  with  fire.  For  God 
bath  put  in  their  hearts  to  fulfill  his  will,  and  to  agree,  and  give  their  king- 
dom unto  the  beast,  until  the  words  of  God  shall  be  fulfilled.  And  the 
woman  which  thou  sawest  is  that  great  city,  which  reigneth  over  the  kings 
of  the  earth."  For  some  reason  which  we  cannot  fathom,  the  angel  gives 
an  account  of  the  harlot's  destruction,  before  he  tells  us  who  she  is.  We 
will  follow  the  angel's  order,  though  in  doing  so  we  must  remember  what 
is  made  plain  afterwards,  that  the  harlot  is  the  symbol  of  the  church  of 
Rome. 

In  the  first  place,  we  have  the  instruments  of  her  destruction.  They  are 
^^  the  ten  horns  which  thou  sawest  upon  the  beast";  that  is,  the  ten  kingdoms 
into  which  the  Roman  empire  was  to  be  divided.  These  were  to  eat  the 
whore  and  make  her  desolate  and  naked.  At  first  sight,  there  seems  to  be 
some  contradiction  between  this  declaration  and  the  previous  versen  in 
which  we  are  told  that  the  ten  kingdoms  were  to  be  united  in  supporting 
the  Papacy.  But  we  are  to  remember  that  different  periods  of  history  are 
here  referred  to.  Though  at  one  time  the  ten  kingdoms  would  be  united 
in  supporting  the  Papacy,  yet  at  a  subsequent  period,  they,  or  rather  their 
successors,  would  turn  against  the  Papacy  and  be  the  means  of  its  overthrow. 
Has  not  this  prediction  been  in  part  fulfilled,  and  fulfilled  so  far  that  we  can 
even  now  see  the  beginning  of  the  end?  England  long  ago  revolted. 
Parts  of  what  is  now  the  German  empire  have  for  centuries  shown  th^r 
independence,  and  to-day  all  Germany  is  regarded  by  the  pope  as  one  of 


THE  ANQEL'S  explanation — CONTINUED.  413 

his  bitterest  foes.  The  Papal  States  have  thrown  off  the  yoke,  and  now 
the  congress  or  free  Italy  meets  beneath  the  very  shadow  of  the  Vatican. 
France  herself  has  strack  more  than  one  heavy  blow  against  the  power  of 
which  she  has  been  the  chief  upholder.  And  we  may  well  believe  that 
the  time  is  approaching  when  France,  and  Spain,  and  Austria  will  be  forced 
to  withhold  their  support,  and  then  the  power  which  they  have  been  so 
long  supporting  will  be  lefi  desolate  and  naked.  When  this  is  done,  this 
prophecy  will  be  fulfilled.  The  territory  once  occupied  1^  the  friends  of 
the  Papacy  will  be  occupied  by  its  foes.  The  ten  kings  which  once  gave 
their  strength  and  power  to  the  beast  will  hate  it  and  be  the  instruments 
of  its  destruction. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  destruction  of  the  harlot  minutely  de- 
scribed. The  ten  kings  will  leave  her  desolate  and  naked,  eat  her  flesh  and 
bum  her  in  the  fire.  The  figure  seems  to  be  that  of  one  taken  captive  by 
cannibals.  They  strip  him  of  his  armor,  they  eat  his  flesh,  they  bum  what 
remains  in  the  fire,  so  that  nothing  is  left  of  the  captive  but  ashes  and  a 
memory.  So  these  ten  kings  were  to  deal  with  the  Papal  power.  They 
would  strip  her  of  her  wealth,  splendor  and  authority,  and  they  would 
utterly  blot  her  out,  as  if  she  was  consumed  in  the  fire.  And  as  we  have 
seen,  the  history  of  the  past,  the  signs  of  the  times,  and  the  predictions  of 
the  inspired  word  lead  us  to  believe  that  this  day  of  utter  destraction  is 
approaching. 

In  the  next  place,  the  angel  tells  us  that  this  destruction  is  in  accordance 
with  the  purposes  of  Oodi  "  Ood  hath  put  it  in  their  hearts  to  fulfill 
his  will."  God  has  spoken  much  in  the  Scriptures  conceming  this  anti- 
Christian  power.  He  has  spoken  of  its  extent  and  its  greatness ;  and  he 
has  put  it  in  the  hearts  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  support  this  power  till 
these  words  are  frdfilled.  He  has  also  spoken  of  its  decline,  its  fall,  and 
its  utter  destraction ;  and  when  the  appointed  time  comes,  he  will  put  it  in 
the  hearts  of  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  withdraw  their  support,  that  these 
words  may  be  frilfilled.  This  verse,  then,  is  but  a  declaration  of  the  princi- 
ple which  is  to  be  found  in  many  parts  of  the  word.  Qtod  is  the  ruler  of 
the  world ;  he  puts  down  one  and  lifts  another  up ;  and  he  makes  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  him. 

Having  thus  declared  the  complete  and  terrible  destruction  of  the  woman, 
the  angel,  in  the  next  place,  plainly  tells  what  is  symbolized  by  her.  "The 
woman  is  that  great  city*"  What  great  city  could  this  be  but  Rome, 
which  was  then  reigning  over  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  which  has  through 
almost  all  the  centuries  since  reigned  over  the  kings  of  the  earth  ?  John  could 
not  but  understand  the  language  as  referring  to  Rome ;  and  the  reference 
is  so  plain  that  all  expositors  agree  in  saying  that  Rome  is  described.  The 
only  difference  among  them  is  this :  some  suppose  the  reference  is  to 
pagan  Rome;  others  to  Papal  Rome.     In  other  words,  some  suppose  the 


414  LBOTURE  LIII. 

reference  is  to  the  civil  power  of  Rome ;  otben  to  the  church  of  Rome. 
But  if  we  have  been  correct  in  our  previous  expositions,  the  referenoe  must 
be  to  the  latter.  We  have  shown  that  the  scarlet-colored  beast  is  a  symbol 
of  the  civil  power  of  Rome;  and  if  the  scarlet-colored  beast  is  a  sjmbd 
of  the  civil  power  of  Rome,  surely  the  woman  sitting  on  that  beast  would 
not  be  the  symbol  of  the  same  power.  Besides  this,  we  have  shown  from 
common  Scriptural  usage  that  this  impure  woman  must  be  the  symbol  of  a 
coiTupt  church.  If  she  is  the  symbol  of  a  corrupt  church,  of  what  church 
could  she  be  the  symbol,  save  the  church  of  Rome  ?  We  are  therefore  to 
understand  the  angel  as  saying,  the  woman  which  thbu  sawest  is  the  great 
Papal  church.  This  church  fulfills  all  the  requirements  of  the  angel's  ex* 
planation.  She  has  reigned  over  the  kings  of  the  earth.  The  mightiest 
emperors  and  the  noblest  princes  have  kneeled  at  her  feet,  and  have  found 
their  greatest  pleasure  in  obeying  her  commands. 

From  all  this  we  learn  that  that  great  eodesiaBtical  power,  whieh  has 
been  so  long  the  tyrant  of  the  world,  is  to  be  destroyed.  It  requires  but  a 
little  stronger  breeze  of  popular  sentiment,  and  the  flames  of  her  desiructioD 
will  be  fanned  into  a  fury,  which  nothing  earthly  can  control.  It  requires 
but  a  little  more  provocation,  and  those  nations  which  have  crippled  the 
Jesuits,  abolished  the  inqubition,  and  stripped  the  pope  of  his  temporal 
possessions,  and  that  mighty  anti-Christian  system,  which  so  largely  oon- 
trolled  the  kingdoms  and  rulers  of  the  earth  for  more  than  a  thousand 
years,  will  come  to  an  end  for  ever. 

This  is  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  apostle's  vision,  which  is  described 
in  verses  3-6.  The  scarlet-oolored  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  civil  power 
of  Rome.  The  seven  heads  are  symbols  of  the  seven-hilled  capital  of  the 
Roman  empire  and  of  the  seven  forms  of  government  under  which  Rome 
was  ruled.  The  ten  horns  are  symbols  of  the  ten  kingdoms  into  which  the 
Roman  empire  was  divided.  The  waters  are  the  symbol  of  the  many 
nations  over  which  Rome  ruled.  The  woman  herself  is  the  symbol  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  which,  when  God's  purposes  arft  fulfilled,  and  through  the 
instruments  of  divine  appointment,will  be  left  naked  and  desolate,  and  burned 
in  the  fire. 


LECTURE     LIII. 


THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON. 


And  after  tbcso  things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  Imving 
great  power ;  and  the  earth  was  lightened  with  his  glory.  And  he  cried  mightily 
with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  and  is  become 
the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the*  hold  of  every  foul  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every 


THE  JALL  OF  BABYLON.  416 

uuclean  and  hateful  bird.  For  all  nations  have  drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath 
(if  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  have  committed  fornication  with 
her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth  are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of 
her  delicacies.  And  I  heard  another  voice  from  heaven,  saying,  Come  out  of 
her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her 
]>lague.«.  For  her  sins  have  reached  unto  heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered 
her  iniquities.  Reward  her  even  as  she  rewarded  you,  and  double  unto  her 
double  according  to  her  works :  in  the  cup  which  she  hath  filled,  fill  to  her 
double.  How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and  lived  deliciously,  so  much 
torment  and  sorrow  give  her :  for  she  saith  in  her  heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am 
no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow.  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one 
day,  death,  and  mourning,  and  famine ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with 
fire :  for  strong  is  the  Lord  Qod  who  judgeth  her. — Rkv.  18 : 1-8. 

We  must  not  forget  that  our  exposition  has  still  to  do  with  the  events 
which  are  to  take  place  under  the  outpouring  of  the  seventh  vial,  which  is 
described  in  chapter  16  :  17-21.  The  period  shadowed  forth  under  this 
vial  IS  to  be  the  last  period  in  the  present  order  of  things,  the  period  which 
reaches  to  the  introduction  of  the  millennium.  One  great  event  which  is 
to  occur  during  this  period  is  the  final  and  complete  destruction  of  the 
enemies  of  the  Lamb  and  his  followers.  Of  these  enemies,  the  greatest  is 
that  ecclesiastical  system,  which  has  for  more  than  a  thousand  years  hindered 
the  progress  of  the  truth,  persecuted  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  per- 
verted the  worship  of  God  with  its  traditions  and  idolatry.  It  is,  therefore, 
no  wonder  that  these  visions  of  the  future  have  special  reference  to  the 
overthrow  of  that  enemy.  The  vision  of  chapter  XVII,  describes  this 
enemy  and  its  destruction  under  the  figure  of  a  drunken  harlot,  who  is  at 
last  forsaken  and  put  to  death  by  those  whom  she  seduced.  The  vision  of 
the  chapter  upon  whose  consideration  we  enter  in  the  present  lecture,  de- 
scribes the  same  enemy  and  its  destruction  under  the  figure  of  a  luxurious 
and  licentious  city  which  b  overtaken  by  the  judgments  of  God.  Both 
these  visions  shadow  forth  what  is  to  be  under  the  seventh  vial.  They 
refer  to  the  same  enemy  and  to  the  same  destruction.  They  differ  from 
each  other,  not  only  in  employing  different  figures,  but  also  in  describing 
the  destruction  from  different  standpoints.  The  former  describes  it  from 
the  earthly  side ;  the  latter  from  the  heavenly.  The  former  reveals  mainly 
the  instruments  by  which  the  destruction  was  wrought;  the  latter  reveals 
mainly  the  hand  of  God  which  employed  these  instruments.  The  former 
points  us  specially  to  the  ten  kingdoms  which  shall  hate  the  whore,  and 
leave  her  desolate,  and  naked,  and  burn  her  in  the  fire  ]  the  latter  points 
us  specially  to  ^Hhe  Lord  God  who  judgeth  her."  If  this  is  true,  if  these 
two  visions  refer  to  the  same  power,  and  to  the  same  events  under  different 
figures,  and  different  aspects,  then  the  angel's  explanation  of  the  former 
vision  will  help  us  to  understand  the  latter. 

It  has  been  remarked  that  Babylon,  in  this  chapter,  symbolizes  the  same 
ecclesiastical  power  which  is  symbolized  by^he  abandoned  woman  of  the 
preceding  chapter.     Of  this  there  can  be  no  doubt     Babylon  has  been 


r  .^ 


416  LECTURE  LIII. 

mentioiied  before  in  these  viBions.  In  the  sublime  yiaion  of  the  Lamb  and 
his  followers,  which  is  described  in  chapter  XIY,  an  angel  appeared,  sajmg, 
^'  Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen,  that  great  city,  because  she  made  all  nations 
drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication."  This  proclamation  was 
explained  as  being  a  prediction  of  the  downiall  of  the  church  of  Rome.  In 
the  vision  of  the  scarlet-colored  beast  the  woman  had  written  upon  her 
forehead  the  name,  "  Babylon  the  great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and 
abominations  of  the  earth."  We  have  seen  that  this  woman,  whose  name 
was  '^  Babylon  the  great,"  is  the  divinely  appointed  symbol  of  the  church 
of  Borne.  If  this  is  the  meaning  of  Babylon  in  the  previous  visions  of 
this  book,  this  must  be  its  meaning  in  the  present  vision.  And  Babylon 
of  old  is  an  appropriate  symbol  of  the  church  of  Bome.  That  city,  in  the 
days  of  its  glory,  was  the  mistress  of  the  world.  It  was  distinguished  for 
its  luxury  and  its  wickedness.  It  was,  through  its  whole  history,  the  great 
enemy  of  the  ancient  church,  and  beside  its  streams  the  captive  saints  sat 
and  wept  while  their  harps  hung  silent  upon  the  willows.  In  all  these  re- 
spects Babylon  resembles  the  church  of  Bome.  It  has  been  the  mistress 
of  the  world ;  it  has  been  distinguished  for  its  luxury  and  wickedness ;  it 
has  been  the  enemy  and  persecutor  of  the  true  church.  Therefere,  the 
great  city  of  the  Euphrates  is  an  appropriate  symbol  of  the  church  whose 
seat  is  the  city  of  the  seven  hills.  If  we  find  that  the  description  of  this 
chapter  corresponds  with  history,  we  may  be  sure  that  Babylon  is  by 
divine  appointment  the  symbol  of  the  church  of  Bome. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  Babylon  is  such  a  symbol,  we  have  in  the 
chapter  before  us  the  following  points :  1.  The  angeFs  proclamation  of 
Babylon's  fall;  2.  A  heavenly  warning;  8.  A  great  lamentation;  4.  A 
great  rejoicing;  5.  The  mystical  city's  final  destruction.  The  first  and 
second  of  these  points  will  be  sufficient  to  occupy  our  attention  in  the  pres- 
ent lecture. 

I.  We  are  to  consider  the  anqel'b  pboolahation  of  Babylon's 
FALL.  "And  after  these  things  I  saw  another  angel  come  down  from  heaven, 
having  great  power ;  and  the  earth  was  lightened  with  his  glory.  And  he 
cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice,  saying,  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen,  is 
fallen,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of  devils,  and  the  hold  of  every  foul 
spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  bird.  For  all  nations  have 
drunk  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication,  and  the  kings  of  the 
earth  have  committed  fornication  with  her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth 
are  waxed  rich  through  the  abundance  of  her  delicacies."  The  first  thing 
which  claims  our  attention  is  the  angel  by  whom  the  proclamation  is  made. 
He  is  said  to  be  another  angel.  It  was  not  the  angel  who  had  explained  to 
the  apostle  the  meaning  of  the  previous  vision.  It  may  be  that  this  angel 
was  one  of  the  seven  who  had  poured  out  the  vials ;  but  whether  he  was 


THE  FALL  OF   BABYLON.  417 

or  not,  he  was  an  angel  commuBioned  of  God  to  do  this  work,  and  therefore 
he  was  oompetent  to  make  this  announcement.  The  angel  is  described  as 
having  great  power.  We  know  but  little  of  the  angelio  world,  for  little  has 
been  revealed  to  us ;  but  we  know  that  there  are  degrees  among  the  first 
created  sons  of  Qod.  Some  occupy  higher  positions  and  are  possessed  of 
greater  powers  than  others ;  some  have  more  difficult  tasks  to  do  and  more 
holy  missions  to  fulfill  than  others.  This  seems  evident  from  the  different 
names  which  are  given  to  them.  They  are  thrones,  dominions,  principalities 
and  powers.  They  are  angels,  cherubs,  seraphs  and  archangels.  And  this 
angel,  who  was  sent  to  make  the  announcement  of  Babylon's  fall,  was  one 
of  high  rank  among  his  brethren.  He  had  "  great  power.'*  It  was  fitting 
that  he  should  have  great  power,  for  he  came  to  declare  the  destruction  of 
one  of  the  mightiest  of  the  church's  earthly  foes.  This  messenger  was  also 
one  of  great  glory.  The  earth  was  lightened  by  the  bright  shining  of  his 
glory.  The  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  generally  represented  as  being  effulgent 
as  the  sun.  This  is  the  idea  which  we  attach  to  the  word  glory.  It  conveys 
to  us  the  idea  of  brightness,  and  this  idea  seems  to  be  well  founded.  Many 
of  the  descriptions  of  the  Saviour  and  his  holy  angels  and  his  redeemed 
saints  represent  them  as  clothed  in  white  and  glistening  garments,  shining 
as  the  sun  in  its  noonday  splendor. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  manner  in  which  this  mighty  and  glorious 
angel  made  hb  proclamation.  *^  He  cried  mightily  with  a  strong  voice." 
This  manner  is  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  him  who  made  the  proclama- 
tion, and  with  the  subject  matter  of  the  proclamation  itself.  An  angel's 
voice  must  be  like  himself,  powerful  and  majestic.  The  proclamation  of 
the  overthrow  of  such  a  power  as  spiritual  Babylon  should  not  be  made  in 
a  voice  trembling  with  weakness  and  fear. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  announcement  of  Babylon's  fall.  "Babylon 
the  great  is  fallen,  is  fallen."  On  this  announcement  we  need  not  dwell.  We 
have  already  shown  that  by  Babylon  is  meant  the  anti-Christian  power  of 
Rome.  This  announcement  is  a  simple  and  solemn  declaration  that  at  the 
time  referred  to  by  the  angel  this  power  would  have  fallen.  And  besides 
this,  the  angel's  announcement  is  an  exact  repetition  of  the  announcement 
of  another  angel,  recorded  in  chapter  14 : 8,  and  already  explained.  We 
may  therefore  pass  over  this  part  of  th^  proclamation  to  notice  others  which 
are  now  brought  before  us  for  the  first  time. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  angel's  description  of  the  desolation  which 
followed  the  downfall  of  Babylon.  This  description  of  spiritual  Babylon's 
desolation  is  substantially  quoted  from  Isaiah's  prediction  of  literal  Baby- 
lon's approaching  fall.  ^*  It  shall  never  be  inhabited,  neither  shall  it  be 
dwelt  in  fVom  generation  to  generation ;  neither  shall  the  Arabian  pitch 
tent  there ;   neither  shall  the  shepherds   make  their  folds  there.    But 

wild  beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie  there ;  and  their  houses  shall  be  full  of 

27 


418  LECTURE   LIII. 

doleiiil  creatures ;  and  owls  shall  dwell  there,  and  satyrs  shall  dance  there. 
And  the  wild  beasts  of  the  islands  shall  cry  in  their  desolate  houses,  and 
dragons  in  their  desolate  palaces ;  and  her  time  is  near  to  come,  and  her 
days  shall  not  be  prolonged."  Isaiah  13 :  20-22.  It  is  well  known  that 
old  ruins  are  a  refuge  for  owls  and  jackals  and  other  beasts  and  birds  of 
prey.  In  such  ruins  every  unclean  and  hateful  thing  makes  its  home.  It 
was  a  common  opinion  among  the  ancients  that  demons  inhabited  aban- 
doned cities  and  old  ruins.  To  this  common  opinion  there  is  reference  here. 
Isaiah's  prediction  concerning  literal  Babylon  has  been  exactly  fulfilled. 
The  great  city  of  the  Euphrates  is  but  a  heap  of  ruins ;  its  walls  hare 
fallen  ;  its  palaces  have  crumbled  to  the  dust ;  its  temples  are  shapeless 
mounds  ;  it  has  become  a  hissing  and  astonishment ;  its  inhabitants  are 
unclean  and  hateful  beasts  and  birds.  Its  gloiy  has  so  completely  departed 
that  the  most  carefiil  search  can  hardly  discover  the  place  where  it  stood. 
That  city,  which  was  once  the  proud  capital  of  the  world,  is  now  one  of  the 
most  desolate  places  on  which  the  sun  shines.  And  the  angel  in  his  procla- 
mation assures  us  that  as  it  is  with  literal  Babylon,  so  it  shall  be  with 
spiritual  Babylon  ;  as  it  was  with  the  city  of  the  Euphrates,  so  it  shall  be 
with  the  church  of  which  that  city  is  the  symbol.  As  they  resembled  each 
other  in  their  prosperity,  so  they  shall  resemble  each  other  in  their  deaola- 
tion ;  that  is,  the  church  of  Rome  is  to  be  in  the  moral  world  what  Babylon 
is  in  the  natural  world — a  thing  of  the  past,  a  heap  of  ruins,  the  abode  of 
that  which  is  hideous  and  loathsome. 

In  the  next  place,  the  angel  tells  us  that  the  reason  for  Babylon's  de- 
struction and  desolation  is  its  influence  over  the  nations.  History  tells  us  that 
ancient  Babylon  exerted  a  corrupting  influence  upon  the  nations  of  the 
earth.  She  made  them  intoxicated  by  holding  the  cup  of  her  own  luxury  to 
their  lips  and  making  them  drunk.  She  also,  by  her  example,  persuaded  the 
kings  of  the  earth  to  forsake  the  true  God  for  the  worship  of  idols.  In  other 
words,  she  led  them  to  commit  spiritual  adultery.  She  also,  through  her  groat 
demand  for  delicacies  and  luxuries,  enriched  the  merchants  of  the  earth, 
and  thus  ensnared  them  in  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,  and  brought  upon 
them  the  ruin  which  unsanctified  wealth  is  accustomed  to  bring.  For  these 
reasons  ancient  Babylon  was  visited  with  destruction  and  desolation.  For 
the  same  reasons  spiritual  Babylon,  the  church  of  Rome,  will  be  destroyed 
and  made  desolate.  She  has  intoxicated  the  nations  of  the  earth ;  she  has 
seduced  the  kings  of  the  earth  to  commit  idolatry,  which  is  spiritual 
fornication ;  she  has  made  the  merchants  of  the  earth  rich  through  the 
abundance  of  her  luxuries.  Because  of  these  things  she  is  to  be  destooyed 
and  made  desolate. 

This  b  the  angel's  proclamation.  The  church  of  Rome  is  presented  to 
our  notice,  no  longer  under  the  figure  of  a  harlot,  but  under  the  tigate  of 
a  great,  wicked  and  wealthy  city.     That,city  is  to  fall,  and  after  its  fidl  it 


THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON.  419 

is  to  become  a  ruin  and  the  home  of  every  nnclean  thing.  The  reason  of 
its  destruction  is  its  own  sin,  and  its  sinful  influence  upon  the  nations,  and 
kings,  and  merchant  princes  of  the  earth.  The  angel  points  us  to  Babylon 
of  old,  the  wonders  of  whose  greatness  are  surpassed  only  by  the  wonders 
of  its  ruins,  and  says,  in  substance,  as  it  was  with  Babylon,  the  enemy  of 
the  ancient  church,  so  shall  it  be  with  spiritual  Babylon,  the  enemy  of  the 
New  Testament  church. 

II.  We  have,  in  verses  4-8,  a  heavenly  warning.  This  warning 
was  not  spoken  by  the  angel  who  made  the  proclamation  which  we  have 
just  considered.  It  was  made  by  another  voice  from  heaven.  Whether  it 
was  the  voice  of  an  angel  we  are  not  informed.  It  seems  more  probable 
that  it  was  the  voice  of  God  himself,  for  the  saints  are  here  addressed  as 
"  my  people,*'  and  this  is  a  style  of  address  which  it  is  not  likely  an  angel 
would  employ. 

In  this  warning,  saints  are,  in  the  first  place,  charged  to  separate  them- 
selves from  Babylon,  which  is  doomed  to  destruction.    *'  Gome  out  of  her, 
my  people,  that  ye  be  not  partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of 
her  plagues."     There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  reference  here  is  to  Baby- 
lon, whose  destruction  is  foretold  in  the  previous  verses ;  and  if  Babylon 
in  the  previous  verses  is  the  symbol  of  the  church  of  Home,  then  the 
saints  are  here  commanded  to  separate  themselves  from  that  impure  church. 
Two  reasons  for  such  separation  are  assigned.     In  the  first  place,  if  they 
remain  in  it,  they  would  be  partakers  of  her  sins,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
associate  closely  with  sinners  and  not  be  corrupted.     A  man  cannot  take 
fire  in  his  bosom  and  his  clothes  not  be  burned.     In  the  second  place,  if 
they  remained  in  it,  they  would  be  partakers  of  her  punishment ;  for  when 
a  nation  is  punished  for  national  sins,  the  innocent  are  involved  in  the 
punishment  with  the  guilty.    Famine,  pestilence  and  war  do  not  distinguish 
between  the  home  of  the  sinner  and  the  home  of  the  saint.     So  if  the 
corrupt  church  is  punished  for  its  sins,  there  is  no  discrimination  among 
those  who  are  found  in  it.     If,  then,  the  righteous  would  avoid  such 
punishment  when  it  comes,  they  must  separate  themselves  from  such  a 
church.     This  heavenly  warning,  when  considered  as  having  been  spoken 
with  reference  to  the  church  of  Rome,  of  which  Babylon  is  the  symbol, 
suggests  these  thoughts :     In  the  first  place,  there  were  some  in  that 
church,  who,  notwithstanding  all  its  corruptions,  were  the  true  people  of 
God ;  and  in  the  judgment  of  Christian  charity  we  may  believe  that  there 
ore  some  in  that  church  yet  who  are  the  true  people  of  God.     In  the 
second  place,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  true  people  of  God  to  separate  them- 
selves from  that  church.    This  justifies  the  action  of  the  reformers  at  the 
time  of  the  Beformation,  and  it  should  lead  every  Christian  now  to  sever 
his  connection  with  that  church.     In  the  third  place,  those  who  remain  in 


420  LBOTUBS  LIII. 

connection  with  that  church  must  be  r^arded  as  partakers  of  her  sins.  In 
the  fourth  place,  those  who  remain  in  this  church  and  thus  partake  of  her 
sins,  must  expect  to  be  involved  in  her  punishment.  In  the  light  of  these 
statements,  no  duty  is  plainer  than  that  of  withdrawing  from  the  church 
of  Rome ;  and  history  teaches  us  that  no  duty  has  been  attended  with 
happier  consequences,  both  to  the  individual  and  to  the  world. 

In  the  next  place,  the  voice  from  heaven  reveals  the  reason  why  spiritual 
Babylon  was  to  be  visited  with  the  plagues  of  God.  ''  For  her  sins  have 
reached  unto  heaven,  and  Qtod  hath  remembered  her  iniquities."  Her 
sins  were  piled  one  upon  another,  until  they  seemed  a  mighty  mountain, 
whose  top  reached  the  heavens.  And  these  words,  when  considered  with 
reference  to  the  corrupt  church  of  which  Babylon  is  the  symbol,  remind 
us  of  the  sins  of  which  she  had  been  guilty.  She  had  broken  all  the 
commandments  of  the  decalogue.  She  had  other  gods  before  the  only  liv- 
ing and  true  God.  She  had  worshiped  graven  images.  She  had  taken 
the  name  of  God  in  vain,  by  giving  his  titles  and  attributes  to  those  who 
were  no  gods.  She  had  not  remembered  the  Sabbath  day,  and  she  had 
appointed  other  days  which  she  declared  to  be  holier  than  the  Sabbath. 
She  had  notoriously  violated  all  the  precepts  of  the  second  table  of  the 
decalogue,  especially  those  which  have  reference  to  life,  chastity  and 
property.  For  a  long  time  these  sins  seemed  to  be  unnoticed.  It  seemed 
as  if  G^  had  foigotten  them.  But  when  her  cup  of  iniquity  is  filled  to 
the  brim,  God  will  remember  her  sins  and  visit  them  with  adequate  punish- 
ment. When  this  time  comes,  those  only  will  be  safe  who  have  obeyed 
the  command  to  come  out  of  her  communion. 

In  the  next  place,  the  voice  from  heaven  commands  those  who  had  felt 
the  oppressions  of  spiritual  Babylon  to  be  the  instruments  of  her  destruc- 
tion. ''Reward  her  even  as  she  rewarded  you,  and  double  unto  her  double 
according  to  her  works:  in  the  cup  which  she  hath  filled,  fill  to  her  double.'* 
It  is  not  said  to  whom  this  command  is  addressed,  but  it  would  seem  to  be 
addressed  to  those  who  had  been  persecuted  and  wronged.  These  words, 
when  considered  with  reftrence  to  that  churcL  of  which  Babylon  was  the 
symbol,  teach  us  that  those  nations  which  had  long  groaned  under  the 
oppressions  of  that  church,  and  in  which  so  much  blood  had  been  shed, 
were  to  arise  in  their  might  and  take  ample  vengeance.  That  this  is  to  be 
the  case,  we  have  seen  in  our  exposition  of  verses  16  and  17  of  the  pre- 
vious  chapter,  where  it  is  said  that  the  ten  nations,  to  fulfill  the  will  of 
God,  will  hate  the  whore  and  make  her  naked,  and  desolate,  and  bum  her 
with  fire.  The  church  of  Rome  had  rewarded  these  nations  for  their  de- 
votion to  her  with  wars  and  bloodshed,  and  now,  under  the  command  of 
God,  they  were  to  make  war  against  her  and  shed  the  blood  of  her  mem- 
bers. They  were  to  give  her  an  abundant,  a  double  reward  for  all  her 
works  of  cruelty.     She  had  filled  the  cup  of  bitterness  and  death,  and 


THB  VALL  OF  BABYLON.  421 

preflBed  it  to  their  lips,  and  now,  nndest  the  oommand  of  (}od,  they  were 
to  fill  a  cup  with  iDgredients  of  double  bittemefls  and  prees  it  to  her  lips. 
This  prediction  has  not  yet  been  entirely  Mfilled,  bat  in  the  events  which 
have  oonynlsed  Europe  for  the  last  five  hundred  years,  we  may  see  the  be- 
ginning of  the  end.  The  bitter  cup  is  filling  up,  the  terrible  reward  is 
being  prepared. 

In  the  next  place,  the  voice  from  heaven  declares  the  greatness  of  the 
punishment  of  spiritual  Babylon.  It  would  be  in  proportion  to  her  pride, 
her  luxury  and  her  sin.  "  How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself,  and  lived 
deliciously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her :  for  she  saith  in  her 
heart,  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow."  When 
these  words  are  considered  with  reference  to  the  corrupt  church  of  which 
Babylon  is  the  symbol,  they  teach  us  that  her  sin  was  great.  She  exalted 
herself,  not  only  above  the  creature,  but  also  above  the  Creator.  She  lived 
deliciously,  as  if  luxury  was  the  great  end  fi)r  which  the  earthly  church 
was  organized.  She  said  in  her  heart,  I  am  a  queen ;  it  is  mine  to  rule 
the  world,  and  to  lord  it  over  the  bodies  and  the  souls  of  men ;  I  am  no 
widow  ;  I  will  see  no  sorrow,  I  am  exalted  so  high  that  I  am  beyond  the 
reach  of  mourning  and  calamity.  Every  one  acquainted  with  the  eccle- 
siastical power  of  which  we  are  speaking,  must  know  that  these  have  been 
her  characteristics.  The  pretensions  and  pride  of  the  church  of  Bome 
could  not  be  better  described  than  by  these  words, ''  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am 
no  widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow.'' 

Because  of  her  sins,  sudden  and  terrible  destruction  shall  come  upon 
her.  *'  Therefore  shall  her  plagues  come  in  one  day,  death,  and  mourning, 
and  famine ;  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire :  for  strong  is  the 
Lord  Ood  who  judgeth  her."  Her  destruction  is  described  under  four 
figures,  each  one  of  which  is  terrible,  but  taken  together  they  present  a 
picture  of  unequaled  horror.  There  should  be  death,  mourning,  famine 
and  fire.  Kemember  that  this  church,  in  the  verses  before  us,  is  repre- 
sented under  the  emblem  of  a  city.  Now  imagine  a  city,  to  which  have 
come  on  one  and  the  same  day,  war,  with  all  its  horrors ;  the  pestilence,  with 
all  its  mourning ;  famine,  with  all  its  sufferings ;  and  fire,  with  all  its  ter- 
rors, and  you  have  the  destruction  of  the  corrupt  church  as  it  is  described 
for  us  by  the  voice  from  heaven.  From  this  destruction  there  will  be  no 
escape.  It  is  the  destruction  of  the  Lord  \  and  *^  strong  is  the  Lord  Gk)d  who 
judgeth  her."  When  he  sends  death,  there  is  no  healing ;  when  he  sends 
mf.uming,  there  is  no  comfort;  when  he  sends  famine,  there  is  no  relief ; 
when  he  sends  fire,  it  shall  never  be  quenched.  The  punishment  which  is 
to  come  upon  spiritual  Babylon  will  be  awful  and  inevitable.  It  will  be 
in  exact  proportion  to  her  sins.  *^  How  much  she  hath  glorified  herself, 
and  lived  deliciously,  so  much  torment  and  sorrow  give  her." 

And  this  is  the  great  lesson  which  the  present  lecture  suggests,  and  which 


422  LECTURE  LIV. 

the  hiBtory  of  the  past  and  the  revelatioDS  of  the  word  of  God  confirm. 
God  is  a  God  of  justice,  and  his  punishments  will  be  in  proportion  to  the 
sins  for  which  they  are  sent.  It  is  so  with  churches.  It  is  so  with  nations. 
It  is  so  with  individuals.  Can  there  be  any  escape  for  us  ?  Here  is  the 
answer  and  the  oomfprt:  "  Qod  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlaBting  life." 


LECTURE     LIV. 


THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON— Continukd. 

And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  have  committed  fornication  and  lived  deli- 
ciously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her,  and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the 
smoke  of  her  burning,  standing  afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  saying, 
Alas,  alas  I  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city  I  for  in  one  hour  is  tlTy 
judgment  come.  And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and  mourn  over 
ner ;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more :  the  merchandise  of 
gold,  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and  purple, 
and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood,  and  all  manner  vessels  of  ivory,  and 
all  manner  vessels  of  most  precious  wood,  and  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  marble, 
and  cinnamon,  and  odours,  and  ointments,  and  frankincense,  and  wine,  and 
oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and  chariots, 
and  slaves,  and  souls  of  men.  And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted  after  are  de- 
parted from  thee,  and  all  things  which  were  dainty  and  goodly  are  departed  from 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  find  them  no  more  at  all.  The  merchants  of  these  things, 
which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall  stand  afar  oflT,  for  the  fear  of  her  torment, 
weeping  and  wailing,  and  saying,  Alas,  alas  I  that  great  city,  that  was  clothed 
in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold*,  and  precious  stones, 
and  pearls  !  For  in  one  hour  so  great  riches  is  come  to  noognt.  And  every 
shipmaster,  and  all  the  company  in  ships,  and  sailors,  and  as  many  as  trade  by 
sea,  stood  afar  ofi",  and  cried  when  they  saw  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  say- 
ing, What  city  is  like  unto  this  great  city  I  And  they  cast  dust  on  their  neads^ 
and  cried,  weeping  and  wailing,  saying,  Alas,  alas  1  that  great  city,  wherein 
were  made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason  of  her  costliness !  for  in 
one  hour  is  she  made  desolate.  Bejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy 
apostles  and  prophets ;  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on  her.  And  a  mighty 
angel  took  up  a  stone  like  a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying, 
Thus  with  violence  shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be 
found  no  more  at  all.  And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and  musicians,  and  of  pipers, 
and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  and  no  craftsman,  of 
whatsoever  craft  he  be,  shall  be  found  any  more  in  thee ;  and  the  sound  of  a 
millstone  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  and  the  light  of  a  candle  shall 
shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee  ;  and  the  voice  of  the  bridegroom  and  of  the  bride 
sball  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee :  for  thy  merchants  were  the  great  men  of 
the  earth ;  for  by  thy  sorceries  were  all  nations  deceived.  And  in  her  was 
found  the  blood  of  prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the 
earth.— Rev.  18  :  9-24. 

We  have  considered  the  angel's  proclamation,  and  the  warning  voice 
from  heaven. 


THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON — CONTINUED.  423 

HI.  We  come  now  to  the  third  division  in  the  chapter,  viz.:  the 
GREAT  LAMENTATION  which  wonld  acoompanj  Babylon's  fiUI.  This 
lamentation  is  described  in  verses  d-19.  On  this  and  the  following 
divisions  of  the  chapter,  we  need  not  dwell  at  any  great  length.  This 
vision  is  so  plain  in  itself,  and  it  resembles  so  closely  the  visions  we  have 
already  considered,  that  we  can  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  all  that 
yet  remains  to  be  considered.  If  we  bear  in  mind  that  the  church  of 
Rome  is  here  shadowed  forth  under  the  symbol  of  a  city,  that  this  city  is 
to  be  destroyed,  and  that  all  those  who  were  directly  or  indirectly  connected 
with  that  city  are  to  be  involved  in  the  destruction,  we  will  have  no  trouble 
in  understanding  the  verses  before  us. 

There  are  three  classes  who  were  specially  affected  by  Babylon's  fall, 
and  who  took  noticeable  part  in  the  great  lamentation.  First  among  the 
mourners  are  the  kings  of  the  earth.  "And  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who 
have  committed  fornication  and  lived  deliciously  with  her,  shall  bewail  her 
and  lament  for  her,  when  they  shall  see  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  standing 
afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment^  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city  Babylon, 
dkat  ]ii%hty  city!  for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come.*'  The  figure  is 
80  graphically  expressed  that  we  can  easily  bring  it  before  our  minds.  There 
stands  the  great  city  of  spiritual  Babylon.  Her  days  of  prosperity  and  lux- 
ury are  ended.  The  wrath  of  God  has  visited  her.  The  fire  is  consuming 
her  palaces  and  her  temples.  The  smoke  of  her  burning  goes  up  undei^ 
heaven  like  the  smoke  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  The  kings  of  the  earth 
stand  afar  off  on  the  surrounding  mountains  and  look  on.  They  remember 
the  pleasures  they  have  found  within  her  walls ;  they  think  of  the  riotous 
living  they  enjoyed  in  her  palaces ;  they  see  that  these  pleasures  and  this 
riotous  living  have  now  come  to  an  end ;  and  they  bewail  and  lament  the  fate 
of  the  city.  They  cannot,  they  dare  not,  offer  any  assistance.  They  are 
afraid  of  the  terrible  torment  which  has  befallen  her.  They  can  only  stand 
at  a  distance  and  say,  "Alas,  alas,  that  great  city  Babylon,  that  mighty  city ! 
for  in  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come."  What  a  picture  of  destruction  1 
What  a  picture  of  helpless  and  hopeless  sorrow  I  This  prophetic  picture 
has  not  yet  been  fulfilled.  Its  fulfillment  is  not  to  be  till  the  seventh  angel 
shall  pour  out  his  vial  upon  the  air.  But  though  this  picture  has  not  yet 
been  fulfilled,  it  is  not  difficult  to  discover  its  genera]  meaning.  /  When  the 
church  of  Home  is  finally  destroyed,  the  kings  and  governments  which  have 
sustained  it  and  have  been  sustained  by  it,  will  be  overwhelmed  with  sorrow 
and  amazement,  but  they  will  not,  they  cannot  attempt  a  rescue.  They 
will  stand  afar  off  and  lament  the  destruction  which  they  are  unable  to 
prevent  and  unwilling  to  share.  There  are  indications  already  that  when 
the  time  comes,  this  will  be  the  case.  Many  of  the  powers,  which  have 
long  been  in  alliance  with  the  Papacy,  have  shown  themselves  unwilling  to 
risk  anything  to  sustain  its  waning  strength. 


424  LKOTUBS  LIV. 

The  kings  of  the  earth  are  not  the  only  mounien  over  Allien  Babylon. 
The  merchants  of  the  earth  stand  beside  the  kings  and  join  in  the;  lamentr 
ation.     "And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  shall  weep  and  moam  over  her ; 
for  no  man  buyeth  their  merchandise  any  more ;  the  merchandise  of  gold, 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and  of  pearls,  and  fine  linen,  and  purple, 
and  silk,  and  scarlet,  and  all  thyine  wood,  all  manner  vessels  of  ivory,  and 
all  manner  vessels  of  most  precious  wood,  and  of  brass,  and  iron,  and  mar- 
ble,  and  cinnamon,  and  odors,  and  ointments,  and  frankinoense,  and  wine, 
and  oil,  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat,  and  beasts,  and  sheep,  and  horses,  and 
chariots,  and  slaves,  and  souls  of  men.    And  the  fruits  that  thy  soul  lusted 
after  are  departed  from  thee,  and  all  things  which  were  dainty  and  goodly 
are  departed  from  thee,  and  thou  shalt  find  Uiem  no  more  at  all.     The 
merchante  of  these  things,  which  were  made  rich  by  her,  shall  stand  afar 
ofif  for  the  fear  of  Jier  torment,  weeping  and  wailing,  and  saying,  Alas,  alas, 
that  great  city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine  linen,  and  purple,  and  soaiiet,  and 
decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and  pearls !  for  in  one  hour  so  great 
riches  is  come  to  nought."     The  figure  here  is  precisely  the  same  as  that 
we  have  considered.    There  stands  the  great  city  of  spiritual  Babylon.    Her 
days  of  prosperity  and  luxury  are  ended.     The  wrath  of  God  has  visited 
her.     The  fire  is  consuming  her  palaces,  and  her  temples,  and  her  market 
places.     The  smoke  of  her  burning  goes  up  under  heaven  like  the  smoke 
X)f  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     The  merchants  of  the  earth  stand  afar  off  on 
the  surrounding  mountains  and  look  on.     They  remember  the  merchandise 
they  have  sold  in  her  streets,  and  the  profits  they  have  realised.    They  see 
that  this  market  is  closed,  and  that  all  hope  of  profit  in  this  direction 
has  gone  for  ever.     They  weep  and  mourn  over  her.     They  stand  at  a 
distance  saying,  "Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  that  was  clothed  in  fine  linen, 
and  purple,  and  scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold,  and  precious  stones,  and 
pearls'' !     There  is  no  need  to  explain  each  article  of  merchandise  which 
is  mentioned  in  the  long  catalogue  here  given.    These  articles  of  merohand* 
ise  are  gold,  »lver,  precious  stonea,  pearls,  fine  linen,  purple,  silk,  scarlet, 
thyine  wood,  or  as  it  is  in  the  margin,  sweet  wood,  ivory,  predous  wood, 
brass,  iron,  marble,  cinnamon,  odors,  ointments,  frankincense,  wine,  oil,  fine 
flour,  wheat,  beasts,  sheep,  horses,  chariots,  slaves,  and  souls  of  men.    The 
last  clause  of  verse  13  is  translated  in  the  margin,  and  no  doubt  correctly, 
"  the  souls  and  bodies  of  men,"  an  expression  which  deseribes  the  true 
nature  of  slavery.     It  is  a  traffic  in  the  bodies  and  souls  of  men.     It  makes 
not  only  the  physical  but  also  the  intellectual  part  of  men  an  article  of  trade. 
These  articles  of  merchandise  were  such  as  were  used  largely  by  the  cboreh 
of  Rome  in  her  public  worship,  and  in  the  private  life  of  her  higher  officials, 
and  such  as  are  to  be  found  in  the  markets  of  any  great  city.     They  are 
here  enumerated  to  give  vividness  to  the  picture.     This  is  the  figure  pre- 
sented in  the  words  before  us.     The  rich  city  is  swept  away  by  devonring 


THS  FALL  or  BABYLON — GONTINUSD.  425 

flames.  The  merohants  cannot,  dare  not,  redder  any  aasistanoe.  They  oan 
only  stand  at  a  dbtanoe  and  weep  and  wail  as  they  see  the  souree  of  their 
wealth  dried  np.  This  prophetic  piotore  has  not  yet  been  fulfilled ;  and  it 
will  not  be  fhlfiUed  till  the  seventh  angel  pours  ont  his  vial  into  the  air. 
However,  the  picture  is  so  plain  that  it  is  not  difficult  to  discover  its  general 
meaning.  When  the  church  of  Borne  is  finally  destroyed,  those  who  have 
made  themselves  rich  by  her  luxury  and  extravagance,  will  be  astonished 
by  the  sudden  and  terrible  destruction,  will  stand  helplessly  by,  and  will 
weep  not  only  for  Babylon  but  also  for  themselve& 

The  kings  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth  are  not  the  only  mourners  for 
fallen  Babylon.  All  who  go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships  stand  at  their  side 
and  join  in  the  lamentation.  ''And  every  shipmaster,  and  all  the  company 
in  ships,  and  sailors,  and  as  many  as  trade  by  sea,  stood  afar  off  and  cried, 
when  they  saw  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  saying,  What  city  is  like  unto 
this  great  city  !  And  they  cast  dust  on  their  heads,  and  cried,  weeping 
and  wailing,  saying,  Alas,  alas,  that  great  city,  wherein  were  made  rich 
all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason  of  her  costliness !  For  in  one  hour 
is  she  made  desolate.''  Here  the  figure  is  precisely  the, same  as  the  ones 
we  have  been  c(msidering.  The  only  difference  is,  the  first  dass  of  mourners 
were  the  kings  of  the  earth,  who  had  shared  in  Babylon's  luxuries ;  the 
second  class  of  mourners  were  the  merchants  of  the  earth,  who  had  made 
themselves  rich  by  traffic  in  Babylon's  luxuries.  This  class  of  mourners 
are  those  who  have  brought  the  luxuries  of  earth  firom  distant  lands  to  the 
markets  of  Babylon.  They  are  described  as  all  shipmasters,  all  the  com- 
pany in  ships,  all  sailors,  and  all  who  trade  by  sea.  They,  too,  when  they 
see  the  great  city  in  flames,  will  stand  afar  off,  unable  to  help,  and  cast  dust 
on  their  heads,  and  weep  and  wail,  saying,  "Alas,  alas,  that  great  city, 
wherein  were  made  rich  all  that  had  ships  in  the  sea  by  reason  of  her  cost- 
liness I  For  in  one  hour  is  she  made  desolate."  This  prophetic  picture 
has  not  yet  been  fulfilled,  but  it  will  be  when  the  seventh  angdi  pours  out 
his  vial  into  the  air. 

Sueh  is  the  great  lamentation  which  is  to  be  when  spiritual  Babylon  is 
destroyed.  This  destruction  will  strike  sorrow  and  terror  into  many  hearts. 
Kings,  merchants  and  sailors,  all  who  have  shared  in  the  sinful  luxuries  of 
Rome,  and  who  have  enriched  themselves  by  these  luxuries,  will  lift  up 
their  voices  in  lamentation,  the  like  of  which  has  not  been  since  men  were 
on  the  fiuse  of  the  earth. 

IV.  But  there  wUl  be  joy  at  that  day,  as  well  as  lamentation.  This 
brings  us  to  the  next  division  of  the  chapter,  viz.:  the  obeat  bejoicinq. 
"  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  holy  apostles  and  prophets ;  for  Ood 
hath  avenged  you  on  her."  According  to  the  improved  reading  of  the 
standard  manuscripts,  the  first  clause  of  this  verse  should  read,  *'  Rejoice 


426  LBOT0BE  LIV. 

over  her,  tlioa  heaven,  and  ye  saints,  apostles  and  prophets."  As  we  have 
seen,  there  would  be  great  mourning  over  the  fall  of  Babylon.  Kings, 
and  merchants,  and  seamen  would  weep,  but  the  inhabitants  of  the  better 
land  would  rejoice  over  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  for  they  saw  in  her  the 
great  obstacle  which  was  in  the  way  of  the  progress  of  the  gospel.  There 
would  be  no  weeping  among  the  glorified  saints.  They  would  rejoice 
over  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  for  she  had  poured  out  their  blood  like 
water  on  the  ground.  There  would  be  no  weeping  among  the  apostles,  the 
twelve  witnesses  of  the  Lord's  resurrection.  They  would  rejoice  over  the 
destruction  of  Babylon,  for  they  saw  in  her  the  great  enemy  of  that  Re- 
deemer whom  they  preached  and  for  whom  they  died.  There  would  be  no 
weeping  among  the  prophets.  They  would  rejoice  over  the  destruction  of 
Babylon,  for  they  saw  in  her  destruction  the  fulfillment  of  the  inspired 
words  they  had  spoken,  and  the  evidence  of  the  faithfulness  of  God. 
Nothing  is  here  said  of  the  church  on  earth ;  but  the  earthly  church  will 
that  day  join  in  the  rejoicing  for  the  same  reasons  which  moved  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven.  This  mystical  3abylon  had  been  the  great  enemy  of  the 
church.  She  had  hindered  and  crippled  the  church  in  eveiy  possible  way, 
and  now,  when  God  came  taking  terrible  vengeance,  all  those  who  loved  the 
church  would  rejoice.  What  a  song  of  joy  it  will  be  in  which  all  the 
glorified  saints,  and  the  apostles,  and  t^e  prophets  will  join ! 

In  this  passage  we  have  brought  before  us  the  two  great  divisions  in  the 
human  family  which  are  mentioned  in  many  other  places  in  the  holy  Scrip- 
tures. In  the  one  are  all  those  who  are  the  people  of  God  ;  in  the  other 
are  those  who  are  his  enemies.  In  the  one  are  those  who  love  the  church ; 
in  the  other  are  those  who  hate  the  church.  To  one  or  the  other  of  these 
divisions  every  soul  of  us  must  belong.  There  is  no  neutral  ground.  We 
must  be  with  Christ,  or  against  him.  We  must  be  either  among  those  who 
weep,  or  among  those  who  rejoice  over  Babylon's  fall.  When  the  Saviour 
tabernacled  in  the  flesh,  he  said  that  he  came  not  to  bring  peace  to  the 
earth,  but  a  sword ;  to  set  the  father  against  the  son,  the  son  against  the 
father,  the  daughter  against  the  mother,  the  mother  against  the  daughter. 
This  divine  word  has  through  all  the  centuries  been  receiving  its  fulfillment. 
The  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  has  gone  down  through  the  nations  and  the 
homes  of  men,  separating  hearts  which  nothing  else  oould  sever.  Out  of 
the  same  mill  one  has  been  taken,  and  the  other  has  been  left ;  out  of  the 
same  bed  one  has  been  taken,  and  the  other  has  been  left.  So  it  will  con- 
tinue till  the  end.  Even  when  the  great  Babylon  is  destroyed,  some  will 
weep  and  some  will  rejoice.  But  after  Babylon  is  destroyed,  there  will  be 
a  new  thing  on  the  earth.  All  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  will  become  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ.  No  nuin  will  need  to  teach  his  brother 
the  way  to  Zion,  for  all  will  be  traveling  thither.  Then  all  that  live  on  the 
earth  will  belong  to  the  same  family ;  they  will  be  of  one  mind ;  they  will 
join  in  the  same  song  of  thanksgiving. 


THE  PALL  OP  BABTLON — CONTINUED.  427 

v.  We  oome  now  to  the  last  divinoD  of  the  chapter,  vis. :  the  total 
DB8TRU0TI0N  OP  MYSTICAL  BABYLON.  This  daHmetien  is  piotuved  before 
OS  under  a  new  emblem.  '^And  a  mighty  angel  took  up  a  stone  like 
a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying,  Thus  with  violenoe  shall 
that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be  fonnd  no  more  at 
all."  Whether  this  symbolic  act  was  performed  by  the  mighty  angel  who 
was  introduced  to  our  notice  in  the  first  verse  of  Hob  chapter,  we  are  not 
told,  nor  is  it  important  for  us  to  know.  The  act  itself  is  easy  to  under- 
stand. The  grain  of  the  ancients  was  ground  by  hand.  For  this  purpose 
small  and  portable  millstones  were  to  be  found  in  every  home.  Such  a  mill- 
stone the  mighty  angel  lifted  in  his  hand  and  cast  into  the  sea.  When  it 
sunk  into  the  waters  and  the  waves  closed  over  it,  not  leaving  so  much  as 
a  scar  behind,  all  trace  of  it  was  gone  for  ever.  Even  if  the  angel  had  not 
explained  what  he  meant,  we  would  have  regarded  his  act  as  a  symbol  of 
utter  destruction.  But  we  are  not  left  to  conjecture.  As  he  cast  the  stone 
into  the  sea,  and  as  it  disappeared  from  the  sight  and  knowledge  of  the 
lookers  on,  he  said,  "  Thus  with  violence  shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be 
thrown  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at  all."  What  are  the  points  of 
resemblance  between  the  angel*s  act  and  the  destruction  of  Babylon  ?  As 
the  one  was  sudden,  so  the  other  shall  be ;  as  the  one  was  with  violenoe,  so 
the  other  shall  be.  The  idea  is  that  the  mystical  Babylon  would  not  fall 
through  a  long,  gentle  and  natural  decline,  as  the  Roman  power  had  done, 
but  that  it  would  come  crashing  down  with  violence  through  the  ^>plication 
of  external  force.  It  might  be  remarked,  in  passing,  that  all  the  revelations 
of  the  Apocalypse  represent  the  final  overthrow  of  this  anti-Christian  power 
as  a  violent  one.  And  as  the  stone  which  the  angel  cast  into  the  sea  could 
be  found  no  more  at  all,  so  the  destruction  of  Babylon  would  be  so  com- 
plete that  not  a  trace  would  be  left  of  the  mighty  power  which  had  so  long 
ruled  the  world. 

The  utter  destruction  of  the  mystical  Babylon  is  described  by  the  angel , 
in  the  most  graphic  language.  In  order  to  understand  his  description,  we 
must  remember  that  he  returns  to  the  figure  of  a  great  city.  But  this  dtj 
is  no  longer  throbbing  with  life  and  activity.  The  noiBe  and  bustle  of 
business  are  no  more  heard  in  its  streets.  The  song  of  pleasure  does  not 
greet  the  ear.  All  sounds  of  life  have  disappeared.  But  we  are  andcipadng. 
Let  us,  under  the  guidance  of  the  angel,  enter  the  city.  We  pass  through 
its  streets,  but  there  is  no  sound  of  music.  "And  the  voice  of  harpers,  and 
musicians,  and  of  pipers,  and  trumpeters,  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in 
thee."  There  was  a  time  when  the  notes  of  song  and  the  sound  of  musical 
instruments  were  to  be  heard  on  every  hand.  That  time  has  passed  away. 
The  musicians  have  forgotten  their  skill.  We  still  continue  our  journey 
through  the  silent  streets,  but  there  is  no  sound  of  business.  "And  no 
crafbman,  of  whatsoever  craft  he  be,  shall  be  found  anymore  in  thee." 


428  LEOTUEE  LIV. 

There  was  a  time  when  the  merchants  of  every  land  and  clime  bought  and 
sold  and  wrangled  in  its  market  places,  bat  that  time  has  passed  away,  and 
the  silence  of  midnight  reigns  where  fortunes  were  made  and  lost.    The 
grass  is  growing  on  the  spot  where  thousands  of  busy  feet  have  trodden. 
We  continue  our  journey  through  the  silent  streets,  thinking  that  the  in- 
habitants have  for  some  reason  unknown  to  us  retired  to  their  homes;  but 
there  is  no  sound  of  life  in  any  of  the  closed  dwellings.     ''And  the  sound 
of  the  niillstone  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  ihee."  In  passing  tihrough 
the  streets  of  an  Eastern  city  in  the  still  hours  of  the  early  morning,  it  b 
customary  to  hear  the  noise  of  the  millstones  preparing  the  flour  for  tlie 
day's  food  j  and  this  sound,  accompanied  as  it  usually  is  with  the  song  of 
those  who  are  grinding  at  the  mill,  giyes  assurance  of  life,  activity  and 
cheerfulness.  The  time  was  when  mystical  Babylon  was  full  of  these  sounds 
of  life,  but  that  time  has  passed  away.    We  continue  our  journey  through 
the  silent  streets,  thinking  it  is  perhaps  a  day  of  fasting  and  mourning. 
We  look  up  to  the  windo?rs,  but  no  ray  of  light  shines  out  into  the  dark« 
'  ness.    ''And  the  light  of  a  candle  shall  shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee.*' 
The  time  was  when  the  revelers  of  mystioal  Babylon  made  its  streets  and 
palaces  as  light  by  night  as  by  day,  but  that  time  has  passed  away.  We  con- 
tinue our  journey  through  the  silent  streets,  but  no  sound  of  nuurriage 
revelry  or  of  joy  of  any  kind  is  to  be  heard.  ''The  voice  of  the  bridegroom 
and  of  the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee."  What  pioture  of 
desolation  and  loneliness  can  be  more  complete  ?    No  sound  of  music,  no 
sound  of  business,  no  sound  of  daily  life,  no  light  in  any  home,  no  mar- 
riage festivities  1     Can  there  be  deeper  loneliness?  When  we  compare  thb 
state  of  Babylon  with  what  it  once  was,  the  loneliness  seems  all  the  deeper. 
This  is  the  fate  which  awaits  that  ecclesiastical  power  which  is  symbol- 
ized by  Babylon.     If  the  angel  is  to  be  believed,  the  time  is  coming  when 
it  will  be  more  desolate  than  that  ancient  Babylon  which  lived  and  flour- 
,  ished  on  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates,  and  which  has  for  centuries  heexk  the 
home  of  every  unclean  and  hateful  beast  and  bird.     The  churoh  of  Rome 
resembles  ancient  Babylon  in  its  pride,  in  its  extent,  in  its  wickedneas,  and 
in  its  hostility  to  the  truth ;  so  the  former  will  resemble  the  latter  in  its 
destruction.     It  will  be  with  violence,  through  the  application  of  external 
force.     So  too  the  former  will  resemble  the  latter  in  its  desolation.     As  in 
the  former,  the  signs  of  human  life  and  joy  have  long  since  ceased^  so  it 
will  be  in  the  latter. 

This  desolation  will  be  brought  upon  her  as  a  just  punishment  for  her 
sins.  Three  prominent  sins  are  mentioned— -pride,  deception  and  cruelty. 
In  the  first  place,  this  desolation  will  be  brought  upon  Babylon  for  her 
pride.  "  For  thy  merehants  were  the  great  men  of  the  earth."  It  is  a 
principle  of  universal  application  in  the  government  of  Qod^  that  pride 
goeth  before  destruction,  and  a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall     Mystical 


THE  FALL  09  BABYLON — CONTINUED.  x  429 

Babylon  was  proud.  She  would  deal  only  with  the  great  ones  of  earth. 
She  was  satisfied  only  when  kings  and  princes  were  her  slaves.  In  the  days 
of  her  exaltation  she  forgot  the  Master's  command  that  the  poor  were  to 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them. 

In  the  second  place,  this  desolation  wiU  be  brought  upon  her  on  account 
of  her  deceptions.  "  For  by  thy  sorceries  were  all  nations  deceived."  To 
the  accusation  of  deceiving  and  deluding  all  nations,  Rome  must  plead 
guilty.  Who  has  pretended  to  exercise  the  power  of  God  on  the  earth  ? 
To  pardon  sin,  past,  present,  and  to  come  ?  To  work  miracles  of  wonder 
and  healing  ?  Who  has  claimed  divine  attributes  and  received  without  a 
blush  divine  worship?  History  answers,  without  hesitation,  the  anti-Chris- 
tian  power  of  Rome.  And  the  word  of  God  tells  us  that  because  of  these 
deceptions,  she  is  to  be  left  desolate  and  naked. 

In  the  third  place,  this  desolation  will  be  brought  upon  her  because  of  her 
cruelty.  "And  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  prophets,  and  of  saints,  and 
of  all  that  were  slain  upon  the  earth."  Who  persecuted  the  two  witnesses 
during  the  days  of  their  witness-bearing  ?  Who  drove  the  woman  into  the 
wilderness  ?  Who  killed  the  few  scattered  saints  during  the  dark  ages  ? 
Who  hunted  the  reformers  as  wild  beasts  are  hunted,  and  taught  men  that 
those  who  put  the  reformers  to  death  were  doing  God  service  ?  Who  fer- 
tilized the  plains  of  Italy,  and  the  mountains  of  Switzerland,  and  the  vine- 
yards of  Franoe,  and  the  market  places  of  England,  and  the  heather  of 
Scotbuid,  with  saintly  blood  ?  Who  glories  in  the  memory  of  such  days 
as  that  of  St.  Bariholomew  ?  Who  kindled  the  fires,  and  builded  the 
priaons,  and  invented  the  racks,  which  have  through  all  these  ages  been 
the  monuments  of  the  trials  and  the  triumphs  of  the  earthly  church  ?  Who 
erected  the  dungeons  and  the  inquisitions  among  whose  ruins  the  bones  of 
unknown  Christian  martyrs  are  yet  to  be  found  ?  History  answers,  without 
hesitation,  the  anti-Christian  power  of  Rome.  And  the  word  of  God  tells 
us  that  because  of  these  cruelties  she  is  to  be  left  desolate  and  naked. 
When  we  remember  the  pride,  the  deception  and  the  cruelty  which  have 
marked  the  whole  history  of  Rome,  and  when  we  remember  that  God  is 
powerful  and  just,  we  can  no  longer  wonder  at  the  angel's  declaration, 
"With  violenoe  shall  that  great  city  Babylon  be  thrown  down."  "Just  and 
righteous  are  thy  judgments,  thou  Eling  of  saints." 

Our  exposition  of  this  chapter  has  established  the  following  points :  1. 
Babylon  is  the  symbol  of  the  church  of  Rome.  2.  The  church  of  Rome 
is  to  be  destroyed  some  time  in  the  future,  when  the  seventh  angel  pours 
out  his  vial  into  the  air.  3.  This  destruction  will  be  final  and  complete. 
As  the  church  of  Rome  resembles  ancient  Babylon  in  its  pride,  and  wick- 
edness, and  hostility  to  the  truth,  so  it  will  resemble  ancient  Babylon  in  its 
terrible  destruction  and  perpetual  desolation.  4.  When  this  anti-Christian 
power  is  destroyed,  the  last  earthly  obstacle  in  the  way  of  the  triumph  of 


430  LECTURE  LV. 

the  gospel  will  be  remoyed,  and  the  glorious  dawn  of  the  millenniom  will 
be  near  at  hand.  Let  us,  as  followers  of  the  Lamb,  lay  these  lessons  to  heart, 
and  so  shall  we  be  strengthened  for  every  temporary  defeat,  and  prepared 
for  the  final  victory  which  is  sure  to  come  at  the  appointed  time. 


LECTURE     LV. 


HEAVENLY  HALLELUJAHS. 

And  after  these  things  I  heard  a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  heaven,  say- 
ing.  Alleluia  I  Salvation  and  glory,  and  honour,  and  power,  unto  the  Lord  our 
God :  For  true  and  rignteous  are  his  judgments  :  for  he  hath  judged  the  ereat 
whore,  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with  her  fornication,  and  hath  avenged  the 
blood  of  his  servants  at  her  hand.  And  again  they  said,  Alleluial  And  her 
smoke  rose  up  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and  the  four 
beasts  fell  down  and  worshiped  God  that  sat  on  the  throne,  saying,  Amen; 
Alleluial  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  throne,  saying,  Praise  our  (Sod,  all  ye 
his  servants,  and  ye  that  fear  him,  both  small  and  great.  And  I  heard  as  it 
were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as 
the  voice  of  miffhty  thunderings,  saying,  Alleluia  I  for  the  Lord  God  omnipo- 
tent reigneth.— Kev.  19  :  1-6. 

In  order  to  understand  the  meaning  of  this  chapter,  we  must  first  deter- 
mine the  position  it  occupies  in  this  series  of  visions.  The  great  earthly 
enemy  of  the  Saviour  and  his  church  is,  in  chapter  XVII,  described  under 
the  figure  of  a  drunken  harlot,  who  in  the  end  was  stripped  of  her  gaudy 
robes  and  rich  jeweliy,  and  left  naked,  and  desolate,  and  burned  in  the 
fire.  In  chapter  XVIII,  this  same  enemy  is  described  under  the  figure  of 
a  great,  proud  and  sinful  city,  which  was  at  last  so  utterly  destroyed,  that 
the  sound  of  music,  of  business,  of  daily  life,  and  of  joy  was  heard  in  it  no 
more  for  ever.  The  destruction  of  this  great  enemy,  in  which  all  the  uni- 
verse of  Ood  will  take  an  interest,  is  still  further  referred  to  in  the  chapter 
on  whose  consideration  we  now  enter.  In  this  chapter,  the  description  of 
this  destrucUon  is  completed,  and  we  are  brought  to  the  dawn  of  the 
millennium.  In  the  previous  chapter,  afier  the  destruction  of  mystioal 
Babylon,  and  the  lamentations  of  kings,  merchants,  and  those  who  go  down 
to  the  sea  in  ships  have  been  described,  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  who 
have  seen,  known  and  felt  the  power  and  hostility  of  Babylon,  are  exhorted 
to  rejoice.  '*  Rejoice  over  her,  thou  heaven,  and  ye  saints,  and  apoetles, 
and  prophets,  for  God  hath  avenged  you  on  her."  In  the  verses  which  form 
the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  we  have  an  account  of  the  manner  in 
which  this  exhortation  is  obeyed,  and  a  description  of  the  joy  which  filled 
the  inhabitants  of  heaven  when  they  heard  the  crash  of  Babylon's  mightj 
fall.     We  need  not  wonder  at  this  rejoicing  on  the  part  of  those  who  stand 


HEAVENLY   HALLELUJAHS.  431 

around  the  throne,  for  they  take  a  deep  interest  in  what  is  going  on  in  the 
earth.  They  cannot  he  indifferent  to  the  triumphs  of  the  church  and  the 
defeat  of  the  church's  foes.  If  there  is  joy  in  heaven  among  the  angels  of 
God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  we  may  he  sure  that  there  will  be  joy 
in  heaven  when  such  an  enemy  as  the  anti-Christian  power  of  Rome  is 
overthrown. 

We  need  not  expect  to  find  any  dearly  defined  order  in  the  description 
of  the  heavenly  hallelujahs.  There  is  neither  system  nor  logic  in  over- 
whelming joy.  When  great  joy  sweeps  over  any  of  God's  intelligent 
creatures,  they  do  not  wait  to  measure  their  words  or  arrange  their  thoughts. 
It  requires  calmness  and  deliheration  to  prepare  a  systematic  address.  We 
need  not  therefore  expect  to  find  any  clearly  defined  order  in  the  heavenly 
hallelujahs,  such  as  we  have  found  in  other  sections  of  this  book.  These 
hallelujahs  are  the  pouring  out  of  grateful  souls,  soub  too  grateful  to  pay 
much  heed  to  the  method  or  manner  of  their  gratitude.  We  will  not,  then, 
attempt  any  formal  division  of  the  words  under  consideration.  We  will 
take  up  the  clauses  and  verses  in  the  order  in  which  they  occur,  and  explain 
their  connection  and  their  meaning.  O  that  our  eyes  might  by  fidth  be 
strengthened  to  see  the  destruodon  of  the  great  enemy  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment church,  which  is  certain  to  come  in  ihe  years  of  the  future,  that  we 
might  even  now  by  anticipation  join  in  the  heavenly  hallelujahs,  in  which, 
we  hope,  many  of  us  will  be  permitted  to  join  by  and  by,  when  we  have 
taken  our  places  in  the  church  triumphant  I 

In  conndering  these  heavenly  hallelujahs,  the  first  thing  which  claims 
our  attention  is  the  time  when  they  were  heard.  It  was  *' after  these 
things" ;  that  is,  the  things  which  are  described  in  the  preceding  chapters. 
The  inhabitants  of  heaven  did  not  shout  their  hallelujahs  while  the  mys- 
tical hariot  was  clothed  in  her  rich  raiment,  and  while  she  was  drunk  and 
making  others  drunk  with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  or  while  the  mystioal 
Babylon  was  full  of  pride  and  luxury,  corrupting  the  world  with  her  sinful 
practices.  It  was  not  till  *^  after  these  things,"  when  the  mystical  harlot  was 
humbled,  and  the  mystical  city  was  a  loneliness,  that  the  voice  of  great 
rejoicing  was  heard.  It  was  not  till  the  millennium  was  about  to  dawn,  that 
heaven  breaks  out  into  this  sublime  song  of  thanksgiving,  a  song  surpassed 
only  by  that  which  the  angels  sung  over  the  new-bom  babe  of  Bethlehem. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  persons  who  sung  these 
hallelujahs.  ^'I  heard  a  great  voice  of  much  people  in  heaven."  They 
were  in  heaven ;  they  were  many  in  number ;  they  sang  with  a  loud  voice. 
It  is  not  an  earthly  congregation  to  whose  praises  we  are  listening.  Though 
the  saints  on  earth  would  rejoice  in  the  victory  of  their  King  and  in  ihe 
defeat  of  their  great  enemy,  the  greatest  rejoicing  would  be  in  heaven,  fi^r 
the  inhabitants  of  the  heavenly  land  would  know  better  than  their  earthly 
brethren  the  importance  of  this  victory  and  of  this  defeat.     Though  those 


432  LECTURE  LV. 

behind  the  battlements  of  heaven  are  safe  from  all  hann,  they  take  as  deep 
an  interest  as  ever  in  what  is  transpiring  on  the  earth  ;  for  the  members  of 
the  church  on  earth  and  of  the  chnroh  in  heaven  belong  to  the  same  family; 
they  have  the  same  Father ;  they  are  partakers  of  the  same  triumphs.  There- 
fore, when  the  church  on  earth  is  delivered,  the  church  in  heaven  lifts  up 
its  voice  in  gratitude. 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  sonp  which  they  sang. 
^'Alleluia  1  Salvation,  and  glory,  and  honor,  and  power  unto  the  Lord  our 
God."  The  word  ^*  alleluia'*  is  but  the  Greek  form  of  the  word  *< hallelu- 
jah.** This  word  is  used  in  the  New  Testament  only  in  the  chapter  before 
US|  but  it  is  a  fiuniliar  word  to  every  reader  of  the  Old  Testament.  It 
means  'Upraise  the  Lord,**  or  "praise  Jehovah.**  It  is  an  appropriate  word 
to  be  introduced  in  this  connection.  The  victory  which  they  celebrated  was 
one  which  God  alone  had  wrought.  The  earthly  church  was  a  conqueror, 
and  more  than  a  conqueror,  but  it  was  through  the  power  of  its  Lord.  The 
power  which  was  overthrown,  defended  on  every  side  by  superstition,  and 
human  depravity,  and  satanic  cunning,  was  one  which  nothing  but  the 
Almighty  could  destroy.  Knowing  this,  the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  though 
they  themselves  had  taken  prominent  part  in  the  conflict,  though  they  had 
struck  sturdy  blows  against  this  mystical  Babylon,  though  some  of  them 
had  laid  down  their  lives  for  the  cause  they  had  espoused,  took  no  praise 
to  themselves ;  they  cried,  ^^  alleluia.**  As  if  they  had  said,  *^  not  unto  us, 
not  .unto  us,  but  unto  thy  name  be  the  glory."  And  the  inhabitants  of 
heaven  not  only  cry  ^^ alleluia,**  they  also  ascribe  ''salvation **  to  the  Lord 
their  Gfod ;  that  is,  they  recognize  this  deliverance  which  the  earthly  church 
had  just  experienced,  as  coming  from  the  hand  of  God.  They  also  ascribe 
"  ^ory  *'  to  their  God ;  that  is,  they  see  in  this  victory  of  the  church  and 
this  defeat  of  the  church's  foe,  not  so  much  glory  for  the  chnroh  as  for  the 
churoh*s  King  and  Head.  They  also  ascribe  '*  honor  "  to  their  Gkd;  that 
is,  they  see  that  this  event  which  inspired  their  song  will  bring  a  great 
revenue  of  praise  to  him  they  worship.  They  also  ascribe  "  power  **  to  their 
God ;  that  is,  they  see  in  this  event  a  mighty  mani^astation  of  the  power  of 
the  Almighty  one.  And  because  they  see  these  things,  they  ascribe  sal- 
vation, and  glory,  and  honor,  and  power  unto  their  Qod, 

The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  retuon  for  these  heavenly 
hallelujahs.  Three  reasons  are  here  assigned.  The  first  one  is,  "for 
trne  and  righteous  are  his  judgments.'*  The  judgments  of  God  are  the 
punishments  which,  as  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  universe,  he  sends  upon 
his  people  and  upon  those  who  are  not  his  people.  He  visits  the  former 
with  judgments,  that  he  may  turn  them  from  their  sinfulness ;  he  vbits 
the  latter  with  judgments,  that  he  may  punbh  and  destroy  them  for  their 
sinfulness.  The  latter  judgments  are  the  ones  which  are  here  mainly  re- 
ferred to.     God  has  laid  down  certain  principles  on  which  his  government 


HEAVENLY  HALLELUJAHS.  433 

is  conducted.  All  his  judgments  are  in  accordance  with  these  principles  ; 
that  is,  they  are  true.  These  judgments  are  also  in  accordance  with  justice 
and  righteousness.  No  sickness,  accident,  death,  or  visitation  of  any  kind 
comes  upon  the  sinful  individual  or  nation,  which  is  not  fully  deserved. 
Therefore  God^s  judgments  are  righteous  as  well  as  true.  And  the  fact 
that  God's  judgments  are  true  and  righteous,  is  an  occasion  for  rejoicing. 
Think<for  a  moment  how  different  our  world  would  he.  if  these  judgments 
were  arbitrary  and  unjust  1  The  world  would  be  better  off  without  a 
governor.  But  to  all  those  who  have  any  correct  knowledge  of  God,  his 
judgments,  no  matter  how  severe  they  may  seem  to  be,  are  a  reason  for  joy. 
Does  the  deluge  sweep  away  the  antediluvian  world  ?  Does  fire  from  heaven 
bum  up  the  cities  of  the  plain  ?  Does  Babylon  fall  before  the  assaults  of 
its  enemies  ?  Are  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  cumbered  with  its  slain  citizens? 
All  lookers  on,  who  have  a  right  view  of  human  sin  and  of  divine  justice, 
are  ready  to  say,  '<  true  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments."  As  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven  have  a  right  view  of  human  sin  and  of  divine  justice,  they 
are  represented  as  shouting  "  alleluia."  They  rejoice  in  these  things,  not 
because  men  suffer,  but  because  God  is  glorified ;  not  so  much  because  of 
the  judgments  themselves,  but  because  behind  the  judgments  they  see  the 
truth  and  righteousness  of  God. 

But  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  moved  to  joy  on  this  occasion,  not  so 
much  because  of  the  general  judgments  of  God^  as  because  of  that  partic- 
ular judgment  which  is  described  in  the  preceding  context.  Therefore,  the 
second  reason  for  these  heavenly  hallelujahs  is  thus  expressed :  '*  For  he 
hath  judged  the  great  whore  which  did  corrupt  the  earth  with  her  fornica- 
tion." This  reason  binds  the  chapter  we  are  now  considering  to  the  pre- 
vious chapters  as  with  a  chain  of  steel.  We  are  reminded  of  the  woman 
whom  we  saw  sitting  on  the  beast  which  had  seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
and  whom  we  have  explained  to  be  the  symbol  of  the  anti-Chrbtian  power 
of  Rome.  We  are  reminded  of  her  sin,  the  spiritual  adultery  which  she 
practiced,  and  in  which  the  kings  and  nations  of  the  earth  became  involved 
through  her  influence ;  we  are  reminded  of  the  judgment  which  came  upon 
her,  how  she  was  left  desolate,  and  naked,  and  burned  in  the  fire.  When 
the  true  and  righteous  judgments  of  God  went  forth  against  this  enemy, 
and  when  they  had  accomplished  the  end  for  which  they  were  sent,  there 
was  joy  in  heaven. 

The  third  reason  for  the  heavenly  hallelujahs  is  thus  expressed :  "  He 
hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants  at  her  hand."  These  scenes  of 
blood  have  already  been  referred  to.  We  have  seen  how  this  great  eccle- 
siastical power,  here  symbolized,  persecuted  the  saints.  When  these  per- 
secutions were  brought  to  an  end,  and  when  the  saintly  blood  shed  in  all 
the  ages  was  avenged,  there  was  joy  in  heaven  ;  for  the  church  in  heaven 
and  the  church  on  earth  are  but  parts  of  the  same  family,  and  partakers 

28 


434  LEGTURB  LY. 

of  the  same  joja  and  sorrows.     When  one  is  avenged,  the  other  celebrateB 
the  victory. 

This  event,  the  avenging  of  the  churoh,  and  the  destruction  of  the 
church's  enemy,  was  so  glorious,  that  it  called  forth  not  one  but  many  ex- 
pressions of  gladness.  "And  again  they  said,  Alleluia"  1  The  same 
heavenly  congregation  shouted  the  same  hallelujahs  for  the  same  reasons 
which  had  moved  them  before.  The  destruction  of  this  great  enemy  had 
such  an  important  bearing  on  the  welfare  of  the  woild,  the  prosperity  of  the 
church,  and  the  declarative  glory  of  God,  that  it  moved  them  to  repeated 
expressions  of  praise.  And  while  they  shouted  hallelvgahy  "  her  smoke  rose 
up  for  ever  and  ever."  This  ever  ascending  smoke  was  the  '^amen*'  with 
which  earth  responded  to  the  worship  of  heaven.  The  figure  which  is 
here  brought  before  us,  is  one  of  complete  and  final  ruin.  It  reminds  us 
of  the  inspired  description  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  It 
reminds  us  of  the  inspired  description  of  the  fate  of  the  finally  impenitent, 
whose  place  is  in  a  fire  which  shall  never  be  quenched.  As  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven  see  the  smoke  of  the  quenchless  burning,  they  are  re- 
minded of  the  suffering  through  which  the  church  has  passed,  of  all  the 
cruelties  of  which  mystical  Babylon  has  been  guilty,  of  the  justice  of  God 
and  of  the  glorious  future  when  there  will  be  none  to  hurt  or  destroy  in 
all  the  holy  mountain,  and  again  and  again  they  say,  "alleluia"  1  This  calls 
to  memory  one  of  the  wonders  of  heaven,  a  wonder  which  we  are  not  yet 
ihilly  able  to  understand.  The  saints  on  earth  are  filled  with  sorrow  over 
the  sins  of  men.  Rivers  of  waters  run  down  from  their  eyes  when  they 
see  how  wicked  men  go  on  in  sin  and  refuse  to  keep  the  law  of  Gi>d.  The 
saints  on  earth  feel  deeply  the  sufferings  of  men.  When  they  see  pain,  or 
sickness,  or  calamity,  they  sympathize  with  those  on  whom  they  come. 
Noah,  no  doubt,  sorrowed  over  the  destruction  of  the  antediluvian  world. 
Abraham,  no  doubt,  sorrowed  over  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. The  Saviour  wept  over  Jerusalem  when  he  thought  of  its  impend- 
ing desolation.  All  saints  sorrow  over  the  fearful  judgments  of  Grod, 
when  they  come  upon  their  fellows.  But  it  appears  that  Noah,  Abraham, 
and  all  the  saints,  when  they  reach  the  heavenly  land,  can  look  upon  the 
judgments  of  God  inflicted  upon  sinners,  not  only  unmoved,  but  wit^ 
thankful  hearts.  When  they  see  the  smoke  of  the  torment  going  up  for 
ever  and  ever,  they  can  only  cry,  '^ Alleluia!  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent 
reigneth."  If  it  is  asked,  why  this  is  so  ?  we  can  only  reply,  we  cannot 
tell.  We  know  that  there  will  be  no  liears  in  heaven,  '^  for  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  all  faces."  We  are  so  familiar  with  tears  on 
earth,  and  with  their  causes,  that  we  cannot  conceive  of  a  state  in  whioh 
tears  will  be  unknown.  But  we  may  suppose  that  in  that  heavenly  state, 
the  saints  will  have  such  extended  views  of  the  divine  plans,  and  aaeh  ex- 
alted views  of  the  divine  glory,  that  everything  which  advanoes  tJioae 
plans  and  magnifies  that  glory  will  be  an  occasion  of  rejoicing. 


HEAVBNLT  HALLBLUJAH8.  435 

The  heavenly  rejoicing  grows  greater  and  louder  as  the  magnitade  of  die 
yictory  beoomea  better  understood.  "And  the  four  and  twenty  elders  and 
the  four  beasts  fell  down  and  worshiped  Gtod.  that  sat  on  the  throne,  say- 
ing, Amen,  alleluia'M  The  four  living  creatures  and  the  four  and  twenty 
elders,  were  introduced  to  our  notice  in  one  of  the  first  of  these  Apocalyptic 
visions.  Our  attention  has  been  so  much  occupied  with  other  symbols, 
that  perhaps  we  have  well  nigh  forgotten  their  meaning.  The  four  and 
twenty  elders  who  sat  on  their  seats  around  the  great  white  throne  of  God 
are  representatives  of  the  church  in  heaven,  whose  members  have  ceased 
from  their  labors  and  have  entered  into  rest.  The  four  living  creatures, 
with  their  eyes  and  their  wings,  which  upheld  the  divine  throne,  are  the 
representatives  of  the  church  on  earth,  whose  members  are  yet  actively 
engaged  in  proclaiming  the  divine  glory  and  maintaining  the  divine  gov- 
ernment. These  representatives  of  the  two  divisions  of  tiie  church  have 
been  silent,  as  one  sublime  vision  after  another  has  passed  across  the 
heavenly  stage;  but  now,  when  they  see  tiie  great  foe  destroyed,  they  can 
keep  silence  no  longer.  They,  too,  lift  up  their  voices,  saying,  ''Amen, 
alleluia."  Their  "  amen  "  is  the  expression  of  approbation  of  all  that  Ood 
has  done,  and  their  "alleluia"  is  the  expression  of  praise  for  all  that  God 
has  done  in  the  destruction  of  the  great  enemy. 

The  heavenly  rejoicing  still  grows  greater  and  louder.  "And  a  voice  came 
out  of  tiie  throne,  saying,  Praise  our  (}od,  all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye  that 
fear  him,  both  small  and  great."  By  whom  this  voice  was  uttered,  we  are 
not  told.  It  seemed  to  issue  from  the  great  wHite  throne  itself;  but  it  was 
DOt  the  voice  of  God,  for  it  said,  "  Praise  our  Gt>d."  It  was  rather  the 
voice  of  those  high  and  holy  ones  who  stand  nearest  the  divine  presence. 
The  meaning,  then,  must  be  that  these  high  and  holy  ones  not  only  praise 
God  themselves  for  this  victory,  ihey  also  exhort  otiiers  to  join  in  praise  ; 
all  God's  servants,  whether  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  all  who  fear  him, 
that  is,  reverence  and  obey  him,  all  of  whatever  rank  or  condition.  For 
this  victory  is  one  of  universal  benefit  What  a  song  of  thanksgiving  that 
will  be !  The  high  and  holy  ones  nearest  the  throne  lead  the  praise.  The 
four  living  creatures  and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  take  up  the  song. 
The  myriads  of  angels,  whose  voices  have  never  been  weakened  or  marred 
by  sin,  lend  their  aid.  The  one  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand,  whose 
voices  have  been  mellowed  by  their  earthly  experiences  and  their  heavenly 
glory,  join  in  the  anthem.  Dwellers  here  on  earth  catch  the  strain  and 
the  world  becomes  vocal  with  its  Redeemer's  praise. 

Such  was  the  song  which  the  enraptured  apostie  heard  that  day,  and 
which  he  tries  to  describe  in  the  words  which  conclude  the  subject  of  tiie 
present  lecture.  "And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude, 
and  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunderings, 
saying,  Alleluia !  for  the  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth."     The  apostle,  in 


486  LEOTURE  LYI. 

his  early  life,  when  he  had  worshiped  in  ihe  temple  at  Jerusalem,  had  heen 
accustomed  to  hear  the  voice  of  a  great  multitude,  as  the  Jews  by  tens  of 
thousands  united  in  the  worship  peculiar  to  the  ceremonial  law.  In  later 
years,  he  had  heard  by  night  and  by  day  the  wild  waves  of  the  Mediter- 
ranean beating  against  the  rocky  coasts  of  his  island  home,  and  the  thun- 
ders echoing  and  re-echoing  among  the  islands  of  the  Egean  sea,  and  he 
could  compare  the  song  which  now  went  up  from  the  ransomed  of  the 
Lord  over  the  destruction  of  mystical  Babylon  to  nothing  but  the  voioe  of 
a  great  multitude,  or  to  the  voice  of  many  waters,  or  to  the  voice  of  mighty 
thunderings.  And  the  theme  of  their  praise  was  still  the  same.  ''Alle- 
luia I  for  the  Lord  Ood  omnipotent  reigneth."  This  destruction  which 
they  celebrated  was  the  work  of  omnipotence.  This  enemy  which  was 
destroyed  was  the  last  earthly  enemy  which  stood  in  the  way  of  die  Lord's 
universal  kingdom.  As  they  thought  of  that  destruction  and  of  that 
enemy,  they  sang  with  new  meaning  of  the  power  of  their  omnipotent 
Lord.  It  is  true,  in  one  sense,  that  God  reigns  now  and  has  always  reigned ; 
but  in  another  sense,  his  kingdom  is  not  universal.  Ever  since  the  iall, 
there  have  been  rebels  who  have  not  been  conquered,  and  enemies  who 
have  not  been  subdued.  But  when  the  time  comes  to  which  these  words 
refer,  the  last  rebel  will  be  conquered  and  the  last  enemy  will  be  subdued, 
and  the  followers  of  the  Captain  of  our  salvation  can  sing  with  a  truer  and 
fuller  meaning  than  ever  before,  ^'Alleluia!  for  the  Lord  Qod  omnipotent 
reigneth." 

These  heavenly  hallelujahs  suggest  such  thoughts  as  these:  1.  The 
church  on  earth  and  the  church  in  heaven  are  one.  2.  The  church  in 
heaven  has  some  knowledge  of  what  is  transpiring  in  the  church  on  earth. 
3.  The  church  in  heaven  is  deeply  interested  in  the  progress  of  the  church 
on  earth.  4.  The  change  from  the  church  on  earth  to  the  church  in 
heaven  will  not  be  so  great  as  we  sometimes  think.  5.  The  church  in 
heaven  and  the  church  on  earth  will  unite  in  the  same  song  when  the  last 
enemy  is  destroyed. 


LECTURE    LVI 


THE  MARRIAGE  SUPPER  OF  THE  LAMB. 

Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honour  to  him  :  for  the  marriage  of  the 
Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife  iiath  made  herself  ready.  And  to  her  was  granted 
that  she  should  be  arrayed  in  fine  linen,  clean  and  white:  for  the  fine  unen  is 
the  righteousness  of  saints.  And  he  saith  unto  me,  Write,  Blessed  are  they 
which  are  called  unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  And  he  saith  unto 
me,  These  are  the  true  sayings  of  Goa. — Rev.  19 :  7-9. 


THE  MABBIAQE  SUPPER  OF  THE  LAMB.  437 

The  laat  enemy  of  the  church  has  been  destroyed,  and  the  way  is  pre- 
pared for  the  church's  glory  and  honor.  This  glory  and  honor  are  described 
under  the  figure  of  the  nuirriage  supper  of  the  Lamb.  In  order  to  under- 
stand this  figure,  we  must  remember  the  position  it  occupies  in  this  series 
of  visions.  The  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb  is  not  spread  till  the  mys- 
tical harlot  is  humbled  and  destroyed.  This  mystical  harlot  had  long 
claimed  to  be  the  Lamb's  wife,  and  she  had  been  recognized  by  dwellers 
on  the  earth  as  the  Lamb's  wife,  but  at  last  her  true  character  is  exposed 
in  the  presence  of  the  universe,  and  the  true  wife  of  the  Lamb  is  exalted 
to  her  proper  place.  Or  to  drop  the  figure,  the  Papal  church  has  for  many 
centuries  claimed  to  be  the  true  church,  and  has  received  the  honor  which 
belongs  to  the  true  church.  But  the  time  is  coming  when  this  church 
will  be  unmasked  and  destroyed,  and  then  the  true  church,  which  has  been 
hiding  in  the  wilderness  from  the  persecutions  of  its  enemies,  will  be 
openly  honored  by  the  Lord  and  his  intelligent  universe. 

The  figure  of  the  verse  before  us  is  one  which  is  easily  understood,  for 
marriage  is  something  with  which  we  are  all  more  or  less  fiuniliar.  It  is  one 
which  must  claim  our  attention,  for  marriage  is  something  in  which  we  are 
all  more  or  less  interested.  It  is  one  which  must  give  us  new  vie?rs  of  the 
love  of  Christ  and  the  ^ory  of  God,  for  it  takes  the  tenderest  relation 
which  exists  among  men  on  earth  and  exalts  it  to  an  image  of  that^  which 
is  spiritual  and  divine.  For  this  figure  we  are  in  great  measure  prepared 
by  what  is  contained  in  other  portions  of  the  word  of  Gh>d.  Psalm  45 
points  us  dimly  to  a  greater  marriage  than  that  of  the  king's  son.  The 
Song  of  Solomon,  a  book  of  inspiration  which  the  church  is  not  yet  spirit- 
ual enough  to  understand  fully,  points  us  to  a  bridegroom  mightier  than 
the  wise  king  of  Israel  and  to  a  bride  more  beautiful  than  the  princess  of 
Egypt.  Isaiah  says,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts,  *^  Thy  Maker  is  thy 
husband."  The  same  Lord  says  to  his  people,  by  the  mouth  of  Jeremiah, 
"  I  am  married  unto  youi"  The  same  Lord  says  to  the  same  church,  by 
the  prophet  Hosea,  '*  I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me  for  ever ;  yea,  I  will  be- 
troth thee  unto  me,  in  righteousness,  and  in  judgment,  and  in  loving  kind- 
ness, and  in  mercy."  John  the  Baptist  says,  "  He  that  hath  the  bride  is 
the  bridegroom,"  The  Saviour  himself  tells  us  that  the  <' kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  unto  a  certain  king  who  made  a  marriage  for  his  son"  ;  and 
that  the  ''  ten  virgins  went  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom ;  and  they  that 
were  ready  went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage,  and  the  door  was  shut." 
Paul,  writing  to  a  particular  congregation,  says,  and  what  is  true  of 
a  particular  congregation  is  true  of  the  whole  church,  "I  have 
espoused  you  to  one  husband,  that  I  may  present  you  as  a  chaste  virgin 
to  Christ."  The  same  apostle,  after  speaking  of  the  marriage  rela- 
tion and  the  duty  of  husbands  and  wives,  says,  *'  This  is  a  great  mystery, 
but  I  speak  concerning  Christ  and  the  church."     After  all  these  revelations 


438  LEcrruRE  lyi. 

which  point  with  more  or  less  clearness  to  the  anion  which  exists  between 
the  Sayionr  and  his  church,  we  are  in  some  measnre  prepared  for  the 
sublime  announcement,  *'  The  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and  his  wife 
hath  made  herself  ready/' 

As  has  been  intimated,  the  figure  of  this  vision  is  peculiarly  appropriate 
in  view  of  the  figures  which  have  occupied  such  a  prominent  place  in  the 
previous  visions.  The  fidse  church  has  been  represented  under  the  figure 
of  a  gaudily  attired  daughter  of  sin,  who  claimed  to  be  queen  of  heaven, 
and  who  received  divine  homage.  When  this  abandoned  woman  is  pan> 
ished  for  her  manifold  iniquities,  how  appropriate  and  comforting  it  is  to 
have  our  attention  directed  to  her  who  in  very  truth  is  the  Lamb's  wife, 
and  to  the  honor  which  awaits  her  on  the  Saviour's  throne.  These  three 
points  invite  our  consideration:  1.  The  bridegroom.  2.  The  bride.  3. 
The  guests  and  their  happiness. 

I.  We  are  to  notice  the  person  and  character  of  the  bridxoboom. 
"  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honor  to  him ;  for  the  marriage  of ' 
the  Lamb  is  come."  Let  it  be  observed  that  the  coming  of  this  marriage 
is  announced  by  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  They  call  upon  each  other  in 
^ad  alleluia  to  rejoice ;  and  no  wonder,  for  the  enemy  is  destroyed,  the 
government  of  Qod  is  established,  the  church  is  at  last  exalted  to  its  true 
position ;  in  one  word,  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come.  They  call  upon 
each  other  to  give  honor  to  him ;  and  no  wonder,  for  this  glorious  consunmia- 
tion  is  brought  about  by  his  almighty  power :  he  has  conquered  the  enemies 
which  seemed  invincible ;  he  has  removed  the  obstacles  which  seemed  in- 
surmountable, and  now  at  last  the  day  of  his  marriage  has  come. 

But  when  is  it  that  this  day  is  to  come  ?  It  has  not  yet  come.  It  is 
true,  the  Lord  has  espoused  the  church  to  himself,  he  has  given  her  many 
tokens  of  his  favor,  many  promises  of  ftiture  glory,  many  pledges  of  his 
affection,  and  much  assistance  in  preparing  her  for  her  coming  honor.  But 
the  marriage  has  notJjret  been  consummated ;  he  has  not  yet  publioly  recog- 
nized the  church  as  his  wife ;  he  has  not  yet  compelled  the  universe  to 
give  her  that  reverence  which  the  Lamb's  wife  is  entitled  to  receive.  All 
this  is  to  be  in  the  future.  When  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out,  when  the 
last  earthly  enemy  of  the  church  is  humbled  and  destroyed,  when  the  mil- 
lennium is  about  to  dawn,  the  Saviour  will  give  the  church  the  wedding 
garments  he  has  prepared  for  her— he  will  openly  acknowledge  her  as  his 
ransomed  bride,  and  compel  all  to  give  her  homage.  When  that  hour, 
which  is  yet  future,  is  marked  on  the  dial  plate  of  time,  the  event  which 
is  described  as  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  will  have  come.  For  that  hour 
we  are  waiting,  and  in  its  honors  we  may  hope  to  share.  These  honors  are 
hard  to  understand  as  yet.  They  are  so  much  greater  than  any  we  have 
yet  experienced,  that  we  cannot  comprehend  them.     We  see  as  through  a 


THE  MABRIAQE  BUPPBR  OF  THE  LAMB.  439 

gUas  darkly.  We  know  only  in  part.  But  when  we  stand  upon  the  shores 
of  the  crystal  sea  and  are  numbered  among  the  inyited  guests,  then  the 
dark  glass  will  be  remoTed  from  before  our  eyes,  imperfect  knowledge  will 
give  place  to  perfect,  and  we  will  know  what  is  meant  by  the  marriage  of 
the  Lamb.  Still,  we  need  not  be  content  with  entire  ignorance.  By  com- 
paring Scripture  with  Scripture,  by  meditating  upon  the  revelations  of  Go^, 
we  can  form  some  conception  of  the  honor  which  awaits  us.  If  we  would 
have  any  proper  idea  of  this  honor,  we  must  first  of  all  notice  the  person 
and  chaiaetar  of  the  bridegroom.  This  bridegroom  is  here  described  as  the 
Lamb.  Who  is  the  Lamb  ?  This  question  is  easily  answered.  The  Lamb 
is  he  of  whom  the  Baptist  said,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  Qod  which  taketh 
away  the  sin  of  the  world'* ;  he  ^*  who  was  led  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter" ; 
he  who  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  throne,  and  who  alone  was  found  worthy 
to  take  the  book  and  open  the  seals  thereof.  The  Lamb  is  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  and  the  equal  of  the  Father.  This  is  the  first  thought  we 
should  fix  in  our  minds  when  we  make  this  spiritual  marriage  a  stndyi  The 
bridegroom  is  divine.  It  is  the  Great  King  who  makes  a  marriage  for  his 
divine  and  equal  Son.  Of  him  the  Bible  is  full.  Of  him  the  patriarchs 
thought,  the  prophets  spake,  and  the  evangelists  wrote.  In  the  garden  of 
Eden  he  was  promised  as  the  seed  of  the  woman  who  should  bruise  the 
head  of  the  serpent ;  and  in  Gethsemane  and  Golgotha  he  is  seen  fulfilling 
this  promise  in  actual  conflict  with  sin  and  Satan,  leadiog  them  captive  at 
his  will.  Sometimes  he  is  revealed  to  us  as  the  Creator  of  the  heavens  and 
the  earth,  who  speaks  and  it  is  done,  who  commands  and  it  stands  fast. 
Sometimes  he  is  revealed  to  us  as  a  man  tempted  by  the  devil,  persecuted 
by  his  relatives,  and  crucified  by  his  enemies.  But  though  much  is  revealed 
of  him,  we  are  not  able  as  yet  to  understand  his  divinity.  Such  knowledge 
is  too  wonderful  for  us ;  it  is  high— we  cannot  attain  to  it.  But  we  would 
suppose  that  when  the  High  and  Holy  One,  who  inhabits  eternity  and  its 
praises,  chooses  one  whom  he  would  honor  with  a  place  on  his  throne,  his 
choice  would  &11  on  one  of  exalted  character.  Let  us  then  be  prepared  for 
an  unparalleled  surprise  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  bride,  the  Lamb's 
wife. 

Again,  the  bridegroom  is  holy.  This  is  implied  in  the  figure  of  the 
text.  He  is  a  lamb,  and  a  lamb  is  now,  and  ever  has  been,  an  emblem  of 
innocence.  The  fitness  of  this  symbol  is  so  generally  recognized,  that  *<  as 
innocent  as  a  lamb"  has  passed  into  a  proverb.  It  was  necessary  that  the 
Redeemer  should  be  sinless,  for  if  he  had  had  sins  of  his  own  he  could  not 
have  made  atonement  for  the  sins  of  others.  If  it  could  be  shown  that 
Jesus,  while  he  was  here  on  earth,  ever  sinned  in  thought,  or  word,  or  deed ; 
that  he  ever  murmured  at  the  hardness  of  his  lot,  while  for  thirty  years  he 
was  compelled  to  labor  for  his  daily  bread  ;  that  he  ever  cherished  a  sinful 
thought  when,  as  the  miracle-working  Messiah,  he  wearily  wandered  up 


440  LEOTURE   LVI. 

and  down  through  Judea  and  Galilee  without  a  place  where  to  lay  hb  head ; 
that  he  was  ever  betrayed  into  a  sinful  expression  while  passing  through  the 
agonies  of  cnioifixion ;  if,  we  say,  it  could  be  shown  that  Jesus  while  on 
earth  ever  sinned  in  thought,  or  word,  or  deed,  the  whole  gospel  plan  of 
salvation  would  fall  to  the  ground.  And  yet  the  last  few  days  of  his  life 
s^m  to  furnish  convincing  proof  of  his  guilt.  The  Sanhedrim,  the  highest 
court  of  the  Jewish  nation,  found  him  guilty  of  blasphemy ;  Pilate,  the 
Roman  governor,  sentenced  him  to  death.  Could  these  things  be,  if  he 
was  innocent  ?  It  would  seem  not ;  and  yet  we  have  the  most  convincing 
proof  of  his  innocence.  Pilate  and  Herod  both  say  that  they  could  find 
nothing  worthy  of  death  in  him.  The  Roman  centurion  who  had  charge 
of  the  execution  was  compelled  to  exclaim,  '*  Surely  this  was  the  Son  of 
God."  The  whole  gospel  narrative,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  shows 
that  he  was  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate  fiom  sinners.  We  would 
certainly  suppose  that  when  he  makes  choice  of  one  whom  he  would  honor 
with  a  place  on  his  throne,  he  would  choose  one  who  was  distinguished 
for  holiness.  Let  us  then  be  prepared  for  an  unparalleled  surprise  when  we 
come  to  speak  of  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 

II.  Who  is  THE  BRIDE,  the  Lamb's  wife  ?  Though  the  bridegroom  is 
divine,  the  bride  is  human ;  for  every  one,  acquainted  .with  the  figures  of 
Scripture,  must  know  that  this  is  the  endearing  appellation  which  the 
Saviour  applies  to  his  ransomed  church  ]  not  to  the  individual  members  of 
the  church ;  not  to  the  church  as  it  now  exists  in  the  woiid,  but  to  the 
church  invisible,  one  and  inseparable  through  all  the  dispensations  and 
through  all  the  ages,  through  time  and  through  eternity.  Jesus  places 
upon  his  throne  of  glory,  not  the  angelic  world  in  which  sin  is  unknown; 
he  passes  by  the  angels,  and  the  cherubs,  and  the  seraphs,  and  the  arch- 
angels, and  says  to  the  human  church,  I  have  espoused  you  to  me  forever. 

There  are  countless  wonders  in  the  Saviour's  history,  but  his  espousal  of 
the  church  is  the  crowning  wonder  of  them  all.  There  are  wonders  in  the 
Saviour's  names.  In  one  place  he  is  called  the  Son  of  God ;  in  another 
place  he  is  called  the  Son  of  man.  On  one  page  of  inspiration  he  is  said 
to  be  the  God  over  all,  blessed  for  ever ;  on  the  next  he  is  said  to  be  bone 
of  our  bone  and  flesh  of  our  flesh.  The  prophet  tells  us, ''  unto  us  a  child 
is  bom,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given" ;  and  with  the  very  next  breath  he  tells  us, 
'Miis  name  shall  be  called  wonderful,  counsellor,  the  mighty  Gtod,  the 
everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace."  There  are  wonders  in  his  earthly 
life.  He  was  born  as  other  children  are,  but  over  the  new-born  child  a 
multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  sang  songs  of  praise  till  the  shepherds  on 
the  plains  of  Bethlehem  heard  and  worshiped.  He  was  wrapped  in  swad- 
dling clothes  as  other  children  are,  but  the  star-guided  Magi  of  the  Bast 
bowed  the  knee  before  him  and  offered  gifts  and  homage.     He  was  bap- 


THE   MARRIAGB  BUPPSR  OF  THE  LAMB.  441 

tized  as  others  are,  but  from  the  open  heayens  and  the  overshadowing  cloud 
of  glory,  a  voice  was  heard,  saying,  "  this  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased."  He  hungered  as  other  men  do,  but  he  fed  thousands  in  the 
wilderness  of  the  Jordan.  He  thirsted  as  other  men  do,  but  he  could 
change  water  into  wine.  He  grew  weary  as  other  men  do,  but  he  rose 
from  his  slumber  to  still  the  storm.  He  was  poor  in  this  world's  goods,  but 
a  fish  of  the  sea  came  of  its  own  accord  with  money  in  its  mouth  to  pay 
his  tribute.  He  was  holy  and  his  companions  were  the  holy  angels,  but 
in  his  dying  hours  he  was  compelled  to  associate  with  the  vilest  of  the  vile ; 
thieves  and  robbers  were  his  fellow  sufferers.  He  died  as  a  criminal  dies, 
but  nature  gave  visible  signs  of  sorrow.  He  died  as  an  outcast,  but  in 
accordance  with  ancient  prophecy,  he  made  his  grave  with  the  rich  in  his 
death.  These  are  wonders,  but  the  greatest  wonder  of  all,  the  one  before 
which  all  others  pale,  is  seen  in  this  spiritual  marriage.  Here  is  a  miracle 
of  love  and  mercy,  before  which  all  other  miracles  are  less  than  nothing. 
Where  shall  the  King  of  kings  find  a  suitable  bride?  Where  shall  the 
Son  of  God  find  a  fitdng  companion  ?  The  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife,  is  the 
church  chosen  from  among  men. 

But  though  the  bride  is  human,  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  sinful,  she 
is,  through  divine  grace,  prepared  for  the  high  station  to  which  she  is  called. 
This  preparation  is  in  part  her  own  work,  but  it  is  mainly  the  work  of  her 
Lord.  Both  parts  of  the  preparation  are  brought  out  in  the  words  before 
us.  We  are  told  in  one  verse  "  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready,"  and  in 
the  next  we  are  told,  "  and  to  her  it  was  granted  that  she  should  be  arrayed 
in  fine  linen,  dean  and  white :  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousness  of  the 
saints."  The  church  makes  herself  ready  against  that  day.  She  works  out 
her  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling.  Or  in  the  figurative  language  be- 
fore us,  she  puts  on  her  beautiful  robes.  But  these  robes  she  has  not  woven 
for  herself;  they  are  prepared  for  her  and  given  to  her  by  her  Lord  and 
Saviour.  These  robes  are  the  righteousness  of  the  saints ;  not  their  own 
righteousness,  but  the  imputed  righteousness  of  their  Lord,  which  he  has 
wrought  out,  and  which  they  obtain  by  faith,  the  righteousness  of  which 
Paul  speaks  when  he  says,  "  and  being  found  in  him,  not  having  on  mine 
own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  law ;  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith 
of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  &ith."  When  the  church 
is  thus  arrayed  and  brought  home  to  glory  with  every  trace  of  her  former 
vileness  washed  away,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing,  she  is 
not  unworthy  to  take  her  seat  on  the  throne  of  heaven  beside  the  King  of 
kings,  and  to  be  recognized  by  the  universe  as  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 

IIL  We  were  to  notice  the  quests  and  theib  blessedness.  "And 
he  saith  unto  me,"  that  is,  the  angel  who  was  making  these  revelations, 
saith  unto  me,  **  Write,  blessed  are  they  which  are  called  unto  the  marriage 


442  LEOTUBS  LVI. 

sapper  of  the  Lunb*'*  ThiB  sentiment  is  not  one  of  mere  temporary  yalae. 
It  is  one  which  will  live  for  even  It  contains  eternal  trath.  It  is  worthy 
to  be  written  for  the  permanent  instruction  and  oomfert  of  the  church. 
Therefore  the  angel  commanded  the  apostle  to  ''write"  it,  that  it  might 
be  kept  among  the  choicest  treasures  of  the  church. 

Who  are  the  guests  ?  While  the  church  is  described  under  the  figure  of 
a  bride,  the  individual  members  of  the  church  are  described  under  the  figure 
of  guests.  With  regard  to  these  guests,  it  is  to  be  noticed,  that  they  are 
called,  or  invited.  None  but  the  invited  are  permitted  to  be  present.  They 
are  not  invited  because  of  their  rank,  or  their  riches,  or  their  learning.  Nor 
are  they  invited  because  of  previous  friendship ;  they  are  first  chosen,  then 
they  are  made  friends.  They  are  chosen  because  of  the  infinite  love  of  their 
Lord.  There  is  a  feast  to  which  all  men  are  invited,  but  it  is  not  the  mar- 
riage  supper  of  the  Lamb  ;  it  is  the  gospel  feast.  To  thb  feast  the  broad 
invitation  is  in  these  words, ''  unto  you,  O  men,  I  call,  and  my  voice  is  to 
the  sons  of  men."  But  those  who  go  forth  to  bear  the  invitation  to  the 
marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  can  say  nothing  more  than  this,  ''eat,  0 
friends,  drink,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  O  beloved." 

The  blessedness  of  these  invited  guests  will  be  as  great  as  they  are  able 
to  enjoy.  Without  doubt,  there  are  degrees  of  happiness  in  heaven  as  there 
are  on  earth.  "As  one  star  differeth  from  another  star  in  glory,  so  also  is 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  ' '  They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  bright- 
ness of  the  firmament ;  but  they  that  turn  many  to  righteousness,  as  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever."  But  while  there  are  degrees  in  blessedness,  every 
guest  will  be  as  blessed  as  it  is  possible  for  him  to  be.  Every  vessel  of 
glory  will  be  full.  Every  star  in  the  heavenly  firmament  will  shine  its 
brightest.  Their  blessedness  will  be  uninterrupted  and  everlasting.  In 
this  respect,  the  happiness  of  the  '*here"  difiers  from  the  happiness  of  the 
'*  hereafter."  At  God's  right  hand  is  fullness  of  joy  and  pleasures  for  ever 
more.  God  himself  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes.  Their 
blessedness  will  exceed  the  blessedness  of  the  angels ;  for  while  the  angels 
stand  at  an  adoring  distance  and  cast  their  crowns  upon  the  jeweled  pave- 
ments of  heaven,  the  saints  sit  upon  the  throne ;  for  they  are  not  only  guests, 
but  also  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 

This  revelation  of  the  relation  which  exists  between  the  divine  Saviour 
and  his  human  church  is  almost  too  wonderful  for  our  faith.  The  angel 
saw  that  through  the  greatness  of  our  unbelief  we  would  sta^^r  at  this 
sublime  truth.  Therefore  he  says,  '*  these  are  the  true  sayings  of  Ood." 
What  God  says  will  surely  come  to  pass.  The  enemies  of  the  church  are 
to  be  defeated.  The  church  is  to  be  victorious  and  to  be  exalted  to  the 
throne  of  heaven,  the  high  position  to  which  she  has  been  chosen,  for  the 
mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it.  The  hour  of  this  blessedness  has  not 
yet  come ;  but  when  the  seventh  vial  is  poured  out,  when  mystical  Babylon, 


ANGEL  WORSHIP  AND  THB  MIGHTY  CONQUEROR.  443 

the  mother  of  harlots,  is  destroyed,  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  will  oome, 
and  the  churohi  arrayed  in  her  beantiftd  garments,  will  be  brought  home  to 
the  Father's  house,  with  songs  of  rejoicing  on  every  side ;  and  blessed  are 
they  who  are  called  to  this  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb. 

Who  does  not  desire  to  be  a  partaker  of  this  happiness  ?  The  way  is 
open.  The  invitation  is  extended.  True,  the  time  is  not  yet,  and  it  will 
not  be  for  yean  to  oome,  but  these  are  the  true  sayings  of  Gtod ;  and  we 
can  wait.  The  waiting  seems  long ;  the  church  is  hindered  by  its  enemies 
and  laughed  at  by  many  it  comes  to  save.  Lest  we  should  be  discouraged 
while  we  wait,  we  are  permitted  to  have  some  foretastes  of  the  blessedness 
of  that  heavenly  marriage  supper.  Such  a  foretaste  is  experienced  at  the 
sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper ;  for  there  is  a  resemblance  between  the 
sacramental  supper  and  the  marriage  supper.  The  same  Saviour  is  present ; 
the  same  guests  are  invited;  the  same  love  is  manifested.  Those  who 
worthDy  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper  have  an  earthly  foretaste  of  the 
blessedness  of  those  who  are  called  to  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb. 


LECTURE    LVII. 


ANGEL  WORSHIP  AND  THE  MIGHTY  CONQUEROR. 

And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he  said  unto  me,  See  thou  do  it 
not :  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of 
Jeeas  :  worship  God :  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  And 
I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold,  a  white  horse ;  and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was 
called  FaithAil  and  True,  and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war. 
His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and  on  his  head  were  many  crowns ;  and  he 
had  a  name  written  thi^t  no  man  knew,  but  he  himself.  And  he  was  clothed 
with  a  vesture  dipped  in  blood :  and  his  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God. 
And  the  armies  which  were  in  heaven  followed  him  upon  white  horses,  clothed 
in  fine  linen,  whit^  and  clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that 
with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations  :  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron: 
and  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almiehty  God. 
And  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  KING  OF 
KINGS,  AND  LORD  OF  LORDS.— Rfiy.  19  :  10-16. 

L  The  incident  which  is  recorded  in  the  banning  of  the  subject  of  the 
present  lecture  need  occasion  no  surprise.  The  apostle  was  but  a  man,  and 
liable  to  be  influenced  by  human  feelings.  In  the  splendor  of  these  visions, 
and  in  the  sublimity  of  these  revelations,  we  sometimes  lose  sight  of  his 
humanity ;  but  we  are  not  permitted  long  to  forget  that  he  is  our  fellow- 
servant.  Carried  away  by  what  he  had  seen  and  heard,  he  woijld  wor- 
ship THE  ANGEL  who  had  shown  him  these  things,  but  he  is  hindered  in 
the  execution  of  his  idolatrous  purpose.  '*And  I  fell  at  his  feet  to  worship 


444  LECTURE  LVII. 

him.  And  he  said  unto  me,  See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fellow-Benrant, 
and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus :  worship  God :  for 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  la  the  spirit  of  propheoy.*'  We  may  wonder  at 
his  purpose,  which  is  so  foreign  to  his  devout  and  loving  spirit,  and  so 
different  from  what  we  would  expect  of  the  beloved  disciple.  But  after  all, 
there  is  no  room  for  wonder*  Think  of  what  he  had  seen  and  heard  I 
Think  of  the  oonflioting  emotions  which  must  have  swept  over  his  soul  as 
he  had  looked  upon  the  rapidly  changing  visions,  and  had  in  some  measure 
comprehended  their  meaning  I  He  had  seen  the  t^ue  church  in  deepest  ad- 
versity;  he  had  seen  the  great  enemy  of  the  true  church  in  the  height  of  its 
prosperity ;  and  when  he  had  seen  this,  his  soul  was  cast  down  within  him ; 
the  waves  and  the  billows  went  over  him,  and  deep  called  unto  deep  at  ike 
noise  of  G-od's  waterspouts.  But  lo  I  the  scene  suddenly  changes.  The 
mystical  harlot  is  divested  of  her  royal  robes  and  burned  in  the  fire.  The 
mystical  Babylon  is  shaken  to  its  foundations  and  left  in  ruins  and  desola- 
tion. A  great  lamentation  goes  up  ftt)m  those  who  shared  in  her  sins  and 
who  had  been  made  rich  by  her  iniquities,  A  great  song  of  thanksgiving, 
like  the  voice  of  many  waters  or  of  mighty  thunderings,  sweeps  over  the 
celestial  plain — a  song  in  which  the  angelic  host,  the  four  beasts,  the 
four  and  twenty  elders,  and  the  multitude  of  the  redeemed  unite,  saying, 
^^  Alleluia  I  for  the  Lord  Ood  omnipotent  reigneth/'  Hardly  had  the  last 
echoes  of  this  song  died  away,  when  the  apostle  saw  the  church  clothed  in 
its  spotless  robes,  which  are  the  righteousness  of  the  saints,  publicly  ac- 
knowledged by  the  Saviour  as  his  ransomed  bride  and  exalted  to  her  place 
on  the  throne  of  her  divine  Lord ;  and  he  was  commanded  to  write, "  Blessed 
are  they  that  are  called  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb."  A  great 
load  was  lifted  from  his  heart.  The  church  persecuted  so  long  would 
triumph ;  the  church  despised  so  long  would  be  honored.  It  is  no  wonder 
that  he  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  angel  who  had  revealed  these  things.  He 
was  overcome  by  the  majesty  of  the  heavenly  messenger  and  by  the  joy 
and  sublimity  of  the  truths  he  had  heard ;  and  in  the  overflow  of  bis 
gratitude  he  had  fallen  upon  the  earth  in  that  posture  of  adoration  which 
was  so  common  in  the  East. 

It  may  be  that  he  mistook  the  character  of  the  heavenly  messenger.  He 
may  have  supposed  that  he  was  the  Messiah  himself,  who  was  now  address- 
ing him ;  but  if  so,  the  error  into  which  he  fell  was  soon  corrected.  The 
angel  said  unto  him,  <'  See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and 
of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus.'*  In  this  language,  the 
angel  not  only  refused  the  proffered  worship — he  also  announced  his  true 
character :  he  was  John's  fellow-servant ;  he  was  engaged  in  the  service  of 
the  same  GK>d ;  he  was  advancing  the  same  cause ;  he  was  honoring  the 
same  Redeemer.  He  was  also  of  the  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of 
'Jesus ;  that  is,  of  Christians  who  are  witnesses  for  the  Saviour.  The  great 


ANQEL  WORSHIP  AND  THE    MIGHTY  CONQUEROR.  445 

datj  of  Chrktians  here  on  earth,  from  the  highest  of  them  to  the  lowest 
of  them,  IB  by  their  words,  and  iheir  acts,  and  their  profession,  to  bear  tes- 
timony for  Jesus.  To  them  all  the  Lord  has  said,  *^Ye  are  my  witnesses." 
But  in  this  respect  they  are  not  alone.  The  angels  are  their  fellow-seryants 
in  bearing  testimony  in  the  same  cause.  Here  let  us  stop  for  a  moment  to 
wonder  at  the  honor  which  has  been  conferred  on  us.  It  is  an  honor  to 
labor  in  the  service  of  such  a  master  as  Christ  is.  It  is  an  honor  to  labor 
in  a  cause  which  has  for  its  object  the  greatest  happiness  of  the  largest 
number.  Even  if  we  were  alone  in  this  service  and  this  cause,  the  honor 
would  be  beyond  our  comprehension.  But  it  is  an  honor  to  have  such 
fellow-laborers  as  the  holy  angels.  If  at  any  time  we  are  discouraged  at 
the  greatness  of  our  work,  and  at  the  little  progress  we  are  making,  it  will 
be  for  our  encouragement  to  listen  to  the  words  of  this  angelic  messenger : 
''  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  that  have  the  testimony  of 
Jesus."  ' 

As  the  angel  was  but  a  fellow-servant,  he  could  not  receive  the  worship 
of  John.  He  points  him  to  the  only  true  object  of  adoration,  saying, 
"Worship  God."  This  angelic  declaration,  if  we  take  it  for  granted  that  it  is 
true,  cuts  off  at  once  and  for  ever  all  idol  worship  and  all  worship  of  saints. 
If  the  angel  is  to  be  believed,  the  divine  honor  which  has  been  paid  by  so 
many  deluded  souls  to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  to  others  of  our  ^en  race 
who  may  have  been  distinguished  for  their  piety  or  their  usefulness,  is  a 
dishonor  to  Gkd.  Nothing  is  more  clearly  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  than 
that  divine  worship  is  to  be  paid  to  Ood  alone.  Nothing  is  more  sternly 
rebuked  than  idolatry  of  every  form  and  kind.  And  there  is  need.  Even 
John,  more  highly  favored  than  those  bom  of  women  are  wont  to  be  favored, 
was  in  danger  of  sinning  in  this  regard.  If  John  was  in  danger  of  sinning 
in  this  r^ard,  it  need  occasion  no  surprise  that  men  less  enlightened  than 
he  have  fallen  down  to  worship  stocks,  and  stones,  and  canonized  saints.  It 
need  occasion  no  surprise  that  not  only  the  angel,  but  .also  the  Saviour  him- 
self, and  the  church,  and  the  ministers  of  the  church  in  all  ages,  should  be 
called  upon  many  a  time  to  say,  "Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God, 
and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve." 

The  reason  which  the  angel  assigns  why  no  worship  should  be  paid  to 
him  is  not  difficult  to  understand.  "  For  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the 
spirit  of  prophecy."  It  is  as  if  he  had  said  :  We  are  all  engaged  in  the 
same  work ;  the  holy  angels,  you  apostles  and  preachers  of  the  gospel,  the 
prophets  of  the  old  dispensation,  and  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus,  are  wit- 
nesses for  Jesus ;  and  our  witness  is  the  very  spirit  of  prophecy.  If  we 
are  engaged  in  the  same  work,  one  may  not  receive  the  worship  of  another. 
The  angel's  reason  is  founded  on  manifest  truth.  There  can  be  no  doubt 
that  the  great  mission  of  the  angels  is  to  bear  testimony  for  Jesus.  Nor 
can  there  be  any  doubt  that  this  is  the  great  misdon  of  those  whose  duty 


446  LEOTUBE  LVII. 

it  18  to  pieach  the  gospel  to  the  ends  of  the  world,  for  the  bnrden  of  their 
message  is,  and  ever  must  be,  '^  Christ  and  him  omcified.*'  Nor  can  there 
be  any  doubt  that  this  is  thiB  great  mission  of  all  believers,  for  ihej  are  to 
be  living  epistles  known  and  read  of  all  men,  and  the  chief  lesson  of  these 
epistles  is,  ^' Jesus  is  able  and  willing  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come 
unto  God  by  him.'*  Nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  this  is  the  great  mis- 
sion of  the  Old  Testament  prophets.  Their  writings  all  point  to  Christ ; 
their  words  are  fulfilled  in  Christ.  Nor  can  there  be  any  doubt  that  this 
is  the  great  mission  of  the  angels,  for  '^  Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits, 
sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salvation"  ?  As  they 
waited  on  Christ  during  the  whole  of  his  earthly  pilgrimage,  so  they  now 
wait  on  the  disciples  of  Christ.  It  is  therefore  true  that  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  whether  it  is  found  in  the  writings  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets, 
or  in  the  inspired  declarations  of  the  apostles,  or  in  the  words  of  commis- 
sioned preachers,  or  in  the  lives  of  saintly  believers,  or  in  the  holy  ministry 
of  the  unfaUen  angels,  is  the  testimony  of  Jesus ;  that  is,  they  all  bear 
testimony  in  favor  of  Jesus.  If  this  is  so,  then  one  may  not  claim  the 
homage  of  another.  An  apostle  must  not  worship  an  angel,  nor  a  believer 
worship  an  apostle  ;  but  all  should  worship  God.  They  are  fellow-servants 
and  brethren,  and  their  duty  one  to  another  is  love  and  harmony  in  their 
common  work,  and  not  worship. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  though  the  apostle  was  so  plainly  rebuked 
on  this  occasion,  he  afterwards  fell  into  the  same  error.  After  another 
angel  had  described  to  him  the  glories  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  he  was  so 
carried  away  by  the  brightness  of  the  revelation  and  the  joys  of  antid- 
pation  that  he  says,  ^' And  when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship 
before  the  feet  of  the  angel  which  showed  me  these  things.  Then  saiih  be 
unto  me.  See  thou  do  it  not;  for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren 
the  prophets,  and  of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book  :  worship 
God."     Chapter  22  :  8,  9. 

II.  We  come  now  to  another  vision,  which  in  sublimity  and  comfort  is 
worthy  of  a  place  beside  any  we  have  already  considered.  It  is  a  viaon  of 
final  triumph  and  conquest.  This  vision  follows  immediately  after  the  mar- 
riage of  the  Lamb,  for  the  incident  recorded  in  verse  10  is  to  be  regarded 
as  a  parenthesis.  We  will  not  be  able  to  discuss  the  whole  of  this  vision 
in  the  present  lecture.  We  will  have  to  confine  ourselves  to  the  description 
of  THB  OONQUEBOB.  ''And  I  saw  heaven  opened,  and  behold,  a  white  horse ; 
and  he  that  sat  upon  him  was  called  Faithful  and  True,  and  in  righteous- 
ness he  doth  judge  and  make  war.  His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire,  and 
on  his  head  were  many  crowns ;  and  he  had  a  name  written  that  no  man 
knew,  but  he  himself;  and  he  was  clothed  with  a  vesture  di)[^)ed  in  blood ; 
and  hb  name  is  called  The  Word  of  God.     And  the  armies  which  were  in 


ANGEL  WORSHIP  AND  THE   MIOHTY  CONQUEROR.  447 

heaven  followed  him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and 
clean.  And  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp  sword,  that  with  it  he  should 
smite  the  nations :  and  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron :  and  he 
treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Almighty  Ood.  And 
he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a  name  written,  King  of  kings,  and 
Lord  of  lords.''  No  one  can  read  these  words  without  being  convinced  that 
the  conqueror  is  none  other  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Ghrist. 

The  scene  of  this  vision  of  the  final  conquest  is  that  open  heaven  into 
which  the  apostle  had  been  carried  in  the  spirit,  and  in  which  he  saw  the 
most  of  those  visions  which  have  heretofore  occupied  so  much  of  our  atten- 
tion. On  this  celestial  plain,  John  saw  the  symbol  of  a  white  horse.  This 
is  not  the  first  time  this  symbol  has  made  its  appearance  in  the  Apocalypse. 
In  chapter  6  :  2,  it  is  sifid:  "And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  horse ;  and  he 
that  sat  on  him  had  a  bow ;  and  a  crown  was  given  unto  him ;  and  he  went 
forth  conquering  and  to  conquer."  This  vision  was  explained  as  shadow- 
ing forth  the  prosperity  and  victories  of  the  Boman  empire  during  the 
period  which  followed  the  apostolic  age.  It  is  evident  that  the  symbol  of 
the  white  horse  is  the  same  in  both  visions,  though  there  is  a  noticeable 
difference  between  the  riders.  Of  what  is  a  white  horse  the  natural  symbol? 
In  our  day  a  horse  might  be  a  symbol  of  peace  and  agricultural  prosperity, 
but  this  would  not  be  the  case  in  the  times  and  the  lands  in  which  the 
Bible  was  written.  Then  the  horse  was  generally  used  in  war,  and  it  was 
the  symbol  of  war.  White  horses  occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the 
triumphal  processions  of  the  victorious  Roman  generals.  Therefore  a  white 
horse  becomes  a  symbol  of  victory  and  its  consequent  prosperity.  '  This  was 
its  meaning  under  the  first  seal.  It  shadowed  forth  the  Eoman  empire 
during  the  period  when  its  armies  were  victorious  in  every  part  of  the 
world,  and  when  the  empire  enjoyed  unparalleled  prosperity.  We  may, 
then,  conclude  that  the  white  horse  which  makes  its  appearance  in  the 
present  vision  is  a  symbol  of  victory,  not  however  of  any  earthly  victory, 
for  the  characteristics  of  the  rider  on  this  horse  are  not  of  the  earth, 
earthy ;  they  reveal  his  deity.  Let  us  examine  these  characteristics  one 
by  one. 

In  the  first  place,  we  are  told  that  he  who  sat  upon  the  white  horse  "  was 
called  Faithful  and  True."  The  Messiah  is  here  described,  not  by  his  names, 
but  by  his  attributes.  He  has  laid  down  certain  principles  by  which  he 
governs  the  world.  He  has  given  to  his  church  great  and  precious  promises. 
Sometimes  it  seems  as  if  these  principles  were  violated,  when  the  wicked 
prosper  and  have  all  their  heart  could  wish.  Sometimes  it  seems  as  if 
these  promises  were  forgotten,  when  the  church  is  despised  and  persecuted. 
But  notwithstanding  this  seeming,  the  Messiah  is  faithful  and  true ;  faith- 
ful to  the  principles  he  has  laid  down  for  the  government  of  the  world,  and 
true  to  the  promises  he  has  given  his  church.     In  the  opening  vision  of 


448  LECTUBX  LYII. 

the  Apocalypse,  he  reveals  himself  as  ^*  the  faithful  witness."  In  the  epistle 
to  the  church  of  Laodicea,  he  calls  himself  "  the  faithful  and  true  witness.'* 
In  the  dosing  vision  of  the  Apocalypse,  he  tells  us  that  his  ''sayings  are 
faithful  and  true."  Then  let  us  rest  with  confidence  upon  his  faithfulness 
and  truth.  For  a  time  everything  may  seem  to  be  against  us,  but  in  the 
end  all  things  will  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  Gk>d.  For  a 
time  the  church  may  seem  to  be  dying,  but  in  the  end  it  will  come  forth 
fiiir  as  the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners. 
Oh  I  the  weakness  of  our  faith  I  It  can  look  only  at  the  now  and  the  here. 
It  forgets  that  God  is  not  slack  conoeming  his  promises,  as  some  men  count 
slackness.  It  does  not  remember  that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thou- 
sand years,  and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day.  It  forgets  that  the  Saviour 
is  faithful  and  true,  and  that  in  his  own  good  time  and  way  he  will  mani- 
fest his  faithfulness  and  truth. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  of  him  that  sits  upon  the  white  horse, 
that  ''in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make  war."  The  Messiah  is 
here  presented  to  our  faith,  not  as  prophet  or  priest,  but  as  king.  As  the 
Sovereign  of  the  universe,  it  is  his  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead,  to 
sentence  those  who  have  violated  his  law,  and  to  justify  the  obedient.  And 
his  judgments  are  righteous.  They  are  in  accordance  with  the  laws  he  has 
laid  down  for  the  government  of  men.  He  is  not  blinded  by  prejudice  or 
influenced  by  partiality,  or  deceived  by  misrepresentation.  This  thought 
may  well  cause  the  sinner  to  tremble,  and  give  confidence  to  those  who  be- 
lieve, for  we  must  all  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  The  Mes- 
siah, as  the  Sovereign  of  the  universe,  also  makes  war  in  righteousness. 
Sometimes  he  sends  and  sometimes  he  leads  his  armies  forth  to  viotoxy. 
But  the  wars  in  which  he  engages  are  not  wars  of  ambition  or  opnquest ; 
they  are  wars  to  save  the  righteous  and  to  punish  the  wickedi-  In  one 
word,  they  are  wars  of  righteousness.  This  thought  may  well  cause  the 
sinner  to  tremble,  and  give  confidence  to  those  who  believe,  for  all  those  who 
are  on  the  side  of  the  Messiah  wUl  be  victorious,  and  those  who  are  on  the 
side  of  his  enemies  will  be  destroyed. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  of  the  Messiah  that  "  his  eyes  were  as  a 
flame  of  fire."  We  are  here  reminded  of  him  whom  John  saw  in  the  midst 
of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  and  of  whom  it  is  said,  "his  eyes  were  as 
a  flame  of  fire" ;  words  which  reveal  the  fact  that  nothing  can  be  hidden 
from  him,  and  that  his  fiery  glance  will  bum  up  all  his  enemies  round 
about. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  "on  his  head  were  many  crowns." 
This  indicates  his  universal  reign.  He  is  King  of  the  church,  and  King  of 
the  world,  and  King  of  the  universe.  He  is  Lord  of  creation,  and  of  prov- 
idence, and  of  redemption.  He  is  King  of  all  kings,  and  Lord  of  all 
lords.  Therefore,  on  his  brow  the  crowns  of  all  kings  and  of  all  kingdoms 
are  wreathed  into  one. 


ANOBL  WORSHIP  AND  THE  MIGHTY   CONQUEROR.  449 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  *^  he  had  a  name  written  that  no  man 
knew,  hat  he  himself."  This  name  was  probahly  written  upon  the  frontlet 
of  his  many  crowns.  What  that  name  is  we  are  told  in  the  next  verse. 
It  18  "The  Word-of  God."  By  this  name  he  is  revealed  in  many  parts  of 
Scripture,  but  especially  in  that  wonderful  passage  of  the  gospel  by  John 
which  b^ns,  ^'  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God, 
and  the  Word  was  God."  Though  we  know  what  this  name  is,  its  meaning 
is  too  wonderful  for  us  to  understand.  It  has  a  height,  and  a  depth,  and  a 
length,  and  a  breadth  which  we  cannot  measure.  It  involves  the  sacred- 
ness  of  the  relation  to  the  Father,  which  none  but  the  Messiah  himself  can 
understand.  Men  may  discuss  this  mysterious  name ;  they  have  discussed 
it  till  the  discussion  has  become  a  weariness ;  volume  after  volume  has  been 
written  to  explain  its  meaning ;  but  still  no  man  can  know  all  that  is  ex- 
pressed by  it,  or  implied  in  it.  His  name  is  a  name  which  is  above  every 
name. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  '^  he  was  clothed  with  a  vesture 
dipped  in  blood";  or  rather,  as  it  is  in  the  standard  manuscripts, 
, "  sprinkled  with  blood."  This  does  not  refer  to  his  crucifixion,  though  it 
is  true  that  at  that  time  his  garments  were  stained  with  his  own  blood  ; 
but  that  time  was  now  long  past.  He  is  no  longer  a  sacrifice,  but  a  king. 
He  is  no  longer  persecuted,  but  a  conqueror.  His  vesture  is  stained  no 
longer  with  his  own  blood,  but  with  the  blood  of  his  enemies.  There  is 
no  better  commentary  on  these  words  than  is  to  be  found  in  the  sublime 
language  of  Isaiah  :  "  Who  is  this  that  cometh  from  Edom,  with  dyed 
garments  from  Bozrah  ?  This  that  is  glorious  in  his  apparel,  traveling  in 
the  greatness  of  his  strength  ?  I  that  speak  in  righteousness,  mighty  to 
save.  Wherefore  art  thou  red  in  thine  apparel,  and  thy  garments  like 
him  that  treadeth  in  the  winefat  ?  I  have  trodden  the  wine-press  alone  ; 
and  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  me :  for  I  will  tread  them  in  mine 
anger,  and  trample  them  in  my  fury ;  and  their  blood  shall  be  sprinkled 
upon  my  garments,  and  I  will  stain  all  my  raiment." 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  "  his  name  is  called  the  Word  of 
God."  Of  this  name  which  no  man  can  know,  we  have  already  spoken. 
What  has  been  said  need  not  be  repeated.  This  is  an  appropriate  name. 
As  a  man  reveals  himself  by  the  words  which  he  speaks,  so  God  has  re- 
vealed himself  in  his  Son,  who  is  the  express  image  of  his  person.  There- 
fore, the  incarnate  Son  is  well  called  the  Word  of  God,  for  he  is  the  message 
of  God  to  the  dying  world.  Because  of  the  appropriateness  of  this  name, 
John  loves  to  use  it,  for  it  denotes  better  than  any  other  the  divine  nature 
of  the  Saviour. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  ^'  the  armies  which  were  in  heaven 

followed  him  upon  white  horses,  clothed  in  fine  linen,  white  and  clean." 

The  great  conqueror  is  accompanied  by  his  victorious  hosts.     The  army  of 

29 


450  LECTURE  LVIII. 

the  redeemed  follows  him  not  to  engage  in  the  conflict,  for  their  robes  are 
white  and  clean,  and  not  sprinkled  with  blood.  The  battle  is  fought  and 
the  victory  is  won  by  the  Saviour  alone.  The  army  of  the  redeemed  fol- 
lows him  to  be  witnesses  of  that  victory,  and  to  partake  in  the  joys  of 
that  triumph.  They  are  clothed  in  white  robes  as  a  symbol  of  their  inno- 
cence ;  they  ride  upon  white  horses  as  a  symbol  of  their  victory ;  they  fol- 
low the  great  conqueror  as  a  symbol  of  their  loyalty  and  obedience. 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  '*  out  of  his  mouth  goeth  a  sharp 
sword,  that  with  it  he  should  smite  the  nations.**  That  is,  the  word  which 
goeth  out  of  his  mouth  is  like  a  sharp  sword  with  which  to  smite  the 
nations.  The  battle  is  to  be  fought  with  the  word  of  Gk)d,  which  b  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit.  "  For  the  word  of  God  is  quick  and  powerful,  and 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of 
soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow." 

In  the  next  place,  we  are  told  that  '*  he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of 
iron.**  His  power  will  be  so  great  that  none  will  be  able  to  overthrow  or 
resist  it,  a  fact  which  the  Psalmist  had  long  before  stated.  "  Thou  shalt 
break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron  ;  thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  pot- 
ter's vessel.'*  A  similar  truth  is  suggested  in  the  next  clause,  where  it  is 
said,  "And  he  treadeth  the  wine-press  of  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of  Al- 
mighty God."  As  grapes  are  trodden  under  foot  in  the  wine-press,  so 
would  he  tread  down  his  enemies,  a  &ct  which  is  stated  in  the  sublime 
words  of  Isaiah  already  quoted. 

Finally,  we  are  told  that  "  he  hath  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh  a 
name  written,  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords.'*  This  name  requires  no 
explanation.  The  conqueror  was  to  rule  over  rulers.  The  most  powerful 
on  earth  would  be  weak  before  him.  Kings  and  their  subjects,  lords  and 
their  servants  would  alike  feel  the  weight  of  his  victorious  sword.  And 
this  name  would  be  written  on  his  vesture  and  on  his  thigh,  that  is,  on 
the  hilt  of  his  sword,  so  that  all  men  might  see  it ;  and  seeing  it  might  be 
astonished. 


LECTURE     LVIII. 


THE  FINAL  CONQUEST. 


And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in  the  sun ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice, 
saving  to  all  the  fowls  that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  and  gather  your- 
selves together  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God ;  that  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of 
kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty* men,  and  the  flesh  of 
horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  ft^e  and 
bond,  both  small  and  great.    And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth, 


THE  riNAL  OONQUEST.  451 

and  their  armies,  gathered  together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the 
horse,  and  against  his  army.  And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the 
false  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived 
them  tnat  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  them  that  worshipped  his 
image.  These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire  burning  with  brimstone. 
And  the  remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  horse, 
which  sword  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth :  and  all  the  fowls  were  filled  with 
their  flesh.— Rkv.  19  :  17-21. 

The  present  lecture  has  to  do  with  the  same  victory  which  engaged  our 
attention  in  the  last  lecture.  If  we  were  able  to  appreciate  in  any  proper 
measure  the  character  of  the  great  conqueror,  we  are  prepared  to  expect  a 
victory  of  unparalleled  greatness  and  completeness. 

I.     Our  expectations  are  raised  still  higher  by  the  angelic  procla- 
mation which  begins  the  subject  of  our  lecture.     ''And  I  saw  an  angel 
standing  in  the  sun  ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls 
that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaven,  Gome  and  gather  yourselves  together  unto 
the  supper  of  the  great  God  ;  that  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the 
flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and 
of  them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both 
small  and  great."     This  announcement  was  made  by  an  angel,  probably  a 
different  one  from  the  angel  who  had  appeared  to  John  before.     The  num- 
ber of  angels,  who  make  their  appearance  in  connection  with  the  visions  of 
this  book,  is  so  great  that  it  excites  our  wonder.     Yet  why  should  it  ? 
.  God*8  angels  are  numbered  by  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  they 
are  deeply  interested  in  the  affairs  of  the  earthly  church.     Look  how  they 
clustered  around  the  King  and  Head  of  the  church  during  the  time  he  tab- 
ernacled in  the  flesh.     An  angel  announced  to  Mary  that  she  was  to  be 
the  mother  of  the  promised  Saviour.     A  multitude  of  angels  sang  a  song 
of  praise  when  that  Saviour  was  born  in  Bethlehem.     Angels  came  and 
ministered  to  him  afler  his  temptation.     Angels  strengthened  him  after 
the  agony  of  Gethsemane«     Angels  sat  in  his  empty  sepulcher  and  an- 
nounced his  resurrection  to  the  sorrowing  disciples.     Angels  surrounded 
him  as  he  ascended  from  the  summit  of  Olivet  and  pointed  the  apostles  to 
his  second  coming,  which  would  be  without  sin  unto  salvation.     In  a  sim- 
ilar way  angels  cluster  around  the  saints  during  their  earthly  pilgrimage. 
''Are  they  not  all  ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who 
shall  be  heirs  of  salvation'*  ?     They  encamp  about  them  by  night  and  by 
day,  and  defend  them  from  their  dangers ;  they  bear  up  to  heaven  the 
prayers  of  the  saints,  and  bring  back  to  earth  the  divine  blessing,  ascend- 
ing and  descending  on  the  ladder  of  God  ;  they  gather  around  the  saints 
in  their  dying  hours  and  bear  their  freed  spirits  up  the  unknown  path  to 
Abraham's  bosom  ;  they  watch  over  their  sleeping  dust  till  the  resurrec- 
tion ;  and  in  the  great  harvest  day  of  the  world's  history,  they  will  bring 
the  g:1orified  bodies  of  the  saints  to  the  heavenly  gamer,  for  "the  angels 


452  LECTURE   LYIII. 

are  the  reapers/'  And  it  is  do  wonder  that  they  have  much  to  do  in  these 
visions  which  unfold  the  future  history  of  the  church.  They  stand  around 
the  throne  and  help  to  swell  the  anthems  of  the  upper  sanctuary ;  they 
blow  the  trumpets ;  they  pour  out  the  vials ;  they  are  prominent  actors  in 
the  scenes  which  appear  on  the  heavenly  stage ;  and  they  explain  the 
visions  to  the  apostle,  so  far  as  explanation  is  necessary  or  proper.  And 
DOW  another  angel  is  seen  standing  in  the  sun.  The  description  is  simple 
as  it  can  be,  and  yet.it  is  sublime  above  our  comprehension.  A  heavenly 
being  stands  in  the  midst  of  the  brightest  orb  of  which  we  have  any  con- 
ception, and  yet  he  is  not  consumed,  nor  is  his  brightness  dinuned  by  the 
dazzling  splendor  of  the  light  in  which  he  stands.  Why  he  hajs  his  place 
in  the  sun  we  are  not  informed,  but  it  is  likely' that  it  is  only  to  give  im- 
pressiveness  to  the  scene,  and  to  prepare  us  for  the  grand  consummatioQ 
towards  which  we  are  hastening.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  of  an  image 
more  sublime  than  this,  or  one  which  could  awaken  greater  expectations. 

This  angel  made  proclamation  to  the  fowls  that  fly  in  the  midst  of  heaveOi 
that  is,  to  all  birds  of  prey  such  as  hover  over  a  field  of  battle,  to  '*  come 
and  gather  themselves  together  unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God " ;  or 
rather,  according  to  the  improved  reading  of  the  standard  manuscripts, 
''  unto  the  great  supper  of  God."  The  imagery  is  easily  understood.  The 
scene  which  these  words  call  up  to  our  minds  is  one  which  has  often  been 
witnessed  on  the  earth.  There  was  to  be  a  great  slaughter ;  the  bodies  of 
the  dead  would  be  left  unburied  as  a  feast  for  unclean  birds ;  it  would  be 
as  if  a  great  supper  had  been  prepared  for  the  fowls  that  fiy  in  the  midst 
of  heaven.  It  is  called  the  supper  of  Gt)d,  because  he  prepares  it  by  the 
destruction  of  his  foes.  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter  upon  a  minute  explana- 
tion of  the  several  classes  of  these  foes  as  they  are  here  enumerated.  King? 
would  be  found  among  the  slain,  and  those  who  are  subordinate  to  kings, 
who  are  here  called  captains ;  mighty  warriors  would  be  stretched  upon  the 
field  of  battle,  beside  the  horses  upon  which  they  rode ;  the  blood  of  free- 
men and  of  slaves,  of  small  and  of  great,  would  be  mingled.  But  these 
slain  would  all  be  foes  of  God ;  they  would  all  be  of  the  number  of  those 
who  worshiped  the  beast  and  received  his  mark  in  their  foreheads.  To 
this  great  slaughter  the  angel  of  the  sun  invites  the  birds  of  prey.  The 
image  is  indeed  a  terrible  and  a  loathsome  one.  But  how  delicately  it  is 
presented  I  How  differently  it  would  have  been  handled  by  a  mere  human 
penman !  He  would  have  taken  us  out  to  the  field  of  battle:  he  would  have 
described  the  conflict,  the  charge  and  the  retreat ;  the  shouts  of  triumph 
and  the  groans  of  the  sufferiDg;  the  ghastly  heaps  of  slain  and  the  garments 
rolled  in  blood.  But  not  so  the  angel.  He  takes  all  this  for  granted,  and 
simply  calls  on  the  fowls  of  heaven  to  come  to  the  supper  which  has  been 
prepared  for  them.  Our  histories  are  full  of  descriptions  of  battles,  but 
no  description  equals  in  conciseness,  in  sublimity^  and  in  suggestivenesBy 


THS  riNAL  0ONQITE8T.  453 

the  one  contained  in  the  angel's  proclamation  to  the  fowls  that  fly  in  the 
midst  of  heaven,  "  to  come  and  gather  themselyes  together  unto  the  great 
sapper  of  Ood."  This  proclamation,  together  with  the  appearance  of  the 
great  conquerori  most  lead  us  to  expect  a  great  victory  and  a  terrible 
defhat.  And  as  we  will  see  in  the  sequel,  our  expectations  will  not  be  dis- 
appointed. The  last  obstacle  that  prevents  the  dawn  of  the  millennium 
morning  will  be  removed,  and  the  church,  under  its  glorious  King,  will  be 
triumphant. 

II.  Let  us  now  turn  to  the  results  or  this  qrbat  conflict,  of 
which  the  notes  of  preparation  have  been  so  long  echoing  in  our  cars.  In 
the  first  place,  we  have  once  more  presented  to  our  notice  the  opposing 
hosts.  "And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  their  armies 
gathered  together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sat  on  the  horse,  and 
against  his  army.*'  On  the  one  side  are  the  beast  and  his  armies.  The 
beast  has  become  a  familiar  symbol  to  us  in  our  exposition  of  the  Revelation. 
He  was  first  introduced  to  our  notice  in  chapter  13 : 1-8,  and  he  makes  his 
appearance  again  and  again,  till  the  present  vision,  when  he  is  finally  de- 
stroyed. In  chapter  XYII  this  symbol  of  the  beast  with  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns  is  explained  by  the  angel.  In  our  previous  lectures  we  made  it 
sufficiently  apparent  that  this  symbol  shadows  forth  the  great  anti-Ohristian 
power  of  Rome.  We  need  not  now  repeat  the  steps  by  which  we  were  led  to 
this  conclusion.  But  if  the  beast  is  the  symbol  of  the  anti-Christian  power 
of  Rome  in  the  visions  we  have  already  considered,  we  may  suppose  that 
it  is -the  symbol  of  the  same  power  in  the  present  vision.  It  therefore 
appears  that  in  the  conflict  which  is  here  described  the  an ti- Christian  power 
of  Rome  is  to  take  a  prominent  part  On  the  side  of  this  power  many  of 
the  kings  of  the  earth  will  take  their  places.  We  have  seen,  in  the  visions 
already  considered,  what  an  influence  this  power  would  have  upon  the  kings 
of  the  earth.  We  have  also  seen,  by  a  reference  to  history,  that  these  visions 
have  been  fulfilled  in  this  r^;ard  to  the  very  letter.  Rome  has  numbered 
the  mighdest  kings  among  her  humblest  servants.  In  this  decisive  battle, 
which  is  to  determine  the  destiny  of  the  world,  and  to  decide  the  question 
whether  Messiah  or  Antichrist  will  reign,  many  of  the  kings  of  the  earth 
will  arrange  themselves  on  the  side  of  that  power  they  have  been  sustain- 
ing, and  by  which  they  have  been  upheld.  Into  this  conflict  these  deluded 
kings  will  lead  their  armies ;  for  Rome  has  been,  and  is  yet,  not  only  the 
mistress  of  kings,  but  also  of  their  subjects.  It  is  humiliating  to  every 
lover  of  his  race  to  see  how  willingly  men  have  been  deceived  by  the  pre- 
tensions of  this  ecclesiastical  power,  how  ready  they  have  been  to  receive 
the  mark  of  the  beast,  and  how  cheerfully  they  have  devoted  their  property, 
their  service  and  their  lives  to  the  cause  they  have  espoused.  As  followers 
of  the  Lamb  we  may  well  learn  a  lesson  from  our  foes.     On  that  day  of 


454  LECTURE  LYIII. 

final  conflict,  a  great  army  which  no  man  can  number,  an  army  in  which 
king8>  and  statesmen,  and  philosophers,  and  sages,  and  heroes,  and  war- 
riors— ^men  whose  names  are  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  the  world's  history — 
as  well  as  those  who  are  unknown,  will  fight  on  the  side  of  the  beast.  These 
all  will  make  common  cause  against  the  true  religion.  They  will  stake  their 
all  on  the  issue  of  the  great  conflict. 

Now  let  us  turn  to  the  army  by  which  they  are  opposed.  These  all  will 
*'  gather  together  to  make  war  against  him  that  sits  on  the  horse,  and  against 
his  army."  We  have  so  recently  described  the  great  conqueror  and  the 
hosts  which  follow  him,  riding  on  white  horses,  that  this  description  must 
be  fresh  in  our  memory.  The  great  conqueror  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
he  who  is  reyealed  to  us  as  the  Captain  of  our  salvation,  who  has  led  his 
people  to  so  many  victories,  and  who  is  to  lead  his  people  to  the  glorious 
end.  His  hosts  are  the  holy  angels,  whose  l^ons  are  always  ready  to 
draw  their  glittering  swords  in  defense  of  their  king,  and  all  the  ransomed 
from  the  earth,  who  though  they  are  weak  in  themselves,  are  conquerors, 
and  more  than  conquerors,  through  him  that  loved  them. 

These  are  the  two  parties  in  this  conflict  On  the  one  side  the  beast  and 
his  army ;  on  the  other  side  Jesus  and  his  army.  If  we  compare  things 
which  are  yet  unseen  with  things  which  have  been  witnessed  on  earth,  it 
may  be  that  we  will  be  able  to  reach  some  proper  conception  of  this  sub- 
lime spectacle.  Who  has  not  felt  his  blood  boil  within  him  as  he  has  read 
of  the  armies  of  earth,  as  they  have  encamped  face  to  face  on  the  eve  of 
some  decisive  battle  ?  And  where,  in  all  history,  past,  present  or  to  oome, 
have  we  such  an  army  as  is  here  presented  to  our  imagination  ?  Do  we 
speak  of  generals  ?  Here  we  have  the  beast  and  the  Saviour.  Do  we  speak 
of  armies  ?  Here  we  have  armies  the  like  of  which  have  never  marched  on 
earth.  Do  we  speak  of  the  issues  at  stake  ?  Here  we  have  an  issue  without 
an  equal  and  without  a  parallel,  for  the  conflicting  chums  of  Christ  and 
Antichrist  are  now  to  be  decided.  Do  we  speak  of  battle  fields?  Here 
we  have  the  battle  field  of  Armageddon,  beside  which  all  other  battle  fields 
are  but  a  play  ground. 

When  we  remember  the  character  of  the  leaden  and  the  composition  of 
their  armies,  we  may  be  sure  on  which  side  the  victory  irill  rest.  But  we 
are  not  left  to  conjecture.  We  are  permitted  to  look  on  and  see  the  iosae. 
^^And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the  false  prophet  that  wrought 
miracles  befbre  him,  with  which  he  deceived  them  that  had  received  the 
mark  of  the  beast,  and  them  that  worshiped  his  image.  These  both  were 
cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire,  burning  with  brimstone."  The  leaders  of  the 
opposition  are  made  prisoners  of  war.  Of  the  leaders,  two  are  here  men- 
tioned. The  one  is  the  beast,  the  undoubticd  symbol  of  the  Papacy.  The 
other  is  the  false  prophet.  The  false  prophet  was  first  mentioned  in  chapter 
16 :  13.     The  symbol  was  then  explained  as  shadowing  forth  the  Moham* 


THE  FINAL  CONQUEST.  455 

medan  power,  and  I  see  no  reason  to  change  the  opinion  which  was  then 
expressed.  The  name  applies  to  that  power  better  than  to  any  other  that 
has  ever  appeared  in  the  world.  What  is  said  with  regard  to  the  false 
prophet  in  the  book  of  the  Revelation  i^ees  perfectly  with  the  history  of 
that  power.  It  appears,  from  the  words  under  consideration,  that  at  the  time 
referred  to,  the  beast  and  the  fake  prophet  would  be  united  in  their  oppo- 
sition to  Christ  and  his  kingdom.  Every  one  acquainted  with  the  past 
knows  that  they  have  been  thus  united  ;  every  one  who  is  acquainted  with 
the  present  knows  that  they  are  thus  united  now;  and  we  can  easily  believe 
that  when  the  day  of  the  great  conflict  comes,  these  life-long  friends  will 
stand  and  &I1  side  by  side. 

The  deceptions  which  these  great  systems  practiced  upon  the  children  of 
men  are  here  briefly  described.  They  wrought  miracles,  not  real  miracles, 
which  are  ever  the  evidence  of  the  divine  power  and  the  sign  of  the  divine 
fiivor,  but  pretended  miracles,  ^Mying  signs  and  wonders,"  as  inspiration 
calls  them.  They  deceived  men  not  only  by  the  miracles  which  they  pre- 
tended to  work,  but  also  by  their  false  teaching,  their  bold  assertions,  and 
their  usurped  power.  But  they  did  not  deceive  all  men.  If  it  had  been 
posmble,  they  would  have  deceived  the  very  elect,  but  this  was  not  possible ; 
for  those  who  are  kept  by  the  heavenly  Father  can  never  be  plucked  out  of 
his  hand.  All  those  who  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast,  that  is,  all 
those  who  yielded  obedience  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  by  which  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  beast  were  distinguished  from  other  men ;  and  all  those  who 
worshiped  his  image,  that  is,  all  those  who  obeyed  implicitly  the  decrees  of 
the  church  of  which  the  beast  is  the  symbol;  all  these  were  deceived.  But 
now  these  deceptions  were  at  an  end.  The  day  so  long  waited  for  had  come 
at  last.  The  beast  and  the  false  prophet  were  taken.  The  systems  of  which 
they  were  the  heads  were  overthrown.  Their  combination  against  Christian- 
ity was  brought  to  an  end.  For  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  is  the  figure 
under  consideration.  The  whole  representation  is  that  of  an  alliance  to  pre- 
vent the  spread  of  the  true  religion.  It  is  as  if  Papacy  and  Mohammedanism 
united  in  one  combined  org&nisation  to  overthrow  the  Messiah.  But  their 
organization,  powerful  though  it  was,  was  in  vain.  The  leaders,  as  we  have 
seen,  were  taken,  but  they  were  not  to  be  put  to  death  on  the  field  of  battle. 
They  were  reserved  for  a  more  fearful  death  than  a  sudden  death  by  the 
sword.  "These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire,  burning  with  brim- 
stone." Of  course  this  is  to  be  understood  figuratively  and  not  literally. 
And  though  this  figure  may  not  reveal  dearly  the  kind  of  punishment 
which  is  here  shadowed  forth,  it  does  reveal  the  fact  that  this  punishment 
will  be  terrible  and  overwhelming,  for  we  cannot  conceive  of  a  death  more 
horrible  than  that  which  is  here  shadowed  forth.  It  also  reveals  the  fact 
that  their  defeat  will  be  utter  and  complete,  for  from  that  lake  of  fire  there 
can  be  no  hope  of  escape. 


456  LECTURE  LVIII. 

It  mast  not  be  forgotten  that  in  the  last  conflict  here  described,  there  is 
a  third  leader.  In  chapter  XVI,  in  which  we  have  a  description  of  the 
hosts  mastering  for  the  battle  of  Armageddon,  we  are  told  that  '*  three 
unclean  spirits  like  frogs  came  oat  of  the  moath  of  the  dragon,  out  of  the 
month  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet."  In  the 
words  we  have  just  considered,  we  have  the  fate  of  the  beast  and  of  the 
false  prophet,  but  nothing  is  said  of  the  fate  of  the  dragon,  the  greatest  of 
the  three.  If  we  wbh  to  learn  his  fate  we  must  turn  to  the  opening  verses 
of  the  next  chapter,  which  should  not  have  been  separated  from  this  chapter. 
There  we  find  that  the  dragon  suffered  the  same  defeat,  and  was  visited 
with  the  same  punishment  which  befell  the  other  two.  *'And  I  saw  an 
angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit  and  a 
great  chain  in  his  hand.  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that  old  serpent, 
which  is  the  devil,  and  Satan,  and  bound  him  a  thousand  years,  and  cast 
him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him  up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him  that 
he  should  deceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be 
fulfilled/' 

So  far,  then,  as  the  three  leaders  in  this  combination  are  concerned,  there 
can  be  no  doubt.  They  are  overthrown  and  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  But 
how  is  it  with  regard  to  their  deceived  followers?  They,  too,  are  overthrown, 
but  they  are  punished  with  instant  death  on  the  battle  field.  "And  the 
remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon  the  horse,  which 
sword  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth ;  and  all  the  fowls  were  filled  with  their 
flesh."  The  idea  la  that  their  punishment,  though  terrible  beyond  com- 
prehension, is  far  less  terrible  than  that  which  befell  their  leaders;  for 
every  one  would  choose  to  die  in  the  excitement  of  the  battle  rather  than 
be  reserved  to  be  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire.  What  a  picture  of  carnage 
is  here  presented  to  our  imaginations!  The  mighty  word  of  the  Messiah, 
like  a  sharp  sword,  cuts  down  all  who  oppose  him.  As  on  the  night  on  which 
he  was  betrayed,  the  Roman  soldiers  fell  as  if  dead  when  he  spake,  so  on 
this  great  and  terrible  day,  all  will  fall  before  the  sword  which  proceedeth 
out  of  his  mouth,  and  the  fowls  of  heaven  will  gorge  themselves  with  the 
feast  to  which  they  were  invited  by  the  angel  of  the  aan. 

This  is  the  great  and  final  confiict  which  is  to  usher  in  the  morning  of 
the  millennium.  When  the  sixth  vial  was  poured  out,  we  saw  the  hosts 
mustering  for  this  conflict.  These  hosts  are  in  three  great  divisions.  The 
first  is  under  the  leadership  of  the  dragon ;  the  second  is  under  the  leader- 
ship of  the  beast;  the  third  is  under  the  leadership  of  the  false  prophet 
These  three  divisions  were  explained  to  be  Infidelity,  Papacy  and  Hoham* 
medanism.  It  was  shown  that  there  were  indications  in  the  signs  of  the 
times  that  these  great  enemies  to  Christianity  were  getting  ready  for  the 
coming  conflict,  in  which  the  fate  of  true  religion  was  to  be  decided. 
This  great  conflict  is  called  the  battle  of  Armageddon,  that  is,  the  battle 


THE  BINDING  OF  SATAN.  457 

of  the  hill  or  country  of  Megiddo,  a  little  town  on  the  edge  of  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon.  But  this  does  not  mean  that  the  battle  was  to  be  actaallj 
fought  at  M^ddo.  Megiddo  or  its  neighborhood  was  the  scene  of  some 
of  the  most  decisive  battles  in  Jewish  history.  Therefore  the  phrase,  "  the 
battle  of  Megiddo/'  would  be  understood  as  meaning  any  decisive  battle. 
The  Greek  might  say  of  any  decisive  moral  or  political  conflict,  "  It  was  a 
fidd  of  Marathon."  The  Englishman  might  say  of  such  a  conflict,  <*  It 
was  a  field  of  Waterloo."  A  citizen  of  the  United  States  might  say  of 
such  a  conflict,  '<  It  was  a  field  of  Gettysburg."  Just  so  one  familiar  with 
Jewish  histoiy  and  geography  might  say  of  such  a  conflict,  "  It  was  a  field 
of  Megiddo/'  In  either  case,  a  man  of  ordinary  intelligence  would  un- 
derstand the  meaning.  We  are,  then,  to  understand  the  sixth  vial  as 
pointing  to  a  moral  conflict  which  is  to  be  in  the  moral  world  what  Mara- 
thon, Waterloo,  Gettysburg  and  Megiddo  have  been  in  the  political  world. 


LECTURE    LIX, 


THE  BINDING  OF  SATAN. 

And  I  saw  an  angel  come  down  from  heaven,  having  the  key  of  the  bottom- 
less pit  and  a  great  chain  in  his  hand.  And  he  laid  hold  on  the  dragon,  that 
old  serpent,  which  is  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  and  hound  him  a  thousand  years, 
and  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him  up,  and  set  a  seal  upon  him, 
that  he  should  deceive  the  nations  no  more,  till  the  thousand  years  should  be 
fulfilled :  and  after  that  he  must  he  loosed  a  little  season. — Rev  .20 :  1-8. 

The  great  battle  of  Armageddon  is  now  drawing  to  a  close.  The  beast 
and  the  false  prophet  have  been  defeated  and  cast  into  a  lake  of  burning 
brimstone.  What  becomes  of  the  dragon,  the  greatest  of  the  three,  and 
of  the  spirit  of  infidelity  which  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth  ?  Did  they 
escape  the  general  overthrow  ?  or  were  they  involved  in  the  common  de- 
struction ?     These  questions  are  answered  in  the  verses  before  us. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  this  vision  is  not  an  easy  one  to  explain.  Per- 
haps no  explanation  is  entirely  free  fh>m  difficulties.  We  will  not  attempt 
to  mention  the  interpretations  which  have  been  suggested;  we  will  give 
only  the  one  which  seems  to  be  the  best  While  we  may  not  hope  that 
this  one  is  entirely  free  from  difficulties,  yet  it  is  accompanied  with  fewer 
difficulties  than  any  other.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  the  verses  under 
consideration  are  a  vision.  They  do  not  describe  actual  occurrences  which 
shall  take  place  on  the  earth ;  they  describe  certain  symbols  which  shadow 
forth  actual  occurrences  which  shall  take  place  on  the  earth.    Bemembering 


458  LECTURE  LIX. 

this,  let  UB  try  to  get  a  clear  idea  of  what  John  saw,  and  then  perhaps  we 
will  be  able  to  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  occurrences  which  these  symbols  were 
designed  to  shadow  forth. 

First  of  all,  John  saw  an  angel  coming  down  out  of  heaven.  Whether 
this  was  an  angel  who  had  taken  part  in  the  previous  vision,  we  are  not 
informed.  It  seems  probable  that  it  was  a  different  angel,  one  who  had 
not  before  appeared  upon  the  scene.  For  we  may  well  believe  that  those 
heavenly  beings,  who  clustered  around  the  Saviour  so  constantly  during 
his  earthly  pilgrimage,  and  who  have  so  much  to  do  in  ministering  to  the 
saints,  will  take  a  prominent  part  in  these  visions  which  uphold  the  future 
history  of  the  church.  This  angel,  whom  the  apostle  saw,  carried  in  his 
hand  *'  the  key  of  the  bottomless  pit,''  or  abyss;  that  is,  the  under  world, 
the  prison  house  of  the  wicked  dead.  This  nether  world  is  often  repre- 
sented as  a  dark  prison  inclosed  with  walls,  and  accessible  only  by  a  massive 
door.  This  door  is  safely  locked,  so  that  none  may  pass  in  or  out  without 
permission.  The  key  of  this  door,  so  we  are  told  in  the  first  chapter  of  this 
book,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  Saviour  himself;  he  has  the  keys  of  hades 
and  of  death.  But  on  the  present  occasion,  the  Saviour  had  entrusted 
the  key  to  the  hand  of  the  angel,  who,  as  we  will  see  in  the  sequel,  was 
commissioned  to  open  the  door  for  the  reception  of  another  prisoner. 

The  angel  also  carried  in  his  hand  a  *'  great  chain."  The  prisoner  whom 
he  was  to  arrest  was  one  of  great  power ;  and  in  order  to  secure  his  safe 
keeping,  he  must  not  only  be  under  lock  and  key,  he  must  also  be  bound 
with  a  chain ;  and  not  only  with  a  chain,  but  also  with  a  great  chain. 

We  are  not  left  in  doubt  as  to  the  prisoner  for  whose  arrest  these  prepara- 
tions are  made.  "  He  laid  hold  on  the  dragon."  This  dragon  is  no  new 
symbol  in  the  Apocalypse.  He  has  been  brought  to  our  notice  again  and 
again.  He  is  one  of  the  great  enemies  who  are  to  fight,  on  the  field  of 
Armageddon,  the  great  battle  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty.  Little  need  be 
said  of  the  meaning  of  the  names  by  which  he  is  here  called.  He  is  called 
"  the  dragon,"  on  account  of  the  fearful  form  in  which  he  appeared  in 
these  visions.  He  is  called  ''  the  old  serpent,"  in  allusion  to  his  first  appear- 
ance on  earth  after  the  advent  of  our  race,  when  in  the  form  of  a  serpent 
he  deceived  our  first  parents.  He  is  called  ^'  the  devil,"  because  he  is  the 
accuser  and  slanderer  of  the  brethren.  He  is  called  "  Satan,"  beeaose  he 
is  the  great  adversary  of  all  that  is  good.  In  regard  to  the  enumeration  of 
the  names  of  this  enemy  of  God,  some  one  has  said  that  it  reads  like  a 
modern  indictment,  in  which  special  care  is  taken  to  identify  thexxriminal 
by  a  sufficient  number  of  aliases.  The  angel  from  heaven,  who  has  the 
keys  of  the  prison  of  the  wicked  and  the  chain  with  which  to  bind  the 
prisoner,  arrests  the  dragon,  alias  the  old  serpent,  alias  the  devil,  alias 
Satan. 

This  prisoner  is  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  a  thousand  years.     It  b 


THE   BINDING  OF  SATAN.  459 

a  long  imprisoDment ;  but  after  all  it  is  only  a  part  of  the  punishment  which 
he  deserves,  and  which  he  will  receive.  When  the  thousand  years  are  ended; 
and  the  little  season  of  temporary  relief  has  passed,  there  will  be  an  imprison- 
ment which  shall  never  end.  There  are  but  three  ways  in  which  the  phrase, 
"a  thousand  years *'  can  be  understood.  It  may  mean  literally  a  thousand 
years,  nothing  more  and  nothing  less ;  or  it  may  be  understood  in  the 
prophetic  sense,  in  which  one  day  stands  for  a  year ;  it  would  then  mean 
three  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  years ;  or  it  may  be  understood  in  a 
figurative  sense,  as  describing  a  long  but  indefinite  period  of  time.  It  may 
be  impossible  to  determine  in  which  of  these  senses  the  phrase  is  used  in 
the  present  connection.  It  does,  however,  seem  unlikely  that  it  should  be 
used  in  the  literal  sense,  when  all  the  rest  of  the  language  of  the  vision 
must  be  understood  in  a  figurative  or  prophetic  sense.  We  are  therefore 
inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the  period  during  which  Satan  is  to  be  bound 
is  not  exactly  a  thousand  literal  years.  We  rather  regard  it  as  a  long  and 
indefinite  period;  for  in  this  sense  the  phrase  is  used  elsewhere  in  the 
Seriptores ;  as  for  example :  "  With  the  Lord  one  day  is  as  a  thousand 
years."  "A  thousand  years  in  thy  sight  are  as  yesterday  when  it  l»  past, 
and  as  a  watch  in  the  night."  But  as  we  will  have  occasion  to  speak  of  this 
thousand  years  more  particularly  by  and  by,  we  hasten  on  to  notice  the 
other  parts  of  the  vision.  ^ 

This  angel  who  came  down  from  heaven  not  only  arrested  the  great  ad- 
versary— he  also  '*  cast  him  into  the  bottomless  pit,  and  shut  him  up,  and 
set  a  seal  upon  him,"  or  rather  upon  it ;  for  the  reference  is  not  to  the 
prisoner,  but  to  the  door  of  the  prison.  It  was  a  common  thing  in  those 
ancient  tames,  after  the  door  of  the  prison  was  closed  and  locked,  to  place 
a  seal  upon  it.  This  was  done,  not  to  fasten  the  door  and  make  it  secure, 
for  it  was  already  fastened  and  secured  by  the  lock,  but  to  prevent  any 
unauthorised  intrusion.  When  a  seal  was  placed  upon  the  door,  the  open- 
ing of  ihe  door  would  break  the  seal ;  and  thus  the  fact  that  the  door  had 
been  opened  would  be  revealed.  We  have  examples  of  this  custom  in  the 
ease  of  the  seal  placed  upon  the  door  of  the  den  of  lions  into  which  Daniel 
was  east ;  and  also  in  the  seal  which  was  placed  upon  the  door  of  the 
lepoloher  in  which  our  Lord  was  buried.  The  abyss  has  been  the  place  of 
Satan's  confinement  ever  since  he  was  cast  out  of  heaven,  but  up  to  the 
present  time  he  has  not  been  kept  in  close  confinement.  God  has,  in  sov- 
ereign wisdom,  suffered  him  to  have  limited  liberty.  He  visited  the  garden 
of  Eden  and  tempted  our  first  parents  to  their  fall ;  he  visited  the  children 
of  Israel  and  led  them  into  many  a  sin.  He  visited  the  Saviour  during  the 
forty  days  in  the  wilderness, 'and  tried  in  vain  to  separate  between  the  eternal 
Son  and  the  eternal  Sire.  He  visits  the  hearts  and  homes  of  men  and  en- 
deavors with  his  cunning  and  experience  to  persuade  them  to  fidl  down  and 
worship  him.     As  it  was  from  the  beginning  so  it  is  now,  and  so  it  will  be 


460  LEOTURK  LIX. 

for  years  yet  to  oome.  Satan  walketh  about  like  a  roariDg  lioD,  seeking 
whom  be  may  devour.  But  at  the  time  referred  to  in  the  words  under 
consideration,  he  will  be  shut  up  in  the  abyss,  a  seal  will  be  put  upon  the 
door,  and  he  will  be  able  to  deceive  the  nations  no  more. 

This  imprisonment  is  not  to  be  a  final  one ;  it  is  to  last  for  a  thousand 
years,  whatever  may  be  the  period  shadowed  forth  by  this  phrase.  When 
the  thousand  years  are  ended  there  will  be  a  little  season  of  liberty,  during 
which  the  great  adversary  will  go  forth  once  more  and  gather  opposition 
to  King  Immanuel.  This  opposition  will  be  short  lived.  Satan  and  his 
hosts  will  be  defeated,  Gog  and  Magog  will  be  consumed  with  fire  ih>m 
heaven,  and  the  devil  that  deceived  the  nations  will  be  cast  into  the  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone,  and  Will  be  tormented  day  and  night,  for  ever  and  ever. 
But  of  this  little  season  of  liberty,  of  this  final  defeat,  and  of  this  unending 
punishment,  we  will  have  occasion  to  speak  hereafter. 

This,  then,  is  the  vision  which  occupies  our  attention  at  present.  Let  us 
get  it  clearly  before  our  minds.  A  mighty  angel  appears  with  a  key  and  a 
great  chain  in  his  hands.  He  arrests  and  binds  the  dragon,  who  is  impris- 
oned for  a  thousand  years  in  the  prison  house  of  the  abyss,  and  during 
those  thousand  yean  the  nations  of  the  world  have  rest  from  his  tempta- 
tions. And  now  the  questions  present  themselves  for  an  answer :  What 
were  these  symbols*-for  symbols  they  doubtless  are— designed  to  shadow 
forth  ?  What  will  be  the  condition  of  the  world  and  the  church  when 
these  things  are  fulfilled  ?  To  these  questions  we  will  now  attempt  an 
answer,  in  the  hope  that  our  attempt  will  not  be  entirely  in  vain. 

I.  With  regard  to  the  time  when  the  events  shadowed  forth  are  to  take 
place,  it  may  very  safely  be  said,  it  is  yet  future.  In  that  great  moral  oon- 
fiict,  which  is  called  the  battle  of  Armageddon,  there  are,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  three  foes  of  the  Lord,  who  are  in  succession  to  be  overthrown:  fixst. 
Papacy,  symbolized  by  the  beast ;  then  Mohammedanism,  symbolised  by 
the  false  prophet ;  after  all  this  the  dragon  is  to  be  overthrown.  But  Papaej 
and  Mohammedanism  have  not  yet  fiUed  up  the  measure  of  their  earthly 
life.  It  is  therefore  evident  that  the  events  symbolised  by  the  binding  of 
Eatan  are  yet  in  the  future.  How  far  they  are  in  the  future,  it  is  impoasible 
to  determine.  If  our  interpretation  of  previous  visions  is  oorrect,  and  if 
wc  have  been  able  rightly  to  understand  the  signs  of  the  times,  the  tenni- 
nation  of  the  power  of  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  is  not  very  remote. 
If  this  is  so,  we  are  living  on  the  eve  of  a  most  momentous  period  of  the 
world's  history.  When  the  anti-Christian  system  of  Borne  will  oome  to  a 
full  end,  and  when  the  light  of  the  crescent  will  go  out  for  ever  before  the 
increasing  light  of  the  sun  of  righteousness,  then  we  may  look  for  the  bind- 
ing of  Satan,  the  destruction  of  all  the  forms  of  infidelity,  of  which  he  is 
the  head,  and  the  beginning  of  that  thousand  years  of  peace  and  proeperitj 
which  will  resemble  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  a  sinless  Eden. 


THE  BINDING  OF  SATAN.  461 

II.  With  regard  to  the  duration  of  the  period  which  is  here 
shadowed  forth,  we  can  only  say  it  will  be  a  long  period.  It  is  said  to  be 
a  thousand  years.  This  is  the  period  which  in  religious  and  ecclesiastical 
literature  is  called  the  millennium ;  for  the  word  millennium  means  simply 
a  thousand  years.  And  it  is  alone  on  this  passage,  and  on  the  related  pas- 
sages in  this  chapter,  that  the  doctrine  of  the  millennium,  properly  so-called, 
rests.  It  is  true  that  the  Scriptures  are  filled  with  promises  and  predictions 
that  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  will  spread  over  all 
the  world  and  cover  all  the  lands ;  but  the  notion  of  the  millennium,  viz., 
that  this  is  to  be  in  and  for  the  space  of  a  thousand  years,  is  found  in  this 
paasage  alone.  It  may  appear  strange  that  a  doctrine  concerning  which  so 
much  has  been  written,  which  has  satisfied  so  many  hearts,  tod  which  has 
inspired  so .  many  hopes,  has  no  broader  foundation  than  one  passage  of 
Scripture.  But  certainly  one  passage  of  inspiration,  if  its  meaning  can  be 
dearly  ascertained,  is  sufficient  to  establish  any  doctrine.  Whatever  doubt 
there  may  be  about  the  passage  under  consideration,  this  much  is  plain  : 
Satan  is  to  be  bound  for  a  thousand  years.  But  when  it  is  asked  how  this 
expression,  ^'a  thousand  years,"  is  to  be  understood,  literally,  figuratively 
or  prophetically,  then  we  may  well  hesitate  and  confess  our  ignorance*  As 
has  been  said,  we  are  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  it  is.  to  be  understood 
figuratively;  that  is,  as  describing  a  long  but  indefinite  period  of  time.  The 
reasons  for  this  opinion  are  these :  It  does  not  seem  likely  that  it  would 
be  used  to  describe  a  literal  thousand  years,  for  all  the  other  expressions  in 
the  context  are  figurative,  and  we  would  naturally  suppose  that  this  would 
not  differ  from  the  others.  Nor  can  we  think  that  the  expression  is  used 
in  the  prophetic  sense,  in  which  every  day  represents  a  year ;  for  then  the 
period  represented  by  the  thousand  years  would  be  three  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  years.  Now,  during  the  thousand  years,  the  earth  is  to  be  the 
home  of  men,  all  war  is  to  cease,  all  satanio  influences  are  to  be  restrained. 
In  these  circumstances,  we  may  suppose  the  human  race  will  increase  with 
far  greater  rapidity  than  at  present.  If  so,  it  can  be  determined  with 
mathematical  certainty,  that  long  before  the  three  hundred  and  sixty  thou- 
sand years  are  ended,  the  earth  could  not  support  or  contain  the  inhabitants 
with  which  it  would  teemi  It  therefore  seems  evident  that  the  phrase,  ^*  a 
thousand  years,"  cannot  be  understood  in  a  prophetic  sense.  If  it  is  not 
understood  in  a  literal  or  prophetic  sense,  it  must  be  understood  in  a  figu- 
rative sense ;  that  is,  it  must  describe  a  long  but  indefinite  period  of  time, 
which  may  be  more  or  less  than  a  thousand  literal  years.  This  theory 
agrees  with  those  passages  of  Scripture  which  have  already  been  quoted. 

In  order  to  get  the  duration  of  this  period  firmly  fixed  in  our  minds,  let 
us  suppose  that  it  is  to  be  a  thousand  literal  years.  To  form  some  idea  of 
the  length  of  this  period,  we  have  only  to  suppose  ourselves  a  thousand 
years  back  in  the  history  of  the  world,  say  about  the  middle  of  the  ninth 


462  LKCTUBB  LIX. 

ceDtury.  What  progress  has  been  made  sinoe  then  !  What  changes  have 
been  wrought  I  What  improvements  have  been  accomplished !  How 
much  greater  will  be  the  progress,  and  the  changes,  and  the  improvements 
during  the  millennium  1  The  world,  so  to  speak,  will  have  a  better  start 
than  it  had  at  the  middle  of  the  ninth  century.  And  during  the  millen- 
nium, the  circumstances  in  favor  of  advancement  will  be  more  favorable 
than  they  have  been  in  the  past.  Satan  will  be  bound,  and  war,  intemper- 
ance, and  vice  of  every  kind  will  be  curbed.  However  great  the  progress 
the  world  has  made  in  the  past  thousand  years  of  its  histoiy,  it  will  make 
even  greater  progress  during  the  thousand  years  when  Satan  will  be  bound. 
Sven  if  there  are  no  special  interpositions  of  divine  providence,  we  must 
expect  greatef  progress  than  ever  before.  With  regard  to  the  accelerated 
progress  of  human  afiairs,  &s  the  world  grows  older,  permit  an  el^ant  and 
judicious  extract  fix>m  the  writings  of  Hugh  Miller,  that  prince  of  Chnstian 
geologistSi  *^  It  has  been  remarked  by  some  students  of  the  Apocalypse, 
that  the  course  of  the  predicted  events  at  first  move  slowly,  as,  one  after 
one,  six  of  the  seven  seals  are  opened ;  that,  on  the  opening  of  the  seventh 
seal,  the  progress  is  so  considerably  quickened  that  the  seventh  period 
proves  as  fertile  in  events,  represented  by  the  sounding  of  the  seven  trump- 
ets, as  the  foregoing  six  taken  together ;  and  that  on  the  sounding  of  the 
seventh  trumpet,  so  great  is  the  further  acceleration,  that  there  is  an  amount 
of  incident  condensed  in  this  seventh  part  of  the  second  period,  equal,  as 
in  the  former  case,  to  that  of  all  the  previous  six  parts  in  one.  There  are 
three  cycles,  it  has  been  said,  in  the  scheme,  cycle  within  cycle ;  the  second 
comprised  within  a  seventh  portion  of  the  first,  and  the  third  within  a 
seventh  portion  of  the  second.  Be  this  as  it  may,  we  may  at  least  see  some- 
thing that  resembles  it  in  that  actual  economy  of  change  and  revolution 
manifested  in  English  history  for  the  last  two  centuries.  It  would  seem 
as  if  events,  in  their  downward  course,  had  come  under  the  influence  of  that 
law  of  gravitation  through  which  falling  bodies  increase  in  speed  as  they 
descend,  according  to  the  squares  of  the  distances."  First  Impressions  of 
England,  pp.  7,  8. 

III.  We  must  notice  the  condition  of  the  world  during  this  mil- 
lennial period.  However,  on  this  point  we  will  not  now  speak  at  length, 
for  it  will  be  necessary  to  discuss  it  in  future  lectures.  In  order  to  under- 
stand the  condition  of  the  world  during  this  period,  we  must  remember 
what  has  been  shadowed  forth  in  the  visions  we  have  already  considered. 
Popery,  with  all  its  errors  in  doctrine  and  immorality  in  practice,  will  be 
brought  to  an  end.  Mohammedanum,  with  all  its  superstition  and  its  in- 
fluence for  evil,  will  be  destroyed.  In  addition  to  all  this,  Satan  will  be 
bound.  Of  course  this  does  not  mean  that  he  will  be  literally  bound  with 
a  literal  chain.     It  means  that  he  will  be  restrained  as  to  his  influence  and 


THE  BINDING  OF  SATAN.  463 

power.  Slavery,  war,  intemperance,  lust,  avarice,  infidelity,  and  aU  else 
which  oconrs  through  the  influence  of  Satan,  will  come  to  an  end.  How- 
ever, let  ue  not  mistake.  Though  all  satanic  influence  will  be  restrained, 
the  world  will  not  be  sinless.  There  will  be  no  change  in  the  character  of 
man  as  he  comes  into  the  world.  There  will  still  be  the  corrupt  and  ungodly 
passions  of  the  hmnaa  heart.  The  race  has  fallen,  and  though  Satan  will 
be  restrained,  this  restraint  will  not  cure  our  fallen  nature.  But  though 
the  world  will  not  be  sinless,  there  will  be  a  great  diminution  in  sin.  While 
all  the  sins  which  spring  from  our  inborn  corruption  will  remain,  all  those 
sins  which  spring  directly  from  the  influence  of  Satan  will  be  removed.  If 
we  remember  this,  it  will  not  appear  so  strange  that  Satan,  at  the  close  of 
the  thousand  years  will  be  able,  for  a  little  season,  to  exercise  something  of 
his  former  power  in  deceiving  the  nations. 

When  Satanic  influence  is  thus  restrained,  what  will  be  the  state  of  things 
in  this  world  of  ours  ?  For  an  answer  to  this  question,  we  must  go  back 
to  what  the  prophets  have  spoken  with  reference  to  it,  for  it  is  this  period, 
with  its  glories  and  its  joys,  which  has  stirred  the  prophets  of  the  Old 
Testament  to  speak  in  the  most  eloquent  strains.  Gathering  up  in  a  few 
sentences  what  they  have  told  us,. we  know  that  during  this  long  and 
indefinite  period,  which  we  call  the  millennium,  there  will  be  a  great  in- 
crease of  population.  When  war,  intemperance,  lust,  and  all  the  various 
passions  which  shorten  human  life  are  restrained,  it  is  easy  to  see  that  there 
will  be  a  rapid  growth  in  the  numbers  of  the  human  race.  There  will  be 
advancement  in  knowledge  and  in  all  that  adds  to  the  welfare  of  men.  The 
resources  of  nature  are  not  yet  exhausted.  Though  many  mines  have  been 
opened,  there  are  others  yet  to  be  discovered.  Though  the  art  of  printing, 
and  the  use  of  steam,  and  some  of  the  secrets  of  magnetism  have  been 
brought  to  light,  there  are  richer  treasures  in  nature  and  in  science  than  any 
which  have  been  delivered  up ;  and  they  will  be  delivered  up  for  human 
comfort  and  happiness  in  those  days  of  which  we  speak.  '  There  will  be 
cessation  from  the  bloody  conflicts  which  have  stained  the  plains  of  earth 
with  gore,  for  men  will  learn  war  no  more,  and  the  sword  will  be  beaten 
into  the  plow-share,  and  the  spear  into  the  pmning-hook.  There  will  be 
a  general  prevalence  of  true  religion.  The  Jews  will  be  brought  in,  together 
with  the  fnUness  of  the  Gentile  nations.  While  we  are  not  to  suppose  that 
the  whole  world  will  be  entirely  brought  under  the  power  of  the  gospel, 
and  that  every  individual  of  the  human  race  will  be  a  true  follower  of  the 
Lamb,  we  may  suppose  that  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  will  cover  the 
earth  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea,  and  that  the  church  of  Christ  will  be 
what  it  has  not  been,  the  predominant  power  in  the  world. 

This  we  believe  to  be  what  is  shadowed  forth  by  this  vision  of  the  bind- 
ing of  Satan.  After  Popery  and  Mohammedanism  are  destroyed,  Satan 
will  be  limited  and  restrained  in  his  influence.    Then^  during  that  long  and 


464  LECTURE   LX. 

indefinite  period,  which  is  here  said  to  continue  for  a  thousand  jeare,  and 
which  we  are  accustomed  to  call  the  millennium,  the  earth  will  enter  upon 
a  new  phase  of  its  existence.  Peace,  righteousness  and  true  religion  will 
prevail.  All  those  reforms  which  now  agitate  the  church  and  the  world, 
and  which  bring  together  some  of  the  ablest  minds  and  draw  out  some  of 
the  most  profound  thought  of  the  day,  will  be  accomplished.  Then  will 
be  brought  to  pass  the  saying  that  is  written,  "  The  kingdoms  of  this  worid 
are  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  of  his  Christ." 


LECTURE    LX. 


THE  MILLENNIUM. 

And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto 
them :  and  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus, 
and  for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshipped  the  beast,  neither  his 
image,  neither  had  received  his  mark  upon  their  foreheads,  or  in  their  hands  ; 
and  they  lived  and  reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years.  But  the  rest  of  the 
dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years  were  finished.  This  is  the  first 
resurrection. — Rev.  20:  4,  5, 

What  is  to  be  the  condition  of  the  world  during  the  millennium,  when 
Satan  is  bound  and  restrained  in  his  power  and  influence  ?  This  question 
is  answered  in  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture.  It  must  be  confessed  that 
this  passage  is  not  very  clear.  The  whole  book  is  made  up  of  symbols, 
but  of  all  the  symbols  in  the  Apocalypse,  none  are  more  dij£cult  to  under- 
stand than  the  ones  before  us.  It  becomes  every  expositor  not  to  express 
his  opinion  with  too  much  confidence. 

It  wiU  perhaps  assist  in  giving  clearness  to  our  exposition,  if  we  sketch 
briefly  the  two  main  theories  of  interpretation.  It  is  not  meant  that  there 
are  only  two  methods  of  interpreting  this  chapter ;  that  there  are  onfy  two 
theories  of  the  millennium.  There  are  many  theories,  but  they  are  all 
modifications  of  two  main  theories.  The  first  is  called  the  pre-miUennial 
theory  ;  that  is,  the  theory  that  the  second  coming  of  Christ  is  to  take  place 
at  the  beginning  of  the  thousand  years.  The  other  b  called  the  post-mil- 
lennial theory ;  that  is,  the  theory  that  the  second  coming  of  Christ  is  not 
to  take  place  till  after  the  thousand  years  are  ended.  These  two  theories 
have  lived  side  by  side  in  the  Christian  church  almost  from  the  beginning. 
Their  advocates  arc  pretty  equally  divided  in  number  and  in  influence.  If 
men  of  great  learning  and  piety  have  advocated  one  theory,  men  of  no  less 
learning  and  piety  have  advocated  the  other.  In  every  church  opinion  is 
divided.  It  would  be  difiicult  to  say  which  side  has  the  greater  weight  of 
authority. 


THE   MILLENNIUM.  465 

Those  who  maiiitain  the  first,  the  pre-millenial  theory,  are  called  pre- 
millenarians,  or  millenarians,  or  ohiliasts,  or  literalists,  or  adyentistv,  ac- 
cording to  the  way  in  which  they  modify  or  explain  the  general  theory  ; 
hat  they  all  belieye  that  after  Popery  and  Mohammedaoism  are  over- 
thrown, and  after  Satan  is  bound,  Christ  will  come,  and  that  the  coming  of 
Christ  will  mark  the  beginning  of  the  thousand  years  of  the  millennium. 
The  main  points  on  which  the  advocates  of  this  theory  agree  are  these : 

1.  They  believe  that  at  the  period  here  referred  to,  Christ  will  descend 
ftom  heaven  in  the  clouds,  and  that  he  will  reign  personally  on  the  earth. 

2.  They  believe  that  he  will  have  some  central  place  of  authority  and 
power,  which  will  be  the  earthly  capital  of  his  world-wide  dominion,  and 
that  this  capital  will  probably  be  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  8.  The  most  of 
them  believe  that  this  coming  of  Christ  will  be  signalized  by  the  conver- 
sion of  the  Jews,  and  by  their  return  to  the  land  of  their  fathers.  4.  They 
believe  that  immediately  on  the  coming  of  Christ  all  the  righteous  dead 
will  be  raised  in  their  immortal  bodies,  a  resurrection  which  is  called  the 
first  resurrection,  and  that  these  saints  will  be  partakers  with  the  Saviour 
in  the  government  of  the  world.  5.  They  believe  that  this  will  continue 
for  t&e  period  of  a  thousand  literal  years.  6.  They  believe  that  during 
this  period  the  world  will  be  converted,  not,  however,  by  the  gospel,  but 
by  a  new  dispensation  of  the  power  of  the  Son  of  Ood.  7.  They  believe 
that  at  the  close  of  this  thousand  years  the  rest  of  the  dead  will  be  raised, 
the  judgment  will  take  place,  and  the  affairs  of  this  world  will  be  brought 
to  their  final  consummation. 

The  other  theory  is  widely  different.     Let  us  try  to  get  it  also  firmly 
fixed  in  our  minds :     1.  Those  who  advocate  the  post-miUenial  theory  be- 
lieve that  after  Popery  and  Mohammedanism  are  overthrown,  and  after 
Satan  has  been  bound  and  restrained  in  his  influence  for  evil,  true  religion 
will  generally  prevail,  and  the  gospel  be  preached  throughout  the  world  ; 
that  while  the  world  will  not  absolutely  and  entirely  be  brought  under  the 
power  of  the  gospel,  and  every  individual  of  our  race  be  a  true  follower  of 
the  Lamb,  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  will  cover  the  earth,  and  the  church 
will  be  the  dominant  power  in  the  world ;  and  that  slavery,  war,  lust, 
avarice,  intemperance,  infidelity  and  all  kindred  evils  will  cease.     2.  They 
believe  that  this  will  continue  for  a  long  and  indefinite  period  of  time, 
which  may  be  more  or  less  than  a  thousand  literal  years.     3.  They  believe 
that  after  the  thousand  years  are  ended,  the  Saviour  will  come  in  the 
clouds  of  heaven.     4.  They  believe  that  then  all  the  dead,  small  and 
great,  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  will  be  raised  from  the  sleep  of  death 
and  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.     5.  They  believe  that  this 
will  be  the  consummation  of  the  affairs  of  this  world,  that  the  righteous 
will  then  enter  upon  the  joys  of  the  heavenly  state,  and  that  the  wicked 
will  be  driven  away  to  their  unending  punishment. 

30 


466  LEOTURK  LX. 

This  post-millenial  theory  we  believe  to  be  the  correct  one.  It  may 
be  that  there  are  difficulties  connected  with  it ;  it  may  be  that  some  pas- 
sages of  Scripture  are  hard  to  explain  on  this  theory ;  yet  there  are  fewer 
objections  to  it  than  to  the  other.  The  passage  before  us  is  the  principal 
one  which  is  relied  on  by  those  who  adyocate  the  doctrine  of  the  personal 
reign  of  Christ  for  a  thousand  literal  years.  Let  us,  then,  try  to  deter* 
mine  what  it  teaches.  Let  us  see  whether  it  teaches  that  the  coming  of 
Christ  will  be  before  or  after  the  thousand  years.  Let  us  discorer  whether 
it  is  in  harmony  with  the  pre-millenial  theory  or  with  the  post-millenial 
theory. 

First  of  all,  you  will  observe  that  nothing  whatever  is  said  of  the  com- 
ing of  Christ  at  the  beginning  of  this  millennial  period.  It  is  not  till  after 
the  thousand  years  are  ended,  and  aft^r  Satan's  brief  release  ftom  the 
prison  of  the  abyss,  that  we  are  told  of  the  advent  of  the  Great  Judge 
upon  the  scene.  Then  John  saw  ^^  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat 
on  it,  ftom  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away*"  Tou  will  also 
observe  that  nothing  whatever  is  here  said  of  the  personal  reign  of  Christ 
upon  the  earth  with  Jerusalem  as  his  capital.  You  will  observe  still 
further,  that  while  the  beginning  of  the  thousand  years  is  to  be  signal* 
ized  by  the  living  again  of  the  souls  of  the  martyrs,  yet  the  reeurrec* 
tion  of  the  dead  is  expressly  declared  to  take  place  at  a  later  period. 
When  the  thousand  years  are  ended  and  the  Judge  has  come,  ihen  ^'the 
sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and  heU  delivered  up 
the  dead  which  were  in  them.''  Surely  this  does  not  look  as  if  there  was 
to  be  a  literal  reign  of  Christ  with  the  saints  for  a  thousand  years  on  the 
earth.  And  if  the  passage  under  consideration  is  the  main  passage  by 
which  the  literal  reign  of  Christ  is  supported,  this  doctrine  does  not  seem 
to  have  a  very  stable  foundation. 

These  general  remarks  will  prepare  the  way  for  the  particular  exposi- 
tion upon  which  we  now  enter.  We  will  take  up  the  clauses  and  symbols, 
one  by  one,  and  endeavor  to  determine  their  meaningi  If  we  are  not  mis- 
taken, we  will  discover  that  these  clauses  and  symbols  harmonize  with  the 
post-millenial  theory,  whose  main  features  may  be  thus  stated:  true  re- 
ligion, no  longtf  hindered  by  Satan,  who  will  be  imprisoned  in  the  abyv, 
will  spread  over  the  whole  world  and  be  the  dominant  power  in  the  worid 
for  a  long  and  indefinite  period ;  at  the  close  of  this  period,  the  Saviour 
will  come,  according  to  his  promise,  in  the  clouds  of  heaven ;  then  the  dead 
will  be  raised  and  the  final  judgment  take  place. 

After  Satan  was  bound  and  cast  into  the  dark  prison  of  the  abyss,  there 
to  remain  in  close  confinement  till  the  time  of  his  temporary  releaaCy  John 
saw  '^  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto 
them/'  In  these  words,  three  different  but  connected  symbols  are  men- 
tioned, viz.,  thrones,  perwns  sitting  on  the  thrones,  and  judgment  given 


THK  MILLENNIUM.  467 

tinto  them.  The  first  of  these  symhols  is  easily  understood.  A  throne  is 
a  symbol  of  power  and  honor.  It  therefore  appears  that  during  the 
millennium  there  are  to  be  those  who  will  receive  power  and  honor ;  and 
there  are  to  be  many  such,  for  the  apostle  saw  ''  thrones." 

But  when  we  come  to  speak  of  the  second  symbol,  viz.,  the  persons  who 
sat  on  these  thrones  of  power  and  honor,  we  are  met  with  difficulty.  John 
does  not  tell  us  who  these  persons  were.  In  order  to  discover  who  they 
were,  we  must  compare  Scripture  with  Scripturei  Are  there  any  persons 
who  are  described  in  the  word  of  God  as  sitting  on  thrones  in  the  here- 
after ?  Listen  to  the  words  of  the  Saviour :  "  When  the  Son  of  man  shall 
sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory,  ye  also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones^  judg- 
ing the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  Listen  to  the  words  of  Paul:  "  Do  ye 
not  know  that  the  saints  shall  JTidge  the  world"  ?  Listen  to  the  words  of 
Peter,  who  describes  the  saints  as  "  a  royal  priesthood."  Listen  to  the 
words  of  John  in  the  opening  of  the  Apocalypse :  "  Unto  him  that  loved 
us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and 
priests  unto  Ood  and  his  Father,  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever." 
From  these  passages,  and  from  many  others  which  might  be  quoted,  it  is 
manifest  that  it  is  the  saints  who  in  the  glorious  future  are  to  sit  on  the 
thrones  of  power  and  honor.  When  the  second  symbol  is  thus  explained, 
the  third  one  is  easily  understood.  The  saints  are  not  only  to  sit  in  the 
place  of  kings,  they  are  to  be  kings.  Judgment,  that  is,  the  administra- 
tion of  justice,  is  to  be  committed  to  them. 

If  these  symbols  have  been  rightly  explained,  what  do  they  lead  us  to 
expect  ?  That  during  the  millennium,  the  saints  who  are  alive  on  the 
earth  will  occupy  places  of  honor  and  power.  Thus  far,  in  the  history  of 
the  world,  it  has  been  different.  The  saints  have  been  among  the  lowly. 
Not  many  great,  not  many  noble,  not  many  princes  have  been  called.  The 
godly  have  been  found,  not  on  thrones  and  in  palaces,  but  in  poverty  and 
in  persecution.  But  during  the  thousand  years,  all  this  will  be  changed. 
Then  there  will  be  thrones,  as  there  have  always  been,  but  on  these 
thrones  the  saints  will  sit  and  administer  justice  in  the  earth.  Imagina- 
tion fkirly  staggers  as  it  attempts  to  picture  this  condition  of  things,  and 
compares  it  with  the  present.  Ungodly  men  will  no  longer  bear  rule. 
Trickery,  bribeiy  and  corruption  will  no  longer  open  the  way  to  political 
preferment.  True  religion  will  be  found  in  kings'  palaces,  and  will  leaven 
the  whole  state.  The  higher  law  will  be  recognized  in  houses  of  Congress. 
Rulers  will  be  men  who  fear  God  and  hate  evil.  All  this  will  be  when 
the  thrones  of  power  and  honor  are  filled  with  the  saints  of  God.  And 
according  to  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  these  thrones  will  be  filled  with 
the  saints  of  Otod  during  the  millennial  period  of  which  we  speak.  This, 
then,  is  to  mark  the  beginning  of  the  figurative  thousand  yearSi  When 
Satan  is  bound  and  satanic  influence  is  restrained,  when  Christians  are 


468  LEOTUBE  LX. 

exalted  to  bear  rule  on  earth,  and  when  Christians  who  are  exalted  to  bear 
rale  will  carry  their  Christianity  with  them  into  their  official  actions,  we 
may  know  that  the  millennium  is  beginning  to  dawn. 

Bat  in  this  vision  John  saw  something  more  startling  than  thrones  and 
they  that  sat  upon  them,  and  something  much  harder  to  be  explained. 
"  I  saw  the  souls  of  them  that  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus  and 
for  the  word  of  God,  and  which  had  not  worshiped  the  beast,  neither  his 
image,  neither  had  received  his  mark  on  their  foreheads  or  in  their  hands." 
Thb  is  an  important  clause,  and  on  its  interpretation  depends,  in  no  small 
measure,  the  interpretation  of  the  whole  vision.  It  is  largely  on  this 
clause  that  the  pre-millenarians  found  that  doctrine  of  their  theory,  which 
asserts  that  the  bodies  of  the  saints  are  raised  at  the  beginning  of  the  mil- 
lennium, to  reign  literally  with  Christ  for  a  thousand  years.  But  you  will 
observe  that  not  all  the  saints  are  spoken  of ;  only  the  martyrs.  Nor  is  it 
said  that  the  martyrs  will  be  raised  from  the  dead ;  only  that  they  will 
live  and  reign  with  Christ.  Nor  is  anything  said  of  the  bodies  of  the 
martyrs ;  John  expressly  says  that  he  saw  their  souls.  Surely,  then,  there 
is  nothing  in  this  clause  which  points  to  a  literal  resurrection.  If  the 
doctrine  of  the  literal  resurrection  of  the  saints  at  the  beginning  of  the 
millennium  has  no  firmer  foundation  than  is  to  be  found  in  this  clause,  there 
is  little  on  which  it  can  be  based.  In  order  to  reach  the  trae  meaning  of 
the  clause,  we  must  first  determine  who  are  the  persons  here  referred  toi 
They  are  described  as  those  who  *'  were  beheaded  for  the  witness  of  Jesus 
and  for  the  word  of  God" ;  that  is,  they  are  those  who  were  put  to  death 
as  witnesses  for  Jesus,  and  on  account  of  their  adherence  to  the  teachings 
of  the  word  of  God.  In  other  words,  they  are  Christian  martyrs.  In 
the  next  place,  they  are  described  as  those  who  had  not  worshiped  the 
beast,  neither  his  image  ;  that  is,  they  were  those  who  had  remained  faith> 
ful  to  Christ  and  his  cause,  in  spite  of  all  the  allurements  of  Papacy,  and 
who  had  refused  to  worship  the  anti-Christian  power  of  Rome  notwith- 
standing all  the  persecutions  which  were  brought  upon  them.  These 
were  the  persons  whose  souls  John  saw  in  his  vision.  If  he  had  said  he 
saw  their  bodies,  we  would  at  once  suppose  that  they  had  been  nused  from 
the  dead,  and  that  they  were  again  alive  on  the  earth  ;  but  he  distinctly 
tells  us  that  he  saw  their  souls.  What  does  this  mean  ?  Without  any 
circumlocution,  the  meaning  seems  to  be  this :  those  who  are  alive  on  the 
earth  during  the  millennium  will  be  men  like  the  faithful  martyrs  of  the 
past.  They  will  be  as  faithful  to  Christ,  as  firm  in  their  adherence  to  the 
word  of  Otod,  and  as  holy  in  life,  as  those  who  once  sealed  their  testimony 
with  their  blood.  The  spirit  of  the  martyrs  will  be  the  spirit  of  those 
who  then  dwell  on  the  earth.  It  will  be  as  if  the  martyrs  had  come  to 
life  again,  and  had  taken  possession  of  the  world.  As  John  in  vision 
looked  upon  the  world  in  its  millennial  period,  he  saw  that  it  was  filled 


THE  MILLENNIUM.  469 

with  the  very  counterpart  of  the  martyrs :  that  is,  men  who  in  spirit,  and 
in  faith,  and  in  life  were  like  the  martyrs. 

He  saw,  moreoTer,  that  these  martyr-like  spirits  lived  and  reigned  with 
Christ ;  that  is,  they  were  exalted  to  share  the.  honors  and  triumphs  of 
their  glorious  King.  They  entered  upon  a  new  and  higher  life  ;  the  prin- 
ciples they  held  were  universally  acknowledged ;  and  they  were  honored 
as  if  they  reigned  with  Christ. 

This  is,  we  believe,  the  meaning  of  the  vision  in  which  John  saw  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs  living  again  on  the  earth.  There  is  to  be  a  resurrec- 
tion, a  revival  of  the  old  martyr  spirit.  Men  like  the  ancient  martyrs  are 
to  live  and  sit  upon  the  thrones  of  earth.  This  interpretation  of  the  word 
'Mive"  is  sustained  by  other  portions  of  Scripture.  Thus  Ezekiel  says, 
speaking  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  *^  Thus  saith  the  Lord  Ood,  I  will 
open  your  graves,  and  cause  you  to  come  up  out  of  your  graves,  and  ye 
shall  live."  Thus  Hosea  says,  speaking  of  a  similar  revival,  "  After  two 
days  he  will  revive  us,  and  we  shall  live  in  his  sight."  Thus  in  the  para- 
ble of  the  prodigal  son,  it  is  said,  *^  Thy  brother  was  dead  and  is  alive 
again."  Thus  in  this  book  it  is  said  of  the  reviving  of  the  two  witnesses, 
'*  After  three  days  and  a  half  the  spirit  of  life  entered  into  them,  and  they 
stood  upon  their  feet."  This  interpretation  of  the  word  "live,"  is  also 
sustained  by  the  common  use  of  language.  John  Huss,  one  of  the  earlier 
martyrs  of  the  faith,  speaking  of  himself,  of  his  death,  and  of  the  future 
triumph  of  the  principles  he  preached,  made  use  of  this  striking  language: 
"  But  I,  awaking  from  the  dead,  and  arising,  so  to  speak,  from  my  grave, 
shall  live  with  great  joy."  In  a  similar  strain  one  of  the  popes  speaks  : 
'  The  heretics  Huss  and  Jerome,  are  now  alive  again  in  the  person  of 
Martin  Luther."  But  enough  has  been  said  on  this  point.  Internal  evi- 
dence, other  passages  of  Scripture,  and  the  common  use  of  language  lead 
us  to  the  conclusion  that  this  verse  was  designed  to  teach  us  that  during 
the  millennial  period  of  the  world's  history,  men  like  the  martyrs  would 
again  live  on  the  earth  and  be  exalted  to  places  of  honor  and  power  as  if 
they  reigned  with  Christ. 

Does  the  rest  of  the  vision  harmonize  with  this  conclusion  ?  We  are 
told  that  'Hhe  rest  of  the  dead  lived  not  again  until  the  thousand  years 
were  finished."  It  is  obvious  that  "  the  rest  of  the  dead"  are  contrasted 
with  the  martyrs  referred  to  in  the  previous  verse.  Therefore,  the  rest  of 
tiie  dead  would  be  the  wicked,  those  who  had  not  been  faithful  to  Christ 
and  to  the  word  of  Qod.  And  if  the  living  again  of  the  martyrs  shadowed 
forth  the  fact  that  saintly  men  were  to  live  on  the  earth  during  the  mil- 
lennium, then  the  assertion  that  the  rest  of  the  dead  would  not  live  till 
the  end  of  the  thousand  years,  would  shadow  forth  the  fact  that  wicked 
men  were  not  to  live  on  the  earth  during  the  millennium.  In  other  words, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  during  that  period  would  be  men  like  the 


I 


470  LECTURE  LX. 

ancient  Christian  martyrs,  and  not  like  the  rest  of  the  dead.  When  the 
thousand  years  are  ended,  and  Satan  is  set  free  from  his  imprisonment, 
wickedness  and  wicked  men  would  again  appear  on  the  earth  for  a  little 
season.  It  is,  however,  worthy  of  remark,  that  in  the  Sinaitic  manuscript, 
that  most  ancient  manuscript  of  this  book,  and  in  some  of  the  oldest  versions, 
the  clause  we  are  now  considering  does  not  appear ;  and  while  it  does  ap- 
pear in  some  of  the  manuscripts  and  versions^  the  readings  vary.  Some  of 
the  best  critics  have  rejected  this  clause  as  forming  no  part  of  the  inspired 
Scriptures.  If  it  is  a  part  of  the  inspired  Scriptures,  its  explanation  is 
that  which  has  been  given. 

The  words,  '<  this  is  the  first  resurrection,''  refer  not  to  the  living  again 
of  the  rest  of  the  dead,  but  to  the  living  again^of  the  martyrs.  This  re- 
vival of  Christianity  on  the  earth  during  the  millennial  period  may  weU  be 
called  a  i*esurrection.  By  nature  men  are  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  and 
when  they  are  brought  out  of  this  state  of  spiritual  death  it  is  a  resurrec- 
tion. It  may  well  be  called  the  first  resurrection,  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  general  resurrection  which  is  to  take  place  on  the  morning  of  the  day 
of  judgment,  when  all  the  dead,  small  and  great,  are  to  be  brought  from 
their  graves  to  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ.  These  two 
resurrections  are  described  and  contrasted  in  many  places  in  the  Scriptures. 
In  John  5 :  25,  the  Saviour  says,  speaking  of  the  first,  the  spiritual 
resurrection,  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  the  hour  is  coming,  and  now 
is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  Ood ;  and  they  that 
hear  shall  live."  In  the  same  connection,  speaking  of  the  second,  the  lit- 
eral resurrection,  the  Saviour  says,  "  The  hour  is  coming  in  the  which  all 
that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice  and  shall  come  forth,  they  that 
have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  they  that  have  done  evil 
unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation."  Of  a  similar  import  is  the  language 
which  the  Saviour  addressed  to  the  mourning  Martha.  *'  I  am  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life  j  he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall 
he  live ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall  never  die."  Surely, 
then,  it  is  in  accordance  with  Scripture  usage  to  understand  the  words, 
^Hhe  first  resurrection/'  as  describing  that  wonderful  spiritual  revival 
which  is  to  take  place  at  the  beginning  of  the  millennium,  when  the  in- 
habitants of  the  earth,  through  divine  grace,  will  resemble  the  fiuthful  mar- 
tyrs of  the  olden  time,  and  not  their  fellow  men  who  rejected  the  Saviour 
and  persecuted  the  saints. 


THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN.  471 


LECTURE    LXI. 


THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAX. 

Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection  :  on  such  the 
second  death  hath  no  power,  but  tney  shall  be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand  yean.  And  when  the  thousand  years  are 
expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison,  and  shall  go  out  to  deceive 
the  nations  which  are  in  the  four  qimrters  of  the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to 
gather  them  to  battle :  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea.  And 
they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and  compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints 
about,  and  tne  beloved  city  :  and  flre  came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and 
devoured  them.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them  was  cast  into  the  lake  of 
flre  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are,  and  shall  be  tor- 
mented day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever. — Rev.  20 :  6-10. 

We  are  in  the  midst  of  the  inspired  description  of  the  millennial  period 
of  the  world's  history.  As  John  thought  that  the  time  was  coming  when 
this  description  woold  become  an  actual  fact,  it  is  no  wonder  that  he  should 
cry  out  in  holy  joy,  **  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first 
resurrection."  The  meaning  of  the  first  resurrection  was  explained  in  the 
last  lecture.  It  is  that  wonderful  revival  of  true  religion  which  will  be 
during  the  millennium,  when  men  will  be  brought  out  of  their  state  of  spir- 
itual death  into  newness  of  life.  Those  who  live  during  that  period  and 
are  permitted  to  have  part  in  that  spiritual  resurrection  may  well  be  pro- 
nounced blessed ;  their  condition  may  well  be  regarded  as  happy  and 
fiivored.  Many  who  have  lived  on  the  earth  may  be  called  blessed.  Those 
were  blessed  who  stood  around  smoking  Sinai,  with  the  marvelous  events 
of  Egypt  and  the  Ked  sea  yet  fresh  in  their  memory,  and  saw  the  mighty 
manifestations  of  the  power  and  presence  of  their  God.  They  were 
blessed  who  lived  in  Israel  during  the  reigns  of  David  and  Solomon,  who 
were  a  part  of  the  ancient  church  during  the  days  of  its  greatest  pros- 
perity, and  who  were  worshipers  in  the  ancient  temple  while  it  was  in  a 
peculiar  sense  the  earthly  dwelling  place  of  the  heavenly  Father.  They 
were  blessed  who  lived  on  the  earth  during  the  days  of  the  incarnation, 
who  stood  at  the  feet  of  the  man  of  Nasareth,  saw  his  miracles,  and  heard 
his  words.  But  they  will  be  especially  blessed,  blessed  beyond  men  of  any 
previous  generation,  who  will  live  on  earth  during  that  period  when  Satan 
will  be  bound,  when  the  saints  wiU  bear  rule,  when  the  inhabitants  of  the 
earth  will  be  men  like  the  ancient  martyrs,  and  when  the  church  will  be 
the  dominant  power  in  the  world. 

Those  who  live  then  will  not  only  be  blessed,  they  will  also  be  "holy" ;  for 
as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  as  it  is  now,  so  will  it  be  to  the  end ;  blessed- 
ness and  holiness  are  inseparably  connected.  One  great  characteristic  of 
the  millennium  will  be  holiness.     Holy  systems  will  then  triumph ;  holy 


472  LEOTURB   LXI. 

principlea  will  then  prevail ;  holy  lives  will  then  be  the  rale  and  not  the 
exception.  Wicked  men  now  occupy  prominent  place,  bat  "  blessed  and 
holy  id  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resurrection.'' 

We  are  not  left  in  doubt  as  to  the  reason  of  this  blessedness.  Three 
reasons  are  assigned,  either  of  which  is  sufficient  to  fill  the  immortal  soul 
with  the  serenity  of  holy  joy.  In  the  first  place,  on  such  as  have  part  in 
the  first  resurrection,  *'  the  second  death  hath  no  power."  The  second  death, 
what  is  it  7  We  know  what  the  first  death  is ;  at  least  we  know  something 
of  the  signs  of  its  approach,  its  agony  and  its  results.  We  have  stood  too  often 
beside  the  dying  and  the  dead,  we  have  looked  too  often  into  the  open  grave 
waiting  to  hide  our  kindred  from  our  sight,  to  need  any  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion, what  is  the  first  death  ?  But  what  is  the  second  death  ?  It  is  a  death 
which  is  spoken  of  under  this  name  only  in  the  Revelation.  In  chapter 
2:11,  the  promise  to  him  that  overcometh  is,  **  He  shall  not  be  hurt  of 
the  second  death."  In  chapter  20  :  14,  it  is  said,  as  marking  the  final  con- 
summation of  all  things  earthly,  *'  Death  and  hades  were  cast  into  the  lake 
of  fire.  This  is  the  second  death."  With  still  greater  plainness  it  is  said, 
chapter  21 : 8,  when  describing  the  eternal  destiny  of  the  ungodly,  "  But 
the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  murderers,  and 
whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their 
part  in  the  lake  which  bumeth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the 
second  death."  In  the  light  of  these  passages,  we  can  have  no  difficulty 
in  answering  the  question,  what  is  the  second  death  ?  It  is  the  everlast- 
ing punishment  of  the  wicked.  That  man  on  whom  the  second  death  has 
no  power,  who  knows  that  the  second  death  has  no  power  over  him,  and  who 
stands  in  no  fear  of  eternal  punishment,  may  well  be  counted  blessed. 
This  will  be  the  happy  condition  of  those  who  live  during  the  millennial 
period.  The  second  reason  of  their  happiness  is  this:  ''They  dhall  be 
priests  of  Otod  and  of  Christ."  To  be  a  priest  of  God  is  to  be  direotly 
engaged  in  his  service  and  worship.  This  will  be  the  condition  of  those 
who  are  permitted  to  enjoy  the  blessedness  of  the  millennial  period.  This 
worship  and  service  of  God  must  fill  the  holy  soul  with  happiness.  The 
third  reason  of  their  happiness  is  this :  ^'  They  shall  reign  with  him  a 
thousand  years."  Of  the  honor  and  authority  which  this  expression  de- 
scribes, and  of  the  period  during  which  it  is  to  last,  we  have  already 
fipoken ;  and  what  has  been  said  need  not  now  be  repeated.  Since  theae 
things  are  so,  the  apostle  may  well  say,  and  in  this  saying  he  sums  up  the 
happiness  of  the  millennium,  *^  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the 
first  resurrection  :  on  such  the  second  death  hath  no  power,  but  they  shall 
be  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  shall  reign  with  him  a  thousand  yeais.'* 

And  now,  we  might  think  that  all  things  were  in  readiness  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  Son  of  man.  Such  a  state  of  things  as  we  have  described  as 
existing  on  the  earth  would  easily  merge  into  the  glory  of  heaven.     Indeed 


THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN.  473 

tbe  prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  speak  as  if  there  was  to  be  no  interval 
between  the  millennium  and  the  heavenly  state ;  but  it  appears,  from  the 
subject  of  the  present  lecture,  that  there  is  to  be  an  interval  in  which  Satan 
is  to  be  loosed,  and  other  wonderful  events  are  to  take  place.  ''And  when 
the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Satan  shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison." 
Why  the  prophets  did  not  speak  of  this  interval  and  its  wonderftil  events, 
we  do  not  know ;  but  to  them,  on  account  of  the  long  distance  over  which 
their  vision  had  to  reach,  events  that  were  widely  separated  may  have 
seemed  close  together.  To  a  traveler,  the  mountains  on  the  distant  horiion, 
rising  one  above  the  other,  seem  so  near  that  a  stone  might  be  tossed  from 
one  to  another,  but  when  at  last  he  stands  upon  the  summit  of  the  first 
range,  he  discovers  that  there  are  wide  valleys  and  extended  plains  to 
cross  before  he  can  reach  the  summit  of  the  next  range.  So  it  may  have 
seemed  to  the  prophets^who  lived  in  the  long  ago,  that  the  events  of  which 
they  speak  were  neighbors  in  point  of  time,  but  as  we  draw  near  those 
predicted  events,  we  find  that  there  are  chasms  and  intervals,  of  which 
those  who  lived  at  a  more  remote  period  never  dreamed.  Between  the 
millennium  and  the  heavenly  glory  there  is  to  be  an  interval  of  which  the 
prophets  did  not  write,  and  of  which  we  would  not  have  known,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  passage  before  us.  How  long  this  interval  is  to  continue, 
we  do  not  know.  However,  as  it  appears  from  verse  3,  it  is  to  be  only  for 
'*  a  little  season.''  It  is  to  be  a  little  season,  when  compared  with  the  un- 
ending strAch  of  uninterrupted  happiness  which  will  be  beyond  it.  It 
is  to  be  a  little  season,  when  compared  with  the  millennial  period  of  the 
thousand  figurative  years  which  will  precede  it.  But  when  we  have  said 
this,  we  have  expressed  the  full  measure  of  our  knowledge,  for  the  only 
hint  of  the  duration  of  this  interval  is  in  these  words :  ''After  that  he 
must  be  loosed  a  little  season." 

The  great  event  which  is  to  distinguish  this  interval  is  the  loosing  of 
Satan.  For  a  thousand  years  he  will  be  kept  in  the  close  confinement  of 
the  prison  of  the- abyss.  He  will  be  restrained  in  his  power  and  infiuence* 
The  various  forms  of  evils  which  come  through  his  direct  temptations  will 
be  held  in  check.  But  after  the  thousand  years  have  expired,  ailer  the 
world  has  enjoyed  a  long  period  of  rest  from  his  assaults,  he  will  be  let 
loose.  His  power  and  infiuence  will  again  be  felt  Infidelity  will  again 
make  headway  on  the  earth.  What  particular  form  his  opposition  to 
Christ  and  his  kingdom  will  take,  we  do  not  know.  It  will  not  be  the 
form  of  Mohammedanism,  for  that  will  be  destroyed ;  it  will  not  be  the 
form  of  Romanism,  for  that  will  be  destroyed ;  perhaps  it  will  be  some  new 
form  of  infidelity  to  which  the  world  is  as  yet  a  stranger.  But  whatever 
form  his  opposition  takes,  it  will  be  so  extensive  and  powerful,  that  nothing 
but  the  direct  interposition  of  the  power  of  Ood  will  be  able  to  deliver  the 
church  from  the  impending  danger.     If  it  should  be  asked,  why  will  Ood 


474  LEOTU&E  LXI. 

permit  the  world,  whicli  has  for  a  thousand  years  enjoyed  the  blessedness 
of  the  millennium,  to  be  exposed  again  to  Satanic  influence  ?  we  can  only 
say,  ^'Even  so,  Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  thy  sight."  But  if  we 
might  be  permitted  to  offer  a  conjecture,  it  will  be  to  show  the  world  once 
more  the  power  of  its  enemy  and  the  still  greater  power  of  its  God.  For 
a  thousand  years  Satan  will  be  almost  forgotten.  His  name  will  no  longer 
be  upon  the  tongues  of  men.  The  memory  of  his  influence  will  hde 
away  from  the  human  mind.  Men  will  almost  forget  that  such  a  being  as 
Satan  exists.  To  remind  them  of  the  power  of  this  enemy^  and  of  the 
love  of  Ood  who  deUvered  them  from  this  enemy,  Satan  is,  in  infinite 
wisdom,  loosed  out  of  his  prison  for  a  little  season. 

The  next  thing  which  is  brought  to  our  attention  in  this  vision  is  the 
condition  of  the  world  during  the  period  of  Satan's  temporary  release. 
"  He  shall  go  out  to  deceive  the  nations  which  are  in  the  four  quarters  of 
the  earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  together  to  battle :  the  number 
of  whom  is  as  the  sand  of  the  sea."  For  a  time  Satan  is  to  act  in  his  true 
character  and  to  deceive  the  nations.  In  what  way  he  is  to  do  this,  we 
are  not  informed,  but  we  may  suppose  that  under  his  influence  there  will 
be  revived  opposition  to  Christianity,  that  spiritual  declension  and  infidelity 
will  prevail,  and  possibly  that  some  new  form  of  false  reli^on  will  spread 
over  the  earth.  This  new  and  temporary  outbreak  of  wickedness,  what- 
ever form  it  may  assume,  will  be  wide-spread.  It  will  extend  over  the 
whole  earth.  In  ancient  times,  and  sometimes  even  yet,  Ae  earth  is 
spoken  of  as  a  great  plain,  divided  into  four  parts  or  quarters :  the  North, 
South,  East  and  West.  Therefore  it  is  implied,  in  the  language  under  con- 
sideration, that  the  deception  of  Satan  will  not  be  confined  to  one  particu- 
lar location  ;  it  will  reach  out  towards  the  North  and  South,' and  East  and 
West,  till  it  operates  in  all  the  four  comers  of  the  earth. 

This  new  attack  of  Satan  on  the  church  is  described  under  the  figure  of 
an  invasion.  Such  a  figure  every  Jew  would  understand,  for  the  land  of 
their  fathers  had  often  been  invaded,  and  of  such  invasions  their  prophets 
had  often  spoken.  The  imagery  of  thb  spiritual  invasion  is  taken  from  an 
actual  invasion  which  was  predicted  by  Esekiel  38 : 1-23.  In  that  diap- 
ter  Magog  is  the  name  of  a  people,  and  Gog  is  the  name  of  its  king.  It 
is  not  necessary  to  enter  into  any  explanation  of  this  prophecy  of  Esekiel, 
and  to  show  how  and  when  it  was  fulfilled.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  say, 
that  expositors  are  generally  agreed  that  Gog  and  Magog  describe  a  nation 
of  northern  barbarians,  whose  home  was  beyond  the  Caucasian  range  of 
mountains,  and  who,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  overran  and  devastated 
the  fertile  plains  of  the  south.  Josephus  supposes  that  the  Scythians  are 
the  nation  referred  to  under  the  name  of  Gt)g  and  Magog,  and.  his  suppo- 
sition is  almost  universally  regarded  as  correct.  In  the  passage  before  us, 
the  apostle  John  borrows  the  imagery  which  Ezekiel  uses,  to  describe  the 


THE  LOOSING  OF   SATAN.  475 

final  assault  of  Satan  upon  the  church.  As  Gog  and  the  assembled  hosts 
of  Magog  came  against  Palestine  and  Jerusalem,  so  Satan  and  his  assem- 
bled hosts  would  come  against  the  church  in  the  latter  days.  This  great 
enemy  of  the  Saviour  and  his  kingdom  would  go  through  the  four  comers 
of  the  earth  and  gather  his  forces  for  the  spiritual  battle.  And  he  would 
be  wonderfully  successful,  for  the  number  of  his  followers  would  be  as  the 
sand  of  the  sea,  an  expression  so  often  used  in  Scripture  and  in  common 
oonyensation  to  describe  a  great  multitude,  that  we  have  almost  ceased  to 
regard  it  as  a  figure  of  speech. 

The  onward  march  of  this  invading  army  is  set  before  us  in  few  but 
graphic  words.  ''And  they  went  up  on  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and 
compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  the  beloved  city  ;  and  fire 
eame  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them."  If  we  keep  in 
mind  the  figure  as  already  explained,  these  words  will  be  easily  understood. 
The  church  is  described  as  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  is  here  caUed 
*'  the  beloved  city,"  and  the  members  of  that  church  are  described  as 
saintly  warriors  who  are  encamped  around  the  city  to  defend  it  from  every 
foe.  Against  this  city  and  its  faithful  defenders,  the  hosts  of  Gog  and 
Magog  are  marching.  So  numerous  are  they  that  they  seem  to  spread 
over  all  the  land  and  to  encompass  the  cit^  and  the  camp  on  every  side. 
Permit  me  to  say  again  that  this  description  is  not  to  be  understood  liter- 
ally. We  are  not  to  suppose  that  a  literal  war  or  a  literal  siege  of  Jeru- 
salem is  here  described.  This  chapter  is  made  up  of  symbols,  and  the 
verse  under  consideration  must  be  regarded  as  symbolical  like  the  rest 
The  same  principles  of  interpretation  must  be  applied  to  all  parts  of  the 
chapter  and  to  all  parts  of  the  book.  K  so,  the  meaning  obviously  is  that 
the  church  is  to  be  Attacked  with  enemies  on  every  side,  who  will  be  under 
the  leadership  of  Satan,  and  who  will  come  up  against  the  church  as  Gog 
and  Magog  came  up  against  Jerusalem  in  the  olden  time. 

The  danger  to  which  the  church  is  exposed  is  very  great.  Thdre  seems 
to  be  no  earthly  hope  of  escape ;  but  strange  to  say,  the  saints  do  not,  on 
this  occasion,  have  to  strike  a  single  blow  on  their  own  behalf.  All  they 
have  to  do  is  to  stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  their  God,  ^'  Fire 
came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  and  devoured  them.''  Spiritual  Gog 
and  Magog  will  be  destroyed  as  if  fire  came  down  from  heaven  as  it  did 
on  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Their  destruction  will  be  sudden,  certain  and 
complete.  What  means  will  be  employed  to  accomplbh  this  destruction  is 
not  revealed ;  time  alone  can  disclose  them.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know 
that  when  the  day  here  referred  to  shall  come,  the  divine  power  will  some- 
how be  exerted  for  the  triumph  of  the  church  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
church's  enemies. 

And  then  Satan,  who  has  had  from  the  beginning  so  much  to  do  in  hu- 
man afiiiirs,  will  be  consigned  to  the  prison  house  of  the  abyss  without 


476  LBOTXnBlB  LXII. 

hope  of  release.  *'And  the  devil  that  deceived  them  was  cast  into  the 
lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  are,  and 
shall  be  tormented  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever."  We  are  told,  chap- 
ter 19 :  20,  that  afler  the  battle  of  Armageddon  the  beast  and  the  false 
prophet  are  to  be  oast  alive  into  a  lake  burning  with  fire  and  brimstone. 
So  now  after  the  battle  of  Oog  and  Magog,  Satan,  the  greatest  of  the 
three  foes  of  the  church,  will  be  consigned  to  the  same  punishment.  As 
the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  and  Satan  were  one  in  their  oppontion 
to  Christ,  so  they  will  be  one  in  their  suffering.  The  same  lake 
of  fire  and  brimstone  will  be  their  eternal  home.  Their  punishment 
will  be  sore,  for  Ood  is  just.  To  give  us  some  idea  of  its  severity,  it  is 
said  to  be  a  "  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone."  To  give  us  a  still  greater 
idea  of  its  severity,  it  is  said  to  be  '*  day  and  night  for  ever  and  ever." 
This  description  is  beyond  our  power  to  conceive.  We  can  conceive,  in 
some  measure,  the  agony  of  a  human  body  circled  and  blistered  with 
raging  flames,  when  that  agony  is  borne  for  a  few  moments  and  then  iis 
relieved  by  the  unconsciousness  of  death ;  but  the  agony  that  knows  no 
relief,  day  or  night,  till  the  remotest  end  of  eternity,  is  too  high  for  us  to 
understand.  When  the  words  of  this  prophecy  are  fulfilled,  all  the 
enemies  of  the  church  will  be  destroyed ;  there  will  be  no  more  combina- 
tions  against  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  the  gospel  will  triumph,  and  eveiy- 
thing  will  be  prepared  for  the  coming  of  the  Saviour  and  the  final  consum- 
mation. 


LECTURE    LXII. 


THE  PINAL  JUDGMENT. 

And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the 
earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away ;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them.  And 
I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God;  and  the  books  were 
opened  :  and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life  :  and  the  dead 
were  Judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to 
their  worKS.  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and 
hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them  :  and  they  were  judeed  every 
man  according  to  their  works.  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of 
Are.  This  is  the  second  death.  And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the 
book  of  life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. — Ret.  20  :  11-16. 

.  Whilv  it  ifl  true  that  the  history  of  our  world  has  for  the  most  put 
run  an  even  course,  yet  every  now  and  then  there  have  been  events  of 
sublimity  and  terror.  When  God  spake  and  it  was  done,  when  he  oom- 
manded  and  it  stood  fast,  when  the  world  and  all  that  it  contains,  ?rith  man 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  477 

as  the  lord  of  all,  were  called  into  being  by  the  word  of  the  Creator,  it  was 
sublime.  When  the  waters  of  the  deluge  swept  over  yalley,  plain  and 
mountain,  when  the  whole  world  seemed  to  be  an  ocean  without  a  shore, 
when  the  fiery  rain  from  heaven  burned  up  the  oities  of  the  plain  and 
their  sinfnl  inhabitants,  there  were  days  of  terror.  When  Jesus  bowed 
his  head  on  the  cross  and  gave  up  the  ghost,  when  the  sepuloher  of  his 
burial  was  opened  and  he  came  forth,  when  with  hands  outstretched  in  the 
attitude  of  kindly  benediction  he  ascended  to  heaven  from  the  summit  of 
Olivet,  it  was  sublime  far  above  our  ability  to  conceive.  But  there  is  an 
event  yet  future,  which  in  sublimity  and  terror  is  to  eclipse  anything  the 
world  has  yet  known.  That  event  is  the  final  judgment,  when  all  men, 
small  and  great,  are  to  stand  before  the  bar  of  God  and  be  judged  accord- 
ing to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  With  this  event  we  are  now,  in  our 
exposition,  brought  face  to  face.  All  things  are  in  readiness  for  the  final 
judgment.  To  help  in  giving  clearness  to  the  thoughts  which  will  be  pre- 
sented, we  will  notice  in  their  order  the  following  points :  the  time  of  the 
judgment;  the  person  of  the  judge ;  the  multitudes  who  are  to  be  judged ; 
the  manner  of  the  judgment  ]  the  destruction  of  death  and  hades,  and  the 
punishment  of  the  wicked. 

L  The  first  point  to  be  noticed  is  the  time  of  the  judgment. 
When  are  the  events  described  in  the  verses  before  us  to  take  place  ? 
This  is  a  question  to  which  only  a  relative  answer  can  be  given.  No  one 
can  say  just  how  many  years  and  days  will  elapse  before  the  thrones  will 
be  set  and  the  books  will  be  opened.  The  word  of  God  has  purposely  con- 
cealed this  knowledge.  "  Of  this  day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  but  only 
the  Father  in  heaven."  All  predictions,  therefore,  which  would  fix  the 
exact  time  for  the  day  of  judgment,  and  they  have  been  many,  are  in 
vain.  But  though  we  may  not  fix  the  exact  time,  we  may,  if  our  inter- 
pretation of  the  previous  visions  is  correct,  fix  the  order  of  events.  Eo- 
manism  and  Mohammedanism  must  first  be  destroyed ;  then  the  millen- 
nium, with  its  binding  of  Satan  and  its  prevalence  of  happiness  and  holi- 
ness, must  come  and  continue  for  a  long  and  indefinite  period  of  time, 
which  may  be  more  or  less  than  a  thousand  literal  years ;  then  Satan  must 
be  loosed  for  a  little  season,  make  his  final  attack  upon  the  New  Testament 
church,  as  Gog  gathered  the  hosts  of  Magog  against  the  Old  Testa- 
ment church,  and  be  defeated  and  imprisoned  for  ever;  and  then 
the  next  great  event  in  the  history  of  the  world  will  be  the  coming 
of  Christ  for  judgment.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  many  things 
remain  to  be  done  before  the  dead,  small  and  great,  shall  stand  before 
God.  Let  it  not  be  said  that  this  doctrine  leads  to  carelessness  of 
life.  As  the  day  of  death  will  be  to  every  individual  in  effect  the  same  as 
the  day  of  judgment,  and  as  the  day  of  death  may  come  at  any  moment. 


478  LEOTURB  LXII. 

eTery  man  Blionld  live  as  watchfully  and  as  prayerfiilly  as  if  he  might  at 
any  honr  hear  the  trumpet  of  the  angel.  Though  we  may  not  be  able  to 
say  just  how  many  years  will  pass  away  before  the  day  of  judgment  will 
dawn,  yet  we  know  that  it  will  dawn,  that  no  one  living  or  dead  will  be 
able  to  hide  himself  in  that  dread  hour,  and  that  the  day  of  judgment  is 
the  yestibule  through  which  we  must  all  pass  to  enter  either  the  happiness 
of  heaven  or  the  miseiy  of  the  lost,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken 
it.  Instead  of  disturbing  ourselves  with  vain  speculations  as  to  the  time  of 
the  day  of  judgment;  let  us  plant  ourselves  upon  the  certainty  of  its 
coming,  let  us  be  diligent  in  every  Christian  duty,  let  us  gird  up  the  loins 
of  our  minds,  and  let  us  be  always  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  we  think 
not  the  Son  of  man  will  come,  if  not  in  judgment,  at  least  in  death. 

II.  The  next  point  to  be  noticed  is  the  person  of  the  judge  as  he  is 
set  before  us  in  the  words,  '^I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  upon 
it,  irom  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fied  away."  The  scene  which 
is  here  described  is  that  which  will  occur  at  the  Saviour's  second  advent. 
With  the  Saviour's  first  advent,  that  is,  his  coming  in  human  form  to  save 
his  people  from  their  sins,  we  are  familiar.  Of  this  coming  the  prophets 
and  the  evangelists  wrote.  We  know  how  he  was  bom,  how  he  lived, 
and  how  he  died.  This  same  Saviour  is  to  come  again  the  second  time. 
Though  we  may  not  be  as  familiar  with  his  second  coming  as  we  are  with 
his  first,  we  should  be,  for  th^  Scriptures  are  foil  of  it.  Job  spake  of  it 
when  he  said, ''  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand 
at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth."  The  Psalmist  spake  of  it  when  he  said, 
'^  He  Cometh  to  judge  the  earth ;  he  shall  judge  the  world  with  righteous- 
ness and  the  people  with  truth."  The  Saviour,  during  the  time  of  his  first 
advent,  spake  of  it  again  and  again.  'fThe  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the 
glory  of  his  Father  with  his  angels ;  and  then  shall  he  reward  every  man 
according  to  his  works."  "As  the  lightning  oometh  out  of  the  east  and 
shineth  even  unto  the  west,  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man 
be."  *'The  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  power  and 
great  glory."  "  1  will  come  again  and  receive  you  to  myself."  ''When  the 
Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then 
shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory."  The  holy  angels  spake  of  it 
when  they  said  to  the  sorrowing  disciples  on  Olivet, ''  This  same  Jesus,  who 
is  taken  from  you  unto  heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  bave 
seen  him  go  into  heaven."  The  apostles  spake  of  it  when  they  used  such 
language  as  this:  ''The  Lord  himself  shall  descend  fVom  heaven  with  a 
shout,  with  the  voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  Qod."  ''For 
yourselves  know  perfectly  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  oometh  as  a  thief  in 
the  night."  "The  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  his 
mighty  angels  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know  not 


THE  FINAL  JITDGMENT.  479 

God|  and  ihat  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' '  "  Behold, 
he  oometh  with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  they  also  which 
pierced  him."  The  glorified  Redeemer  speaks  of  this  coming  when  he  says, 
in  the  closing  words  of  inspiration,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly;  and  my  reward 
is  with  me,  to  give  to  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be."  Gathering 
up  the  truth  taught  in  these  passages,  and  many  parallel  passages  which 
mi^t  be  quoted,  we  may  know  that  the  second  advent  of  Christ  will  be  at 
the  end  of  the  world,  just  before  the  judgment ;  tihat  it  will  be  glorious 
beyond  comparison ;  that  it  will  be  accompanied  by  a  mighty  army  of  the 
angels ;  that  it  will  be  sudden,  like  the  coming  of  a  thief  in  the  night ; 
that  it  will  be  startling,  for  all  men  shall  see  it  from  one  end  of  the  world 
to  the  other ;  that  it  will  be  from  heaven ;  that  it  will  be  in  a  chariot  of 
clouds,  and  that  in  many  respects  it  will  be  similar  to  his  ascension  from 
the  summit  of  Olivet. 

These  truths,  or  at  least  some  of  them,  are  plainly  brought  out  in  the 
verse  under  consideration:  The  Son  of  man,  when  he  comes,  will  sit  on  a 
great  white  throne  which  elsewhere  is  called  the  "  throne  of  his  glory."  It 
is  a  great  throne — that  is,  high  and  elevated ;  it  is  a  white  throne — that 
is,  shining  and  splendid.  It  is  a  throne  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  glorious 
person  who  sits  upon  it ;  for  he  that  sat  upon  it  was  glorious.  The  apostle 
does  not  attempt  to  describe  the  glory  of  the  Son  of  man,  but  he  gives  us 
some  idea  of  that  glory  by  describing  the  effect  which  it  seemed  to  have 
upon  creation.  Just  as  the  morning  stars  seem  to  &de  away  before  the 
rising  of  the  sun,  so  the  heavens  and  the  earth  seemed  to  fade  away  before 
the  coming  of  Christ.  The  splendor  of  his  appearance  was  so  great  that 
everything  else  was  eclipsed  by  its  brightness.  Those  who  were  looking  on 
could  see  nothing  but  the  throne  and  him  that  sat  upon  it.  This,  then,  is 
the  Judge,  and  this  the  gloiy  of  his  appearing.  The  Judge  is  the  Lord 
Jesus,  fi^r  ''we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ."  The 
glory  of  his  second  appearing  is  far  greater  than  that  which  attended  his 
first  appearing,  for  he  "  shall  descend  irom  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the 
voice  of  the  archangel;  and  with  the  trump  of  God." 

III.  Ths  persons  to  be  judged  are  described  in  these  words:  ''I 
saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God."  ''And  the  sea  gave  up 
the  dead  which  were  in  it ;  and  death  and  hell,"  that  is,  the  grave,  "  de- 
livered up  the  dead  which  were  in  them."  All  the  dead,  small  and  great, 
will  on  that  day  stand  before  the  throne  of  God.  None  of  earth's  mightiest 
kings  will  be  so  great  as  to  be  excused ;  none  of  earth's  poorest  beggars 
will  be  so  poor  as  to  be  forgotten.  The  expression,  "  small  and  great,"  like 
the  similar  expressions,  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  ^ee,  has  a 
universal  meaning  which  includes  the  whole  race.  Here  we  have  incidental 
proof  that  the  exposition  of  the  resurrection  spoken  of  in  verse  4  is  correct 


480  LEGTU&E  LXII. 

That  resarrection  oannot  describe  the  literal  resurrection  of  the  martyis,  for 
the  martyrs  must  be  included  in  the  '*  small  and  great  **  who  are  to  be 
raised  at  the  time  of  the  second  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  Therefore, 
the  resurrection  of  the  martyrs  must  be  a  figurative  resurrection. 

To  this  gathering  before  the  throne  of  Ood,  the  dead  will  come  from  all 
the  places  in  which  they  have  been  sleeping.  The  sea  will  giye  up  its  dead. 
Those  who  were  drowned  in  the  deluge ;  the  hosts  of  Egypt  that  were 
overwhelmed  in  the  pursuit  of  Israel ;  those  who  have  gone  down  in  the 
many  naval  combats  which  have  tinged  the  seas  with  blood ;  the  gallant 
sailors  who  have  been  swallowed  up  in  countless  shipwrecks ;  those  who 
have  died  &r  from  home  and  from  country,  and  have  been  buried  in  watery 
graves,  will  come  up  from  their  deep  burial  to  appear  at  the  judgment. 
Those  who  have  found  burial  in  all  lands,  as  well  as  those  who  have  found 
burial  in  all  seas,  will  come  forth,  for  death  and  the.  grave,  as  well  as  the 
sea,  are  to  give  up  their  dead ;  the  pyramids  of  Egypt  will  be  overthrown, 
and  the  long  line  of  Pharaohs  will  come  forth  ;  the  stones  will  be  rolled 
away  from  the  doors  of  all  the  sepulchers  of  Palestine,  and  patriarch,  and 
prophet,  and  priest,  and  king,  and  the  thousands  over  whom  they  ruled, 
will  appear ;  the  catacombs  of  Rome  will  be  opened  to  the  day,  and  the 
idol  worshiper  and  the  Christian  martyr  will  stand  side  by  side ;  the  ceme- 
teries of  Christendom  will  be  crowded  with  the  throng  of  those  who  have 
been  laid,  one  by  one,  with  many  tears,  in  the  house  appointed  for  all  the 
living ;  those  who  have  been  buried  in  unknown  graves  on  th^  battle  field, 
or  in  the  snows  of  the  north,  or  in  the  barren  plains  of  the  south,  will  not 
be  overlooked ;  kings  and  their  subjects,  the  young  and  the  old,  the  rich 
and  the  poor,  saints  and  sinners,  all  will  hear  the  resurrection  trumpet,  and 
will  march  with  angel  music  to  the  skies.  And  we  will  be  there.  No  matter 
where  we  may  be  buried ;  no  matter  how  many  summers  the  grass  may  have 
grown  green  over  our  heads ;  no  matter  how  long  our  names  may  have  been 
fogotten  among  men,  we  will  be  there ;  for  all  the  dead,  small  and  great, 
are  to  stand  before  Ood. 

But  the  living :  what  of  them  ?  For  there  will  be  those  who  will  be 
alive  on  the  earth  at  the  coming  of  Christ  In  the  present  passage  nothing 
is  said  of  them  and  of  the  part  they  are  to  take  in  the  proceedings  of  that 
day.  But  we  are  not  lefl  in  ignorance,  for  the  apostle  Paul  is  full  and 
clear  on  this  point.  "  We  which  are  alive  and  remain  unto  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  shall  not  prevent  them  which  are  asleep."  '^We  which  are 
alive  and  remain  shall  be  caught  up  together  in  the  clouds  to  meet  the 
Lord  in  the  air:  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  What  a  gathering 
this  will  be  1  Then  for  the  first  time  will  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
united.  Then  will  all  the  human  race,  from  Adam  to  his  youngest  son,  be 
in  one  congregation.  Then,  most  solemn  thought  of  all,  we  will  appear 
before  the  throne  to  be  judged.     These  are  the  persons  to  be  judged :  all 


THE  FINAL  JUDGMENT.  481 

the  dead  and  all  the  liying ;  for  we  must  all,  without  exoeption  and  without 
favor,  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ. 

lY.  The  manner  of  the  judgment  is  thus  described :  ''The  books 
were  opened ;  and  another  book  was  opened,  which  b  the  book  of  life ;  and 
the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books, 
aocording  to  their  works."  ''They  were  judged,  every  man  according  to 
their  works."  The  imagery  here  is  taken  in  part  from  a  court  of  justice. 
The  judge  sits  upon  the  throne ;  all  the  children  of  Adam's  fallen  race 
appear  for  trial ;  all  that  they  have  done,  or  thought,  or  said,  has  been 
recorded  by  the  unerring  pen  of  Omniscience;'  these  books  of  record  are 
now  opened,  and  men  are  judged  according  to  the  things  which  are  written 
in  them.  These  books  are  many.  There  is  the  book  of  memory ;  there  is 
the  book  of  conscience ;  there  is  the  book  of  divine  law ;  there  is  the 
book  of  God's  remembrance ;  and  best  of  all,  there  is  the  book  here  called 
''  the  book  of  life,"  and  in  another  place, ''  the  Lamb*s  book  of  life/'  in 
which  are  written  the  names  of  those  who  are  the  children  of  God  and  the 
heirs  of  the  Saviour's  kingdom.  Those  whose  names  are  written  in  this 
book  have  nothing  to  fear.  It  may  be  that  the  books  here  spoken  of  are 
not  only  the  books  in  which  are  recorded  the  deeds  of  men's  lives,  but  also 
the  books  in  which  are  recorded  t^e  laws  by  which  men  are  to  be  judged ; 
for  all  will  not  be  judged  by  the  same  law.  We  are  told,  on  the  highest 
authority,  that  those  who  have  sinned  without  law  will  be  judged  without 
laWy  and  that  those  who  have  sinned  by  the  law  will  be  judged  by  the  law. 
The  heathen  who  had  only  the  law  of  nature,  and  not  the  law  of  revelation, 
will  be  judged  by  the  law  of  nature,  and  will  be  condemned  by  that  law, 
"  because  when  they  knew  God  they  glorified  him  not  as  God,  neither  were 
thank^l."  The  Jews  who  had  the  law  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  not  the 
law  of  the  New,  will  be  judged  by  that  law  and  will  be  condemned  by  that 
law,  if  they  have  rejected  the  Messiah  whom  that  law  reveals.  Christians 
who  have  the  completed  gospel  will  be  judged  by  that  law  and  condemned 
by  that  law,  if  they  have  not  believed  on  the  name  of  the  Son  of  God.  It 
is  a  plainly  revealed  principle  of  the  divine  government,  that  responsibility  is 
in  proportion  to  privilege.  "  From  those  to  whom  much  is  given  much  will 
be  required."  It  is  this  principle  which  gives  emphasis  to  the  declaration 
of  the  Saviour,  and  which  makes  it  so  terrible  to  every  hearer  of  the  gos- 
pel. It  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon,  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah, 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  you. 

This,  then,  is  the  manner  of  the  judgment.  On  that  day  all  human 
lives  will  be  revealed.  Secret  thoughts  will  be  brought  to  light.  Words 
long  foigotten  will  be  forced  upon  the  memory.  Actions  which  were  con- 
cealed from  dearest  friends  will  be  unfolded  in  the  presence  of  all.    If  they 

have  been  good,  they  will  be  witnesses  for  our  acquittal ;  if  they  have  been 

31 


482  LECTUBE  LXIL 

evii,  they  will  be  witnesses  for  our  condemnation.  This  &ct  ib  repealed  not 
onlj  in  the  passage  under  consideration,  but  in  many  others  in  the  in- 
spired Scriptures.  In  the  Saviour^s  description  of  the  judgment,  the  Judge 
is  made  to  say,  *'  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me."  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.''  Paul  says,  in  his  descrip- 
tion of  the  judgment,  "  We  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of 
Christ,  that  every  one  may  reoeive  the  things  done  in  the  body  according 
to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad."  These  passages  should 
not  be  misunderstood.  They  do  not  teach  that  we  will  be  acquitted  be- 
cause our  deeds  are  good,  or  condemned  because  our  deeds  are  evil,  but 
that  our  deeds,  whether  they  are  good  or  evil,  will  be  witnesses  for  us  or 
against  us.  We  will  be  acquitted,  if  acquitted  at  all,  solely  because  of  our 
union  with  Christ  by  faith ;  but  blessed  is  that  man  who  lives  so  watch- 
fully and  holily,  that  he  will  on  that  day  have  the  witness  of  holy  works  ; 
for  of  such  it  is  said,  *'  Blessed  are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth ;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and 
their  works  do  follow  them."  Blessed  is  that  man  who  fills  up  the  book 
of  his  life  with  a  record  of  loving  thoughts,  and  words,  and  deeds,  for  when 
he  is  dead  he  will  be  judged  out  of  the  things  which  are  written  in  this 
book. 

y.  The  next  point  to  be  noticed  is  the  destruction  of  death  and 
THE  grave.  ''  And  death  and  hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This 
is  the  second  death."  The  second  death  was  explained  in  the  last  lecture. 
It  is  the  eternal  punishment  of  the  wicked  in  the  lake  of  fire.  The  word 
which  in  the  first  clause  of  the  verse  is  translated  "hell "  is  hades,  a  word 
which  does  not  refer  to  the  place  of  punishment,  but  to  the  grave  or  the 
realm  of  departed  spirits.  The  best  explanation  of  the  first  clause  of  the 
verse  is  to  be  found  in  the  language  of  Paul :  "  the  last  enemy  that  shall 
be  destroyed  is  death"  ;  that  is,  after  the  time  here  spoken  of,  death  and 
the  grave  will  be  no  more.  Then  there  will  be  no  more  dying,  no  more 
mourners  going  about  our  streets,  and  no  more  graves  to  which  weeping 
friends  make  tearful  pilgrimages.  The  inhabitants  of  the  New  Jerusalem  will 
not  have  occasion  to  say  "  I  am  sick,"  and  ''  Gt)d  will  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes."  Then  the  long  reign  of  death  will  be  ended.  When  this 
will  be,  the  consummation  of  all  things  will  have  come,  for  "  the  last  enemy 
that  shall  be  destroyed  is  death." 

VI.  The  last  point  to  be  noticed  is  the  punishment  or  the  wiokeb. 
"  And  whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  oast  into 
the  lake  of  fire."  In  view  of  what  has  been  said,  these  words  require  no 
explanation.    The  whole  human  family  will  be  divided  into  two   di 


THE  NEW   HEAVEN   AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.  483 

those  whose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life,  and  those  whose  names 
are  not  written  in  the  book  of  life.  The  latter  will  be  cast  into  ihe  lake 
of  fire,  that  place  of  torment  of  which  the  word  of  God  affords  ns  now 
and  then  a  glimpse.  Those  wbose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life 
Ttrill,  as  we  a^e  told  again  and  again  in  the  Scriptures,  inherit  the  kingdom 
prepared  for  them  from  before  tbe  foundation  of  the  world,  and  everlasting 
joy  will  be  upon  their  heads.  In  the  concluding  verses  of  this  chapter  we 
hare  described  only  the  destruction  of  the  former.  The  following  chap- 
ters open  the  gates  of  heaven,  carry  us  into  that  better  land,  and  permit 
as  to  see  something  of  the  employments  and  happiness  of  the  followers  of 
the  Lamb.  These  themes  will  be  considered  in  future  lectures^  in  the  hope 
that  our  souls  will  have  less  fear  of  death  and  greater  longing  for  the  rest 
that  remaineth  for  the  people  of  Gbd.  But  we  do  well  to  remember  that 
before  we  can  enter  that  rest,  we  must  pass  through  the  scenes  of  judg- 
ment. That  day  will  be  the  most  solemn  and  eventful  of  our  histoiy. 
Then  for  the  first  time  we  will  see  6od  face  to  face.  Then  we  will  be  on 
our  final  trial.  If  we  were  to  meet  Ood  on  some  lonely  mountain  as  Moses 
and  Blijah  met  him,  our  souls  would  be  full  of  dread  at  the  thought  of  the 
approaching  meeting.  Surely,  then,  it  becomes  us  to  hear  the  warning, 
"  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,  O  Israel,''  and  so  to  heed  that  warning,  that 
when  it  is  ours  in  the  by  and  by  to  stand  together  before  the  judgment 
seat  of  Christ,  we  may  hear  the  words,  blessed  beyond  all  comparison, 
"  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servantSi  enter  ye  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord." 


LECTURE    LXIII. 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH. 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth :  for  the  first  heaven  and  the  first 
earth  were  passed  away ;  and  there  was  no  more  sea. — Bet.  21 :  1. 

We  enter  now  upon  a  great  calm,  which  is  in  striking  and  beautiful 
contrast  with  the  stirring  scenes  through  which  our  previous  expositions 
have  led  us.  We  have  been  tossed  upon  stormy  seas,  we  have  been 
buffeted  with  swelling  waves,  deep  unto  deep  has  been  calling  at  the  noise 
of  God's  water-spouts  ;  but  the  omnipotent  voice  has  spoken,  the  seas  are 
still,  the  waves  are  hushed,  and  the  deep  sleeps  in  unbroken  peace.  We 
have  followed  the  church,  tempest-driven  and  tossed ;  sometimes  it  seemed 
about  to  be  broken  in  pieces  on  the  rocks,  sometimes  about  to  be  en- 
gulphed  in  the  billows,  sometimes  about  to  be  forsaken  by  all  the  gallant 
mariners  who  had  guided  its  course  and  trimmed  its  sails ;  but  just  when 


484  LECTUBE  LXIII. 

we  were  about  to  resign  all  hope  and  give  way  to  despair,  it  unexpectedly 
enters  the  heavenly  harbor  and  is  safe  for  ever  more.  We  have  followed 
the  saints  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  their  earthly  pilgrimage;  we  have 
seen  them  surrounded  by  bitter  enemies,  defeated  in  many  battles,  perse- 
cuted unto  death  ;  we  have  heard  them  cry  out  in  their  agony ;  we  have 
seen  the  mighty  systems  of  error  arrayed  against  them  and  triumphing 
over  them ;  we  have  seen  them  reduced  in  numbers  until  there  were  barely 
enough  left  on  earth  to  keep  alive  a  testimony  for  God  and  for  truth ;  but 
now  we  see  them,  their  battles  all  over,  their  victories  all  won,  their  ene- 
mies all  defeated,  their  numbers  so  increased  that  they  have  become  a 
mighty  multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  crowned  and  robed  in  glory, 
resting  and  reigning  in  the  unbroken  peace  of  the  celestial  country.  Our 
attention  has  been  directed  to  the  city  of  mystical  Babylon,  with  walls 
which  seemed  impregnable,  with  wealth  which  seemed  inexhaustibley  with 
a  beauty  which  seemed  indescribable ;  and  we  have  seen  those  walls  crum- 
ble, that  wealth  disappear,  and  that  beauty  turned  into  ashes ;  but  now  our 
attention  is  directed  to  another  city,  mightier  and  holier  by  far,  whose 
builder  and  maker  is  God,  whose  walls  are  jasper,  whose  gates  are  pearl, 
whose  streets  are  gold,  whose  inhabitants  are  sinless  and  deathless,  even 
the  city  of  New  Jerusalem,  which  coineth  down  from  God  out  of  heaven. 
Mystical  Babylon  was  builded  upon  the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  which  were 
shaken  by  earthquakes,  and  moved  out  of  their  places  by  the  mighty  con- 
vulsions of  the  natural  world ;  but  the  New  Jerusalem  is  builded  upon 
mount  Zion,  which  can  never  be  shaken.  We  have  been  tracing  the 
history  of  the  old  heaven  and  the  old  earth,  which  have  been  since  the 
beginning ;  a  heaven  which  is  often  darkened  by  clouds  and  rent  by  light- 
nings, and  shaken  with  thunders,  and  an  earth  saturated  with  sin,  and 
soaked  with  blood,  and  scarred  with  graves,  and  hoary  with  age ;  but  now  a 
new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  break  in  upon  our  astonished  vision ;  a  heaven 
which  will  never  be  obscured  with  darkness,  and  an  earth  which  will  never 
be  marred  by  sin.  "  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth  :  for  the  first 
heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away  ;  and  there  was  no  more  sea." 
For  this  new  heaven  and  new  earth,  the  people  of  Qud  have  long  been 
waiting.  For  many  centuries  they  have  said  plainly  that  they  *' sought  a 
country,''  and  they  looked  for  "a  city  which  has  foundations,  whose  builder 
and  maker  is  God."  Of  this  new  heaven  and  new  earth,  the  Lord  spake 
by  the  mouth  of  Isaiah,  his  prophet :  "  For,  behold,  I  create  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth :  and  the  former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  oome  into 
mind.  But  be  ye  glad  and  rejoice  for  ever  in  that  which  I  create :  for, 
behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing,  and  her  people  a  joy.  And  I  wUl 
rejoice  in  Jerusalem,  and  joy  in  my  people :  and  the  voice  of  weeping  shall 
be  no  more  heard  in  her,  nor  the  voice  of  crying.  There  shall  be  no  more 
thence  an  infant  of  days,  nor  an  old  man  that  hath  not  filled  his  days : 


THE   NEW   HEAVEN  AND  THE   NEW  EARTH.  485 

for  the  child  shall  die  an  hundred  years  old ;  but  the  sinner  being  an  hundred 
years  old  shall  be  accursed.  And  they  shall  build  houses,  and  inhabit 
them ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them.  They 
shall  not  build,  and  another  inhabit ;  they  shall  not  plant,  and  another  eat ; 
for  as  the  days  of  a  tree  are  the  days  of  my  people,  and  mine  elect  shall 
long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands.  They  shall  not  labor  in  vain,  nor 
bring  forth  for  trouble :  for  they  are  the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  the  Lord, 
and  their  offspring  with  them.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  before  they 
call,  I  will  answer ;  and  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear.  The 
wolf  and  the  lamb  shall  feed  together,  and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like 
the  bullock :  and  dust  shall  be  the  serpent's  meat  They  shall  not  hurt 
nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain,  saith  the  Lord."  Though  these  con- 
cluding words  are  to  receive  their  primaiy  folfillment  in  the  latter  days  of 
the  gospel  dispensation,  when  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall  cover  the 
earth  aa  the  waters  cover  the  sea,  when  Satan  shall  be  bound  and  the  king- 
dom of  Christ  shall  triumph,  yet  they  will  not  receive  their  complete 
fulfillment  until  the  heavenly  dispensation  shall  dawn  and  the  eternal 
glory  shall  begin.  Of  this  new  heaven  and  new  earth,  Peter  speaks  when 
he  says,  "  Nevertheless  we,  according  to  his  promise,  look  for  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness."  It  is  this  new  heaven 
and  new  earth,  predicted  of  old,  and  waited  for  by  countless  thousands  of 
longing  saints,  which  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture  reveals  to  us  with 
BO  much  clearness. 

In  order  to  understand  this  revelation  and  appreciate  its  beauty,  we  must 
first  of  all  determine  the  position  which  it  occupies  in  this  series  of  visions 
which  has  been  engaging  our  attention.  Let  us  then  bear  in  mind  what 
we  have  already  seen,  and  the  explanations  we  have  already  made,  but 
especially  the  visions  and  explanations  of  the  preceding  chapter.  '  In  the 
earlier  chapters  of  the  Apocalypse,  we  traced  the  history  of  the  church 
from  the  apostolic  age  onward,  as  shadowed  forth  under  seals,  and  trumpets, 
and  vials.  We  rejoiced  over  its  progress  and  prosperity ;  we  wept  over  its 
persecutions  and  adversities ;  we  traced  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  great 
enemies  of  the  church,  as  shadowed  forth  under  the  symbols  of  the  beast, 
the  dragon,  and  the  false  prophet.  Then,  in  chapter  XX,  we  saw  how 
Satan  was  bound  for  a  thousand  figurative  years,  how,  at  the  expiration  of 
the  millennium,  he  was  loosed  for  a  little  season,  how  he  awakened  new  forms 
of  hostility  to  the  church,  and  how  he  was  defeated  and  cast  into  the  prison 
of  the  abyss  to  be  tormented  for  ever  and  ever.  Then  we  saw  the  solemn 
scenes  of  the  final  judgment,  when  those  whose  names  were  not  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire. '  Then  follows  the 
chapter  upon  whose  exposition  we  now  enter.  To  what  period  in  the 
history  of  redemption  can  it  refer  ?  This  is  a  question  which  is  easy  to 
answer,  if  we  have  not  been  altogether  at  fault  in  our  previous  expositions. 


486  LECTURE  LXIII. 

If  it  IB  true  that  this  book  is  the  oonsecutiTe  history  of  the  church  from 
the  days  of  John  till  the  end,  and  if,  in  previous  chapters,  we  have  traced 
that  history  down  to  the  final  judgment,  then  this  chapter  most  refer  to 
what  is  subsequent  to  the  judgment,  to  the  glorious  state  of  those  who  are 
openly  acknowledged  and  acquitted  at  the  bar  of  Gh)d.  In  other  words, 
this  chapter  and  the  next,  except  those  verses  which  are  taken  up  with  the 
apostle's  concluding  words,  contain  a  description  of  heaven.  This  seems 
so  plain  that  we  will  spend  no  time  in  offering  proof.  How  any  one  can 
suppose  this  magnificent  description  to  refer  to  the  earthly  church  at  any 
period  of  its  history,  is  more  than  we  are  able  to  understand.  Every  word 
points  to  heaven ;  every  figure  speaks  of  the  rest  which  Ood  has  prepared 
for  his  people ;  every  verse  tells  of  what  we  shall  be. 

This  chapter  stands  without  a  parallel  in  the  word  of  God.  It  is  true 
many  hints  have  been  given  us  of  the  future  of  the  saints,  but  they  are 
only  hints.  This  chapter  contains  the  only  extended  description^  It  is 
brief,  too  brief  for  our  wishes,  but  it  is  long  enough  for  our  understanding. 
We  cannot  comprehend  fully  even  this  much  ;  why  then  should  we  wish 
for  more  ?  We  must  wait  for  that  rapidly  approaching  day  when  the  hand 
of  death  shall  touch  our  eyes,  and  the  scales  which  have  long  obscured  our 
vision  shall  Ml ;  then,  if  we  are  permitted  to  see  the  King  in  his  beauty, 
we  will  know  what  heaven  is.  Heaven  is  here  described  under  types  and 
figures.  We  are  not  told  in  plain  language  what  it  is  to  be,  for  language 
is  too  imperfect,  and  our  minds  are  too  weak.  Earthly  figures,  with  which 
we  are  in  some  measure  familiar,  and  which  we  can  partly  understand,  are 
used  to  shadow  forth  the  heavenly.  But  as  this  is  the  most  plain  and  ex* 
tended  description  of  heaven  which  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  pleased  to 
vouchsafe,  it  becomes  us  to  enter  upon  its  study  with  reverent  and  thankful 
hearts.  From  this  chapter,  we  will  have  to  learn  nearly  all  we  can  hope  to 
know  of  that  better  land,  until  with  sanctified  feet  we  are  permitted  to  tread 
its  golden  streets. 

As  has  been  said,  the  peaoeAil  scenes  of  the  New  Jerusalem  are  in 
striking  contrast  with  those  scenes  of  trouble,  and  war,  and  bloodshed, 
which  we  have  been  called  to  consider.  They  should  fall  upon  our  weaiy 
spirits  like  the  calm  and  the  sunshine  which  succeed  the  tempest,  '^  like  the 
benediction  which  follows  prayer."  We  cannot  appreciate  what  is  here 
said,  if  we  do  not  remember  what  has  been  said  of  the  old  heaven  and  the 
old  earth.  There  is  a  time  coming  when,  if  we  are  Christians,  our  eyes 
will  dose  upon  the  troubled  scenes  of  earth,  and  without  a  monient's  in* 
terruption  open  upon  the  peaceful  scenes  of  heaven.  With  the  pain  of 
sickness  and  the  anxieties  of  a  dying  hour  yet  fresh  in  our  memory,  we  will 
stand  in  the  joy  and  blessedness  of  glory.  With  the  farewell  of  friends  and 
the  sobs  of  the  bereaved  yet  echoing  in  our  ears,  we  will  listen  to  the  glad 
hallelujahs  of  the  redeemed.    When  that  hour  shall  come,  when  the  pain 


THE  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  THE  NEW  EARTH.         487 

and  the  anxiety  shall  all  at  onoe  give  place  to  joy  and  blessedness,  when  the 
ftrewells  and  sobs  shall  all  at  once  give  plaoe  to  hallelujahs,  with  what 
astonishment  will  we  look,  and  listen,  and  worship,  an  astonishment  all  the 
greater  because  of  the  contrast  between  the  glorious  present  and  the  well 
remembered  past.  With  some  such  astonishment  should  we  enter  upon  the 
study  of  this  chapter.  With  the  sounds  of  sinful  Babylon  yet  ringing  in 
our  ears,  with  the  tears,  and  perseoutionsy  and  martyrdoms  of  the  saints  yet 
fresh  in  our  memory,  the  scene  suddenly  changes  as  with  the  wave  of  a  magi- 
dan's  hand,  and  lo  I  the  New  Jerusalem  with  its  unbroken  peace,  and  the 
^orified  saints  with  their  shining  crowns,  stand  before  us.  Let  us  lift  up 
our  eyes  and  wonder.  Let  us  lift  up  our  hearts  and  worship.  Let  us,  if 
we  can,  catch  something  of  the  fullness  of  joy  which  shall  be  ours  by  and 
by,  as  we  to-day  are  privil^ed  to  see  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth. 

The  first  question  which  presents  itself  is  this :  Where  is  heaven  ?  Though 
this  question  is  not  unequivocally  answered  in  the  words  under  consideration, 
yet  it  may  be  that  their  reverent  study  will  afford  some  information.  Heaven, 
the  home  of  the  redeemed :  Where  is  it  ?  The  idea  has  somehow  obtained 
a  lodgment  in  our  minds,  that  heaven  is  above  us  in  the  sky  somewhere ; 
but  where  in  that  immeasurable  sky,  which  extends  above  us,  and  around 
us,  and  beneath  our  feet  ?  With  all  the  knowledge  which  astronomy  has 
given  us  of  the  universe  of  God,  we  can  form  no  conception  of  where 
heaven  is.  We  hope  to  enter  it  when  we  die,  but  if  our  souls  were  to  be 
separated  from  our  bodies  this  night,  where  would  we  go  to  find  the  gates 
of  pearl  ?  In  what  part  of  the  immensity  of  space  would  we  wing  our  way  ? 
At  which  one  of  the  shining  orbs  which  beckon  us  from  on  high  would  we 
knock  and  ask  for  admittance  ?  But  we  need  not  disturb  ourselves  with 
such  questions,  for  when  we  die  Ood  will  send  his  messengers  to  bring  us 
safely  home.  As  it  was  with  Lazarus  so  shall  it  be  with  every  one  who 
believes  in  the  Saviour  of  Lazarus.  **•  Lazarus  died,  and  was  carried  by  the 
angels  to  Abraham's  bosom."  Think  of  this  when  you  next  stand  at  the 
bedside  of  the  dying  saint.  Remember  that  other  sympathizers,  not  of 
earthly  birth,  are  with  you  in  that  sacred  chamber ;  remember  that  other 
eyes,  not  dimmed  with  tears  as  your  eyes  are,  are  watching  the  final  strug* 
gle ;  remember  that  the  sinless  sons  of  God  are  waiting  to  lead  the  freed 
spirit  up  the  unknown  path  that  leads  to  heaven. 

We  do  not  know  where  heaven  is.  We  do  not  know  where  the  assem- 
bled congregation  of  the  disembodied  spirits  of  the  saints  are  waiting  fi}r 
the  resurrection  of  their  bodies,  save  that  it  is  with  Christ  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  God.  But  after  the  resurrection,  when  the  bodies  of  the  saints 
shall  be  raised  and  united  with  their  spirits,  it  would  seem,  from  the  words 
before  us,  and  from  other  passages  of  Scripture,  that  this  world  is  to  be 
their  home.  The  old  heavens  are  to  roll  away  as  a  scroll ;  the  old  earth  is 
to  melt  with  fervent  heat ;  the  things  which  are  now  are  to  be  re-created 


488  LECTURE  LXIII. 

and  re-formed  into  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.  All  traoes  of  Bin  are 
to  be  washed  away  in  the  baptism  of  fire;  all  the  ravages  which  transgres- 
flion  has  wrought  are  to  be  smoothed  out  by  the  re-creating  hand  of  Gtod ; 
all  its  barren  plains  and  wildernesses  are  to  be  made  to  bud  and  blossom  as 
the  rose ;  all  its  fertile  fields  are  to  be  made  more  beautiful,  so  that  they 
will  be  like  the  garden  of  Eden ;  the  trail  of  the  serpent,  which  mars  all 
the  earthly  works  of  our  GU)d,  is  to  be  removed  for  ever ;  and  this  world, 
fair  and  beautiful  as  at  the  first,  is  to  be  the  home  of  the  redeemed. 

This  transformation,  this  re-creation  is  not  without  analogy.  We  believe, 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  has  spoken  it,  that  the  dead  bodies  of  the  saints 
are  to  be  raised  again.  They  are  to  come  forth  from  their  graves  fash- 
ioned like  unto  Christ's  glorious  body.  All  traces  of  pain,  and  suffering, 
and  sin  will  be  removed ;  all  seeds  of  sickness,  deformity  and  death  will  be 
taken  away ;  their  gross  matter  will  be  purified  and  refined ;  they  will  be  in 
all  respects  qualified  for  the  sinless  and  unending  life  upon  which  they 
enter ;  and  yet,  when  this  corruption  shall  put  on  incorruption  and  this 
mortal  shall  put  on  immortality,  it  will  be  the  same  body  which  walked 
the  earth  and  slept  in  the  grave.  And  so  we  suppose  it  will  be  with  this 
earth  of  ours.  It  will  be  refined,  re-created,  resurrected,  and  yet  it  will  be 
the  same.  It  will  be  greatly  changed  and  made  meet  to  be  the  home  of 
the  glorified,  and  yet  it  will  be  new  only  in  the  sense  in  which  the  resur- 
rection body  of  the  saints  is  newi  We  would  not,  however,  speak  too 
positively  on  this  point.  The  word  of  God  is  not  dear  enough  to  dispel 
every  doubt  and  remove  every  difficulty.  Still  these  verses  seem  to  teach 
that  after  the  stirring  scenes  of  the  judgment,  this  world  is  to  be  re-crea- 
te i  for  the  eternal  home  of  the  saints.  What  else  can  the  apostle  mean 
when  he  says,  "  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  for  the  first  heaven 
and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away"  ? 

But  while  it  seems  that  this  world  is  to  be  the  eternal  home  of  the  saints, 
it  is  to  be  greatly  changed.  In  one  respect,  mentioned  in  the  concluding 
clause  of  the  verse,  the  change  is  marked  and  noticeable.  '*  There  was  no 
more  sea."  In  the  present  order  of  things,  seas  and  oceans  are  necessary 
to  life  and  happiness.  If  it  was  not  for  its  vast  expanse  of  water  surface, 
our  globe  would  be  without  inhabitant,  and  as  burned  and  barren  as  is  our 
waterless  satellite.  There  must,  therefore,  be  a  wonderful  change  in  the 
appearance  of  this  world  and  in  its  modes  of  life,  before  it  can  be  true  that 
there  will  be  no  more  sea.  It  is,  however,  to  be  observed  that  it  is  not 
said  that  there  will  be  no  more  water,  or  springs,  or  fountains,  or  crystal 
lakes,  but  that  there  will  be  no  more  sea,  wild,  bitter,  tempestuous.  And 
this  word  "  sea  "  is  not  to  be  understood  literally.  Here,  as  everywhere 
else  in  the  Apocalypse,  it  is  a  symbol.  Of  what  is  it  a  symbol  ?  This  is 
a  question  which  is  easily  answered.  The  sea  is  a  symbol  of  revolution, 
of  trouble,  of  commotion,  of  unrest.    And  the  sea,  whose  waves  are  never 


THE  NEW   HEAVEN   AND  THE  NEW   EARTH.  489 

Still,  which  is  ooQtinually  moved  by  winds,  by  tides,  and  by  currents,  is  a 
fitting  symbol  of  these  things.  The  symbol  is  so  fitting  and  so  easily 
nnderstood,  that  it  is  common  in  all  languages.  It  is  not  unknown  even 
in  the  plainest  speech.  '^  The  wicked  are  as  a  troubled  sea,  whose  water 
casts  up  mire  and  dirt."  In  the  more  figurative  parts  of  Scripture,  it  is  a 
symbol  of  frequent  occurrence.  Daniel  speaks  of  the  four  winds  striving 
upon  the  great  sea,  and  of  the  four  beasts  which  came  up  out  of  the  sea. 
Luke  draws  a  vivid  picture  of  the  distress  of  the  guilty  nations  trembling 
under  the  judgments  of  the  Almighty  in  the  words,  '*  the  sea  and  the 
waves  roaring."  In  this  book  we  have  the  beast  rising  out  of  the  sea, 
seas  of  glass,  and  seas  of  blood. 

Bearing  in  mind  the  meaning  of  this  common  symbol,  we  can  have  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  what  is  meant  when  it  is  said  of  the  heavenly 
state,  "  there  shall  be  no  more  sea."  In  that  new  world  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness^  there  will  be  no  more  revolution.  Sinful  ambition  wiU  have 
no  place.  No  wars  of  conquest  or  of  revenge  will  transform  that  Eden 
into  a  wilderness.  No  tramp  of  marching  hosts,  no  burning  cities,  no 
devastated  home  will  mar  the  beauty  of  that  fair  landscape.  No  human 
blood  will  fertilize  the  plains  of  that  new  made  earth.  All  will  be  peace, 
abiding  and  unbroken,  for  Jesus  will  be  King  of  all,  and  his  saints  will 
reign  with  him,  their  highest  ambition  more  than  satisfied  with  the  honor 
of  being  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty.  This  is  what  is 
to  be  in  that  new  earth  which  will  take  the  place  of  the  old  earth,  with  its 
many  seas,  both  literal  and  figurative.  In  the  heavenly  state  there  will  be 
no  more  symbolical  seas  casting  up  mire  and  dirt,  with  their  winds  and 
waves  roaring,  out  of  which  shall  come  monsters  to  disturb  the  church. 

Here  let  us  pause  before  entering  upon  the  other  characteristics  of  that 
better  land.  We  have  seen  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  springing 
forth  at  the  creator's  bidding  to  be  the  home  of  the  saints,  a  new  heaven 
and  earth  which  seem  to  be  the  old  heaven  and  earth,  redeemed  and  puri- 
fied from  the  curse  of  sin,  and  in  which  there  will  be  no  such  swelling 
waves  as  have  swept  away  so  many  of  the  land-marks  of  the  centuries  of 
time.  What  a  change  is  here  shadowed  forth  !  We  cannot  describe  it. 
We  are  so  familiar  with  the  old  heavens  and  the  old  earth,  filled  as  they 
are  with  the  practice  and  consequences  of  sin,  that  we  can  hardly  conceive 
of  the  new  order  of  things.  It  is  a  theme  on  which  the  poet  may  love  to 
linger.  We  quote  from  one,  the  pious  Gowper,  whose  devout  spirit  makes 
him  a  meet  minstrel  for  such  a  topic : 

"  O  scenes  surpassing  fable,  and  yet  true, 
Scenes  of  accomplished  bliss !   which  who  can  see, 
Though  but  in  distant  prospect,  and  not  feel 
His  soul  refreshed  with  foretaste  of  the  joy  ? 
Bivers  of  gladness  water  all  the  earth, 


490  LEGTUJBIB  LXIII. 

And  clothe  all  climes  with  beauty ;  the  reproach 

Of  barrenness  is  past.    The  fruitful  field 

Laughs  with  abundance ;  and  the  land,  once  lean, 

Or  fertile  only  in  its  own  disgrace, 

Exults  to  see  its  thistly  curse  repealed. 

The  various  seasons  woven  into  one, 

And  that  one  season  a  perpetual  spring ; 

The  garden  fears  no  blight,  and  needs  no  fence, 

For  there  is  none  to  covet ;  all  are  full. 

The  lion,  and  the  libbard,  and  the  bear 

Graze  with  the  fearless  flocks ;  all  bask  at  noon 

Together,  or  all  gambol  in  the  shade 

Of  the  same  grove,  and  drink  one  common  stream ; 

Antipathies  are  none.     No  foe  to  man 

Lurks  in  the  serpent  now  ;  the  mother  sees. 

And  smiles  to  see,  her  infant's  playful  hand 

Stretched  forth  to  dally  with  the  crested  worm, 

To  stroke  his  azure  neck,  or  to  receive 

The  lambent  homage  of  his  arrowy  tongue. 

All  creatures  worship  man,  and  all  mankind 

One  Lord,  one  Father.    Error  has  no  place ; 

That  creeping  pestilence  is  driven  away ; 

The  breath  of  heaven  has  chased  it.    In  the  heart, 

No  passion  touches  a  discordant  string, 

But  all  is  harmony  and  love.    Disease 

Is  not ;  the  pure  and  uncontaminate  blood 

Holds  its  due  course,  nor  fears  the  frost  of  ages. 

One  song  employs  all  nations  ;  and  all  cry, 

*  Worthy  the  Lamb,  for  he  was  slain  for  us'  1 

The  dwellers  in  the  vales  and  on  the  rocks 

Shout  to  each  other,  and  the  mountain  tops 

From  distant  mountains  catch  the  flying  joy. 

Till,  nation  after  nation  taught  the  strain. 

Earth  rolls  the  rapturous  hosanna  round. 

Behold  the  measure  of  the  promise  filled ; 

See  Salem  built,  the  labor  of  a  God  ! 

Bright  as  a  sun  the  sacred  city  shines ; 

All  kingdoms  and  all  princes  of  the  earth 

Flock  to  that  light ;  the  glory  of  all  lands 

Flows  into  her  ;  unbounded  is  her  joy. 

And  endless  her  increase.    Thy  rams  are  there, 

Nebaioth,  and^the  flocks  of  Kedar  there  ; 

The  looms  of  Ormus  and  the  mines  of  Ind, 

And  Saba's  spicy  groves  pay  tribute  there. 

Praise  is  in  all  her  gates  ;  upon  her  walls, 

And  in  her  streets,  and  in  her  spacious  courts, 

Is  heard  salvation.     Eastern  Java  there 

Kneels  with  the  native  of  the  farthest  west ,' 

And  Ethiopia  spreads  abroad  the  hand. 

And  worships.     Her  report  has  traveled  forth 


THE  NBW  JBBU8ALEM.  491 

Into  all  lands.    From  ev'ry  clime  they  come 

To  see  thy  beauty,  and  to  share  thy  joy, 

O  Zion  I     An  assembly  such  as  earth 

Saw  never,  such  as  heaven  stoops  down  to  see." 

— CowpER'8  Task,  Book  VI. 


LECTURE    LXIV. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM. 

And  I  John  saw  the  holy  city,  new  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  Gk>d  out 
of  heaven,  prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.  And  I  heard  a  great 
▼oice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  Gk>d  is  with  men,  and  he 
will  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be 
with  them,  and  be  their  God.  And  Grod  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  fron\  their 
flree ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  neither 
shall  there  be  any  more  pain :  for  the  former  things  are  passed  away.— Bey. 
21:  2-A. 

Ws  must  not  forget  that  the  preyioas  chaptera  of  the  Apooalypse  have 
led  OS  down  through  the  history  of  redemption  t|  the  day  of  the  final 
judgment,  and  that  the  present  chapter  has  to  do  with  what  is  subsequent 
to  the  judgment ;  that  is,  with  the  heavenly  state  of  the  glorified  saints. 
In  the  first  verse  of  this  chapter,  the  heavenly  state  is  described  as  a  "  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth/'  a  heaven  and  earth  which  seem  to  be  the  old 
heaven  and  the  old  earth  resurrected,  re-created  and  purified ;  a  heaven  and 
earth  in  which  there  will  never  more  be  any  revolution,  commotion  or  un- 
rest^ which  are  symbolized  by  the  sea  whose  waves  are  never  still,  and 
whose  waters  are  ever  casting  up  mire  and  dirt.  Though  this  revelation 
of  heaven  is  full  of  joy  and  comfort  for  every  waiting  soul,  a  still  clearer 
and  brighter  revelation  b  awaiting  our  consideration.  In  the  subject  of 
the  present  lecture,  and  in  the  following  verses,  heaven  is  revealed  under 
the  figure  of  a  city,  more  beautiM  and  glorious  than  the  eye  of  mortal 
has  ever  seen.  No  revelation  can  be  more  satisfying  to  us,  who  are  but 
strangers  and  pilgrims  as  our  fathers  were,  and  who  are  longing  for  a  city 
which  has  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God.  That  part  of 
the  description  of  the  heavenly  city  which  will  engage  our  attention  in  the 
present  lecture,  contains  the  following  points,  which  will  be  noticed  in 
order :  The  name  of  this  city ;  its  divine  builder ;  its  bridal  beauty ;  the 
perpetual  presence  of  its  glorious  King,  and  its  sorrowless  inhabitants. 

I.  The  name  of  this  symbolical  city  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  '*And  I 
John  saw  the  holy  city.  New  Jerusalem."  Here,  as  in  all  the  previous  chap- 


492  LECTURE  LXiy. 

ters  of  this  book,  we  have  to  do  with  symbols.  We  are  not  to  suppoae  that 
heaven  is  here  literallj  described.  Heaven  is  not  to  be  a  city  descending 
from  Ood,  with  streets  of  gold,  and  gates  of  pearl,  and  foundations  of 
precious  stones,  but  it  is  to  resemble  such  a  city*  In  other  words,  such  a 
city  is  a  symbol  of  the  heavenly  residence  of  the  glorified  saints.  Remem- 
bering this,  we  can,  with  the  help  of  the  Spirit,  leam  from  this  symbol 
something  of  what  heaven  is  to  be. 

The  name  of  this  symbolical  city  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  a  name  which 
was  peculiarly  dear  to  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament  church,  and  there- 
fore peculiarly  dear  to  their  spiritual  descendants,  the  saints  of  the  New 
Testament  church.  There  were  many  places  within  the  borders  of  the 
promised  land  which  were  dearly  loved  by  the  godly  Jews.  They  loved 
the  cave  of  Machpelah,  for  it  was  the  burial  place  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob.  They  loved  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  for  it  was  the  spot  which 
had  witnessed  some  of  the  grandest  triumphs  of  their  armies  and  some 
of  the  most  disastrous  defeats  of  their  enemies.  They  loved  the  city 
of  Hebron,  for  it  was  the  birth-place  of  David,  their  greatest  king. 
They  loved  humble  Shiloh,  for  here  the  tabernacle,  which  they  had  borne 
all  the  way  from  Sinai,  stood  for  many  years,  and  here  the  tribes  had  long 
assembled  for  the  worship  of  their  God.  But  most  of  all  they  loved 
Jerusalem.  Here  their  temple  stood.  Here  their  kings  lived  and  reigned. 
Here  was  the  centre  of  their  government  and  their  worship.  Here  God 
especially  manifested  his  presence  and  his  glory  in  the  solemn  rites  of  their 
religion.  The  name  Jerusalem  would  remind  them  of  that  temple,  and  the 
assembled  congregation  which  so  oilen  waited  and  worshiped  in  its  courts, 
of  the  most  holy  place,  and  the  mercy  seat,  and  the  Shechinah,  of  their 
altars  and  their  sacrifices,  of*  their  rapturous  communion  with  Gk)d  and 
the  happiest  hours  of  their  earthly  life. 

Therefore  the  name  Jerusalem  has  been  chosen  by  inspiration  to  de- 
scribe that  city  which  is  a  symbol  of  heaven.  This  name  indicates  that 
this  symbolical  city  in  some  respects  resembles  the  capital  of  the  andent 
dispensation.  Some  of  these  points  have  been  suggested  ;  others  will  be 
suggested  hereafter.  But  though  there  are  points  of  resemblance,  there 
are  also  points  of  dissimilarity;  and  because  of  these  points  of  dissimilarity, 
the  symbolical  city  is  called,  not  Jerusalem,  but  the  New  Jerusalem.  This 
word  **  new  "  tells  us  that  heaven  is  to  be  something  better  than  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  city  of  David  ever  knew.  In  the  old  Jerusalem  there  was 
a  magnificent  temple ;  in  the  New  Jerusalem  there  will  be  no  temple.  In 
the  former,  there  were  numberless  sacrifices ;  in  the  latter,  all  sacrifice  will 
be  dene  away.  In  the  former,  there  were  sons  of  Belial ;  in  the  Utter,  all 
will  be  sons  of  God.  In  the  former,  there  were  sin  and  sufiering ;  in  the 
latter,  there  will  be  holiness  and  joy.  In  the  former,  the^  worship  was 
often  interrupted  by  weariness  and  captivity ;  from  the  latter,  tlie  unwea- 


THX  NEW  JIBU8ALXM.  493 

lied  inhabitants  will  never  go  out.  In  the  former,  the  glory  of  God  was 
partially  revealed ;  in  the  latter,  it  will  be  fully  manifested.  All  this  is 
shadowed  forth  by  the  holy  city^  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  We  may 
look  with  admiration  upon  the  privileges  of  the  citizens  of  the  old  Jeru* 
salem,  as  they  gathered  in  their  temple,  saw  the  glory  of  their  God  and 
heard  his  words ;  but  their  privileges  are  as  nothing  when  compared  with 
what  ours  will  be  in  the  heavenly  city,  for  we  wiU  then  enter  the  New 
Jerusalem,  of  which  the  old  Jerusalem  was  only  a  faint  shadow  and  imper- 
fect type. 

II.  Thb  buildbb  of  this  symbolical  city  is  God.  '*  I  John  saw  the 
holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven."  The 
meaning  of  this  language  is  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood.  That  which 
comes  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  must  be  created  by  God.  Every 
good  and  perfect  gift  *^  comes  down  from  God" ;  that  is,  God  creates  and 
bestows  every  good  and  perfect  gift.  So  Grod  is  the  maker  and  builder  of 
that  city  which  comes  down  from  heaven.  Or  if  we  transfer  our  thoughts 
firom  the  symbol  to  the  things  symbolised,  the  meaning  is  that  God  has 
prepared  the  heavenly  city  for  his  people.  He  has  provided  for  their  fu- 
ture happiness.  Nothing  is  left  to  chance.  God  is  the  architect  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.  Let  this  thought  take  full  possession  of  our  souls.  It 
most  therefore  be  complete  in  itself  and  perfectly  adapted  to  those  for 
whom  it  was  built.  The  builders  of  the  old  Jerusalem  were  many,  and 
their  plans  were  not  always  in  harmony ;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
is  one,  and  his  plans  are  one.  The  builders  of  the  old  Jerusalem  were  not 
always  able  to  carry  out  their  designs,  and  their  plans  were  sometimes  in- 
terrupted by  enemies  and  death ;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jerusalem  is 
omnipotent,  and  makes  everything  bow  to  his  will.  The  builders  of  the 
old  Jerusalem  could  not  always  understand  the  wants  of  those  for  whom 
they  built;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jerusalem  knows  what  will  satisfy  the 
souk  and  accomplish  the  happiness  of  his  people.  Our  ideas  of  the 
heavenly  state  may  be,  and  no  doubt  are,  very  crude  and  imperfect.  When 
we  enter  heaven,  if  it  will  ever  be  our  privilege  to  enter  it,  we  will  be  met 
with  astonishment  after  astonishment.  But  of  this  we  may  be  sure,  that 
which  God  has  prepared  will  be  complete  in  itself,  and  perfectly  adapted 
to  the  wants  of  those  for  whom  the  preparation  was  made.  Let  this 
thought  have  a  place  beside  those  we  have  just  presented ;  let  the  name  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  blend  in  our  memory  with  the  name  of  its  builder ;  so 
shall  we  be  prepared  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  blessedness  of  that 
better  country,  as  it  is  to  be  revealed.  The  name  of  the  holy  city  is  the 
New  Jerusalem  ;  its  builder  and  maker  is  God.  By  as  much  as  Gtod  is 
greater  than  David  and  Solomon,  and  all  the  rest  who  labored  to  build  the 
walls  of  the  earthly  Zion,  by  so  much  will  the  New  Jerusalem  be  better 
than  the  old. 


494  LVCTURE   LXIV. 

III.  This  eymbolical  city  is  beautifitl.  Its  beauty  is  described  in  the 
words,  ''prepared  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband.'*  This  is  what 
might  be  expected  from  the  points  we  have  already  established.  If  the 
New  Jerusalem  resembles  the  old,  which  was  "  beautiful  for  situation,  and 
the  joy  of  the  whole  earth/'  we  may  surely  expect  the  New  Jerusalem  to 
be  more  beautiM  and  a  greater  joy.  If  God  is  the  builder  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  we  may  surely  expect  that  it  will  be  beautiful,  for  all  God's  gifts 
are  perfect.  But  its  beauty  h  expressly  asserted  in  the  comparison  which 
is  here  instituted.  Thu>( symbolical  city  is  as  beautii\il  ''as  a  bride  adorned 
for  her  husband."  This  figure  is  so  common  and  so  easily  understood,  that 
it  requires  no  explanation .  In  fact  any  explanation  will  weaken  its  force  and 
mar  its  beauty.  Whatever  good  taste  can  suggest  or  art  can  accomplish  is 
employed  to  increase  the  beauty  of  the  bride  who  is  led  to  the  altar.  "  Can 
a  maid  forget  her  ornaments,  or  a  bride  her  attire"  ?  is  a  question  of  the 
prophet,  and  the  force  of  this  question  is  felt  in  every  land  in  which  the 
ordinance  is  honored. 

But  let  us  not  mistake  the  exact  point  of  the  illustration  we  are  now 
coDsidering.  The  church  of  Christ  is  often  in  the  Scriptures  compared  to 
the  "bride,  the  Lamb's  wife."  This  comparison  underlies  the  Song  of 
Solomon,  which  the  church  is  not  yet  spiritual  enough  to  understand.  It 
underlies  Psalm  45,  which  celebrates  the  majesty  of  the  King,  and  the 
loveliness  of  his  bride.  It  underlies  many  of  the  sublimest  passages  of  the 
Old  Testament  prophecy,  in  which  a  sinful  church  is  compared  to  an  nn- 
fUthftd  wife.  It  underlies  some  of  the  most  beauttful  visions  of  the 
Apocalypse.  In  all  these  passages,  the  comparison  is  instituted  to  show 
the  great  honor  bestowed  upon  the  earthly  church,  and  the  intimate  rela- 
tion which  exists  between  it  and  its  risen  Lord ;  but  in  the  passage  before 
as  the  comparison  is  instituted  for  an  entirely  different  purpose.  It  is  to 
show  the  beauty  of  the  earthly  church,  or  rather  of  the  place  of  its  heavenly 
residence.  Even  while  we  are  yet  dwellers  on  the  earth,  we  appreciate 
beauty,  we  long  for  beauty.  Our  longings  for  beauty  are  satisfied  in  part, 
fbr  this  world  of  ours,  in  spite  of  the  ravages  which  sin  has  wrought  and 
of  the  graves  which  death  has  dug,  is  a  beautifiil  world.  Nevertheless, 
beauty  here  is  ever  mingled  with  deformity  and  imperfections,  and  our 
appreciation  of  beauty  is  blunted  by  sin.  When  we  reach  heaven,  we  will 
see  perfect  beauty  without  a  stain,  and  our  new  hearts  will  drink  its  full 
enjoyment.  The  holy  city,  whose  name  is  New  Jerusalem,  and  which 
Cometh  down  from  heaven,  will  be  as  beautiflil  "as  a  bride  adorned  fbr  her 
husband." 

IV.  Something  still  better  remains  to  be  told  of  that  holy  city,  better 
than  its  new  name,  better  than  the  name  of  its  builderi  better  than  its 
bridal  beauty ;  and  that  better  thing  is  thi  pirpstual  pbssengs  of  its 


r 


THS.  NBW  JIRUSALBM.  495 

GLORIOUS  Kino.  "  Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will 
dwell  with  them,  and  they  shall  be  his  people,  and  God  himself  shall  be 
with  them,  and  be  their  God."  In  all  the  previous  dispensations,  there 
has  been  an  infinite  distance  between  God  and  men.  He  has  sometimes 
manifested  himself  in  their  midst,  but  these  manifestations  have  been  only 
occasional.  And  in  these  occasional  manifestations  of  the  divine  presence, 
men  have  seen  only  a  part  of  hb  glory.  In  the  heavenly  state,  this  infinite 
distance  will  be  bridged.  God  will  draw  near  to  men  and  reveal  to  tihem 
his  divine  glory  as  they  never  saw  it  before.  Men  will  be  brought  near  to 
God,  and  will  hold  such  communion  with  him  as  they  never  held  before. 
*'  The  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men."  This  word  '^  tabernacle  **  carries  us 
back  to  tihe  Jewish  economy,  and  to  the  sacred  tent  around  which  the 
ceremonies  and  privileges  of  that  economy  so  closely  centered.  It  reminds 
us  of  the  pillar  of  cloud  by  day  and  the  pillar  of  fire  by  night,  of  times 
when  the  voice  of  God  spake  his  will  irom  the  holy  place,  of  worship  and 
sacrifices  which  were  visibly  accepted,  of  the  feasts  of  the  passover,  pente- 
cost  and  the  tabernacles,  when  the  saints  of  old  enjoyed  blessed  communion. 
And  through  these  memories  of  the  past,  it  foretells  a  time  when  GkKi's 
visible  presence  will  never  be  withdrawn  from  men,  and  when  their  com- 
munion with  him  will  never  be  interrupted. 

Not  only  will  God  dwell  with  men  in  that  better  time,  '^  they  shall  be  his 
people.''  They  are  his  choice.  I  will  not  here  attempt  to  explain  this 
truth.  The  sovereign  choice  of  God,  the  election  of  his  saints,  is  a  mys- 
tery which  lies  far  beyond  the  reach  of  our  humanity.  Nor  will  I  attempt 
to  reconcile  this  doctrine  with  our  responsibility.  I  mention  it  only  as  a 
truth,  repeated  and  repeated  calmly  and  clearly,  in  the  word  of  God.  God's 
saints  are  his  by  everUsting  choice.  "  I  have  chosen  you ;  ye  have  not 
chosen  me."  They  are  his  by  purchase.  They  are  not  their  own ;  they  are 
bought  with  a  price,  even  the  precious  blood  of  the  Lamb.  They  are  prop- 
erty, not  man's,  but  God's,  for  God  paid  the  price  of  their  redemption. 
They  are  his  by  conquest.  Once  they  were  Satan's  slaves,  but  the  great 
Captain  of  their  salvation  girded  on  his  armor,  attacked  the  stronghold  of 
the  enemy,  bound  him  in  chains,  and  set  his  prisoners  free.  They  are  his 
by  possession.  He  has  sent  his  Holy  Spirit  to  take  possession  of  those  he 
has  chosen,  and  purchased,  and  conquered,  and  the  Spirit  has  inlaid  them 
with  holiness,  as  the  temple  of  the  old  Jerusalem  was  inlaid  with  gold, 
and  has  made  them  meet  to  be  the  dwelling  place  of  God.  They  are  his 
by  likeness.  Even  now  they  bear  that  likeness,  but  its  lines  are  so  blurred 
and  blotted  by  sin  and  imperfections  that  it  is  often  doubted  and  some- 
times denied.  In  the  hereafter  that  likeness  will  be  unquestioned.  Even 
their  vile  bodies  will  be  fashioned  after  his  glorious  body,  and  in  all  respects 
they  will  be  like  him,  for  they  shall  see  him  as  he  is.  Beholding  their 
Saviour,  no  longer  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  face  to  face,  they  will  be 


496  LEGTURS  LXIY. 

changed  into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord.  While  all  this  is  measarably  tme  now,  while  the  earthly  saintB  are 
Grod's  by  ohoioe,  by  porchaae,  by  conquest,  by  possession  and  by  likeness, 
it  will  not  be  true  in  its  full  measure  till  the  eternal  glory^b^ins. 

And  this  blessed  promise  has  its  complement,  without  which  it  would  be 
imperfect.  Not  only  will  the  saints  be  Qod*&  people,  *'  Gbd  himself  shall 
be  with  them,  and  be  their  Ood."  Who  can  measure  the  greatness  of  the 
privilege  which  is  here  unfolded  ?  When  one  says,  I  will  be  your  friend, 
we  expect  him  to  be  to  us  all  that  is  included  in  the  word  friend.  When 
one  says,  I  will  be  your  &ther,  we  expect  him  to  be  to  us  all  that  is  included 
in  the  word  father,  and  to  extend  to  us  all  the  protection  and  all  the  love 
which  a  father  has  for  his  children.  When  one  says,  I  will  be  your  physi- 
cian, we  expect  him  to  be  to  us  all  that  is  included  in  the  word  physician, 
and  to  use  all  his  skill  and  experience  to  deliyer  us  from  disease  and  to 
preserve  us  in  health.  So  when  Gt)d  says  that  he  will  be  our  Gk)d,  we  may 
expect  him  to  be  to  us  all  that  is  expressed  or  implied  in  that  name.  He 
will  be  our  friend,  our  father,  our  physician ;  he  will  rule  over  us,  and  guide 
us,  and  protect  us,  and  love  us ;  his  attributes  will  be  a  wall  around  us  and 
a  glory  in  the  midst  of  us.  To  sum  it  all  up  in  one  word,  he  wUi  be  our 
G-od.  It  is  this  that  fills  the  New  Jerusalem  with  its  greatest  joy.  Its 
crowns  will  be  ours ;  its  inheritance  will  be  ours ;  the  city  itself  will  be 
ours ;  but  better  than  all  else,  God  will  be  ours.  Truly  that  people  are 
blessed  whose  GK)d  is  the  Lord  1  And  this  is  the  condition  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  New  Jerusalem,  for  they  will  enjoy  the  perpetual  presence  of 
their  glorious  King,  and  all  that  this  presence  implies. 

y.  Another  characteristic  of  that  holy  city  remains  to  be  considered— -a 
characteristic  which  comes  home  with  power  to  the  broken  hearts  of  thia 
vale  of  tears :  its  inhabitants  will  be  sobbowlkss.  ''And  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes ;  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,, 
neither  sorrow,  nor  crying ;  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain :  for  the 
former  things  are  passed  away."  What  a  contrast  do  these  words  reveal 
between  the  present  and  the  future  1  *'  In  this  world  ye  shall  have  tribula- 
tion," is  a  prophecy  concerning  whose  frdfiUment  there  can  be  no  doubt. 
No  heart  throbs  on  earth  which  has  not  felt  the  agony  of  disappointment. 
No  lips  open  on  earth  which  do  not  betimes  give  utterance  to  cries  of  an- 
guish. No  eye  looks  up  to  heaven  from  the  plains  of  earth|which  is  not  every 
now  and  then  dimmed  with  tears.  If  our  hearing  was  only  sharp  enough^ 
we  could  hear  by  day  and  by  night  the  patter  of  the  tears  which  are  ever 
falling ;  we  would  know  no  rest,  because  of  the  cry  of  hearts  which  are  break- 
ing somewhere  in  the  world.  Here  there  is  no  heart  safe  from  sorrow ;  there 
is  no  home  strong  enough  to  shut  out  the  enemies  of  human  happiness  ; 
there  is  no  lock  intricate  enough  to  baffle  the  great  destroyer ;  there  is  no 
love  omnipotent  enough  to  defend  from  sickness  and  death. 


THE   NEW   JEEUSALEM.  497 

Bnt  in  the  New  Jerusalem  which  God  has  huilded  for  the  home  of  his 
people,  there  will  be  no  sorrow.  All  tears  will  be  removed,  and  all  the 
springs  of  tears  will  be  dried  up.  One  source  of  present  sorrow  is  the  sick- 
nesses to  which  we  and  ours  are  liable.  No  one  is  safe  from  disease.  It 
undermines  the  yigor  of  the  greatest  strength,  and  it  mars  the  freshness  of 
the  most  peerless  beauty.  It  steps  over  the  barriers  which  wealth  and  skill 
may  build  to  hinder  its  coming,  and  visits  the  hovel  from  which  poverty 
has  driven  almost  every  other  visitor.  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  this 
source  of  sorrow  will  be  removed.  There  sickness  will  have  no  place ; 
disease  will  find  nothing  on  which  to  feed ;  years  will  be  no  burden,  and 
age  no  weariuess.  Another  source  of  present  sorrow  is  the  bereavements 
of  time ;  and  how  bitter  are  the  tears  which  they  cause  to  flow !  They  are 
confined  to  no  land,  to  no  age,  to  no  circle.  They  are  the  common  lot  of 
our  fallen  humanity.  At  this  moment  our  relatives  in  eternity  outnumber 
our  relatives  in  time.  There  are  more  familiar  names  upon  the  tombstones 
of  our  cemeteries  than  upon  the  door-plates  of  our  houses.  The  field  of 
memory  is  more  densely  peopled  than  the  field  of  present  experience.  But 
in  the  New  Jerusalem  this  source  of  sorrow  wiU  be  removed.  No  mourners 
will  go  about  its  streets;  no  signs  of  dissolution  will  hang  upon  its  doors; 
no  wail  of  bereavement  or  funeral  dirge  wiU  have  a  place  in  the  glad 
alleluias  of  its  worship.  Another  source  of  present  sorrow  is  the  disap- 
pointments of  time.  What  beautiful  plans  we  build  I  What  beautiful  hopes 
we  cherish  !  But  who  has  not  seen  his  plans  crumble  into  dust,  and  the 
hopes  he  has  cherished,  for  his  own  future  and  for  the  future  of  his  children, 
utterly  blasted  ?  Broken  hearts  are  in  palaces ;  sleepless  nights  are  not 
unknown  on  beds  of  down  ;  cold  shadows  are  ever  falling  in  the  brightest 
homes  ;  ruined  plans  and  hopes  are  in  the  gayest  hearts.  But  in  the  New 
Jerusalem  this  source  of  sorrow  will  be  removed.  Every  hope  will  be  more 
than  fulfilled,  every  heart  will  be  more  than  satisfied  with  the  rivers  of 
pleasures  which  are  at  Ood's  right  hand.  Another  source  of  sorrow  is  the 
presence  of  sin  in  the  soul.  Every  Christian  must  go  mourning  all  his 
days,  with  his  head  bowed  like  a  bulrush,  for  when  he  would  do  good  evil 
is  present  with  him.  He  must  ever  cry,  '^0  wretched  man  that  I  am )  Who 
shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death"  ?  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
this  cry  will  be  lost  in  the  anthem  of  complete  redemption.  Icto  it  nothing 
that  defileth  shall  ever  come;  in  it  there  will  be  nothing  to  repent  of,  and 
therefore  no  tears  of  penitence  to  shed.  Another  source  of  sorrow  is  the 
presence  of  sin  in  the  world  around  us.  The  Pralmist  says,  "  Rivers  of 
waters  run  down  from  mine  eyes,  because  they  keep  not  thy  law."  The 
prophet  says,  *'  0  that  mine  head  were  waters  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of 
tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night  for  the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  my 
people."     Jesus  wept  over  guilty  Jerusalemi     Paul  grieved  over  godless 

Athens.  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  this  source  of  sorrow  will  be  removed, 

S2 


498  L£CTURE   LXIV. 

for  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  will  be  a  sinless  Eden.  There  are 
tears,  too,  because  of  the  inconsistencies  of  our  fellow  Christians,  because 
of  the  little  good  we  are  doing,  and  because  of  the  desires  which  nothing 
earthly  can  satisfy.  The  world  itself  is  a  fountain  of  tears,  and  we  who  are 
in  this  tabernacle  do  groan,  being  burdened.  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
all  these  sources  of  tears  will  be  removed,  for  all  the  former  things  are 
passed  away  for  ever.  What  a  world  this  would  be  if  it  could  be  announced 
that  from  this  time  onward  there  would  be  no  more  tears  !  And  this  will 
be  the  condition  of  that  holy  city  in  which  we  hope  to  stand.  Its  inhabit- 
ants will  be  sorrowless,  for  "  God  shall  wipe  away  aU  tears  from  their  eyes." 
And  this  is  heaven  as  it  is  described  to  us  by  the  Spirit  of  inspiration, 
under  this  beautiful  figure  of  a  holy  city.  We  have  seen  its  new  name,  its 
divine  builder,  its  bridal  beauty,  the  perpetual  presence  of  its  glorious  King, 
and  its  sorrowless  inhabitants.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  the  children  of 
the  living  God  wait  with  hope  and  expectation  ?  Is  it  any  wonder  that 
they  look  forward  with  unutterable  longing  for  the  fullness  of  tihe  time  to 
come  ?  Their  longings  are  beautifully  described  by  the  inspired  Psalmist  of 
the  church,  who  under  the  figure  of  a  captivity  thus  sings  of  the  present 
sorrows  and  intense  yearnings  of  every  saintly  soul  while  a  pilgrim  and  a 
captive  in  this  vale  of  tears  : 

"  By  Babel's  streams  we  sat  and  wept, 
For  memory  still  to  Zion  clung  ; 
The  winds  alone  our  harp-strings  swept, 
That  on  the  drooping  willows  hung. 

There  our  rude  captors,  flushed  with  pride, 
A  song  required  to  mock  our  wrongs  ; 

Our  spoilers  called  for  mirth,  and  cried, 
*  Come,  sing  us  one  of  Zion's  songs.' 

O  how  can  we  the  Lord's  song  sing 

While  thus  an  exile,  captive  band  ? 
O  how  can  we  our  voices  bring 

To  sing  Grod's  songs  in  this  strange  land? 

Jerusalem,  God's  holy  hill. 

If  I  of  thee  forgetful  prove, 
Let  my  right  hand  forget  its  skill 

With  grace  the  harp's  sweet  strings  to  move. 

If  I  do  not  remember  thee, 
Let  my  parched  tongue  its  utterance  cease  ; 

If  my  chief  joy  be  dear  to  me 

Beyond  Jerusalem's  joy  and  peace." 


THI   NSW  JERUSALXM — CONTINUID.  499 


LECTURE    LXV.  1 


/< 
/  -» 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM-^CoNTiNUED. 

And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new.  And 
he  said  unto  me,  Write,  for  these  words  are  true  and  faithful.  And  he  said 
unto  me,  It  is  done.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end.  I 
will  give  unto  him  that  is  atnirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things  ;  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall 
be  my  son.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelievine,  and  the  abominable,  and  mur- 
derers, and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  wnich  is  the 
second  death.— Bet.  21 :  6-^. 

In  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture  the  holy  city  is  still  further  de- 
scribed. We  have  its  superiority,  its  certainty,  a  description  of  its  inhab- 
itants, and  a  description  of  those  who  are  without. 

I.  Ths  superiority  of  the  heavenly  state  is  briefly  expressed 
in  the  words, ''  And  he  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all 
things  new."  These  words  were  uttered  by  Ood  himself;  therefore,  they 
must  be  true.  As  they  were  spoken  with  such  solemn  emphasis  from  the 
heavenly  throne,  they  demand  our  serious  attention.  Our  knowledge  is 
largely  founded  on  our  experiences.  This  is  one  reason  why  we  know  so 
little  of  heaven.  It  lies  so  far  beyond  the  sphere  of  present  experience, 
that  we  see  as  through  a  glass  darkly.  And  this  is  the  reason  why  these 
revelations  of  heaven  are  based  upon  our  experience,  and  why  the  things 
of  heaven  are  described  by  comparing  them  with  things  with  which  we  are 
familiar  on  earth.  Heaven  is  in  some  respects  to  resemble  those  cities  in 
which  we  now  live.  It  is  to  have  walls,  and  gates,  and  streets,  and  palaces ; 
it  is  to  have  a  builder,  and  king,  and  inhabitants  ;  it  is  to  have  joys,  and  em- 
ployments and  rewards.  But  though  it  is  in  some  respects  to  resemble 
those  cities  in  which  we  now  live,  and  though  it  is  compared  to  such  cities 
in  order  that  we  may  form  some  correct  idea  of  what  awaits  us,  we  must 
not  forget  that  it  is  to  be  greatly  different  from  the  present  and  vastly 
superior  to  the  present.  This  is  expressed  by  the  word  "  new."  In  what 
respect  is  this  heavenly  Jerusalem  to  be  new  ?  It  is  to  be  new  in  all  re- 
spects. It  is  to  be  new  in  its  situation.  The  cities  with  which  we  are 
familiar,  are  builded  in  this  world,  which  is  cursed  with  sin,  and  shaken 
with  earthquakes,  and  watered  with  blood ;  but  the  New  Jerusalem  is  to  be 
builded  in  a  new  earthy  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness,  in  which  there 
will  be  no  sea  of  commotion  or  unrest,  and  into  which  no  enemy  will 
ever  come.  It  is  to  be  new  in  its  builder.  The  cities  with  which  we  are 
familiar,  are  builded  by  men ;  but  the  builder  and  maker  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  is  Gk)d.     It  is  to  be  new  in  its  object.     The  cities  with  which 


J 
/ 


492  LEOTURE  LXIY. 

ten  of  thb  book,  we  have  to  do  with  symbols.  We  are  not  to  sappoae  that 
heaven  is  here  literally  described.  Heaven  is  not  to  be  a  city  descending 
from  Ood,  with  streets  of  gold,  and  gates  of  pearl,  and  foundations  of 
precious  stones,  bat  it  is  to  resemble  such  a  city*  In  other  words,  sach  a 
city  is  a  symbol  of  the  heavenly  residence  of  the  glorified  saints.  Bemem- 
bering  this,  we  can,  with  the  help  of  the  Spirit,  learn  ftom  this  symbol 
something  of  what  heaven  is  to  be. 

The  name  of  this  symbolical  city  is  the  New  Jemsalem,  a  name  which 
was  peculiarly  dear  to  the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament  church,  and  there- 
fore peculiarly  dear  to  their  spiritual  descendants,  the  saints  of  the  New 
Testament  church.  There  were  many  places  within  the  borders  of  the 
promised  land  which  were  dearly  loved  by  the  godly  Jews.  They  loved 
the  cave  of  Machpelah,  for  it  was  the  burial  place  of  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob.  They  loved  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  for  it  was  the  spot  which 
had  witnessed  some  of  the  grandest  triumphs  of  their  armies  and  some 
of  the  most  disastrous  defeats  of  their  enemies.  They  loved  the  city 
of  Hebron,  for  it  was  the  birth-place  of  David,  their  greatest  king. 
They  loved  humble  Shiloh,  for  here  the  tabemade,  which  they  had  borne 
all  the  way  from  Sinai,  stood  for  many  years,  and  here  the  tribes  had  long 
assembled  for  the  worship  of  their  God.  But  most  of  all  they  loved 
Jerusalem.  Here  their  temple  stood.  Here  their  kings  lived  and  reigned 
Here  was  the  centre  of  their  government  and  their  worship.  Here  Ood 
especially  manifested  his  presence  and  his  glory  in  the  solemn  rites  of  thebr 
religion.  The  name  Jerusalem  would  remind  them  of  that  temple,  and  the 
assembled  congregation  which  so  often  waited  and  worshiped  in  its  courts, 
of  the  most  holy  place,  and  the  mercy  seat,  and  the  Shechinah,  of  their 
altars  and  their  sacrifices,  of*  their  rapturous  communion  with  God  and 
the  happiest  hours  of  their  earthly  life. 

Therefore  the  name  Jerusalem  has  been  chosen  by  inspiration  to  de- 
scribe that  city  which  is  a  symbol  of  heaven.  This  name  indicates  that 
this  symbolical  city  in  some  respects  resembles  the  capital  of  the  andent 
dispensation.  Some  of  these  points  have  been  suggested  ;  others  will  be 
suggested  hereafter.  But  though  there  are  points  of  resemblance,  there 
are  also  points  of  dissimilarity;  and  because  of  these  points  of  dissimilarity, 
the  symbolical  city  is  called,  not  Jerusalem,  but  the  New  Jerusalem.  This 
word  "  new  "  tells  us  that  heaven  is  to  be  something  better  than  the  inhab- 
itants of  the  city  of  David  ever  knew.  In  the  old  Jerusalem  there  was 
a  magnificent  temple ;  in  the  New  Jerusalem  there  will  be  no  temple.  In 
the  former,  there  were  numberless  sacrifices ;  in  the  latter,  all  saorifioe  will 
be  dene  away.  In  the  former,  there  were  sons  of  Belial ;  in  the  latter,  all 
will  be  sons  of  God.  In  the  former,  there  were  sin  and  suffering ;  in  the 
latter,  there  will  be  holiness  and  joy.  In  the  former,  the^  worship  was 
often  interrupted  by  weariness  and  captivity ;  from  the  latter,  the  unwea- 


THB  NEW  JXBU8ALEM.  493 

ried  inhabitants  will  never  go  out.  In  the  former,  the  glory  of  God  was 
partially  revealed ;  in  the  latter,  it  will  be  fully  manifeBted.  All  this  is 
shadowed  forth  by  the  holy  city,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem.  We  may 
look  with  admiration  upon  the  privileges  of  the  citizens  of  the  old  Jeru* 
salem,  as  they  gathered  in  their  temple,  saw  the  glory  of  their  God  and 
heard  his  words ;  but  their  privileges  are  as  nothing  when  compared  with 
what  ours  will  be  in  the  heavenly  city,  for  we  will  then  enter  the  New 
Jerusalem,  of  which  the  old  Jerusalem  was  only  a  faint  shadow  and  imper- 
fect type. 

II.  Thb  buildsb  of  this  symbolical  city  is  God.  '*  I  John  saw  the 
holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven."  The 
meaning  of  this  language  is  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood.  That  which 
oomes  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  must  be  created  by  God.  Every 
good  and  perfect  gift  "  comes  down  from  God" ;  that  is,  God  creates  and 
bestows  every  good  and  perfect  gift.  So  G^d  is  the  maker  and  builder  of 
that  city  which  comes  down  from  heaven.  Or  if  we  transfer  our  thoughts 
from  the  symbol  to  the  things  symbolized,  the  meaning  is  that  God  has 
prepared  the  heavenly  city  for  his  people.  He  has  provided  for  their  fu- 
ture happiness.  Nothing  is  left  to  chance.  Gt)d  is  the  architect  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.  Let  this  thought  take  full  possession  of  our  souls.  It 
must  therefore  be  complete  in  itself  and  perfectly  adapted  to  those  for 
whom  it  was  built.  The  builders  of  the  old  Jerusalem  were  many,  and 
their  plans  were  not  always  in  harmony ;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
is  one,  and  his  plans  are  one.  The  builders  of  the  old  Jerusalem  were  not 
always  able  to  carry  out  their  designs,  and  their  plans  were  sometimes  in- 
terrupted by  enemies  and  death ;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jamsalem  is 
omnipotent,  and  makes  everything  bow  to  his  will.  The  builders  of  the 
old  Jerusalem  could  not  always  understand  the  wants  of  those  for  whom 
they  built ;  the  builder  of  the  New  Jerusalem  knows  what  will  satisfy  the 
souls  and  accomplish  the  happiness  of  his  people.  Our  ideas  of  the 
heavenly  state  may  be,  and  no  doubt  are,  very  crude  and  imperfect.  When 
we  enter  heaven,  if  it  will  ever  be  our  privilege  to  enter  it,  we  will  be  met 
with  astonishment  after  astonishment.  But  of  this  we  may  be  sure,  that 
which  God  has  prepared  will  be  complete  in  itself,  and  perfectly  adapted 
to  the  wants  of  those  for  whom  the  preparation  was  made.  Let  this 
thought  have  a  place  beside  those  we  have  just  presented ;  let  the  name  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  blend  in  our  memory  with  the  name  of  its  builder ;  so 
shall  we  be  prepared  to  understand  and  appreciate  the  blessedness  of  that 
better  country,  as  it  is  to  be  revealed.  The  name  of  the  holy  city  is  the 
New  Jerusalem  ;  its  builder  and  maker  is  God.  By  as  much  as  God  is 
greater  than  David  and  Solomon,  and  all  the  rest  who  labored  to  build  the 
walls  of  the  earthly  Zion,  by  so  much  will  the  New  Jerusalem  be  better 
than  the  old. 


502  LEGTITBE  LXV. 

no  explanation  is  necessary  here.  We  need  only  refer  ta  the  purpose  for 
which  it  is  introduced.  The  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega, 
the  beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last  He  is  therefore  divine, 
immutable,  eternal  and  omnipotent  If  these  are  his  attributes,  there  can 
be  no  question  that  he  will  do  what  he  has  promised.  Surely  we  dwellen 
on  the  earth  may  rest  with  confidence  on  the  revelation  that  in  due  time 
all  things  will  be  made  new.  No  stronger  assurance  could  be  given  than 
has  been  given.  That  which  is  past  is  not  more  certain  than  that  which 
God  has  promisedi  On  this  divine  revelation  we  may  build  our  hopes  and 
wait  with  confidence  for  the  coming  of  that  city  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  Qod. 

III.  1!he  inhabitants  of  ths  holt  city  are  described  in  these 
words :  ^*  1  will  give  unto  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water 
of  life  freely.  He  that  overcometh  shall  inheriti  all  things ;  and  I  will  be 
his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.''  In  these  words  we  have  a  threefold  de- 
scription of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven ;  they  are  those  who  have  been 
thirsty  and  have  drunk  freely  out  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life ;  they 
are  those  who  have  overcome,  and  have  inherited  all  things ;  they  are  the 
sons  of  God. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  threefold  description  it  Is  said,  '*  I  wiU  give  unto 
him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  Salvation 
is  here  compared  to  living  water  by  which  thirst  is  quenched  and  strength 
revived.  This  is  a  familiar  figure  to  every  reader  of  the  Bible.  Isaish 
uses  it  when  he  says,  '*  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  oome  ye  to  the 
waters."  The  Saviour  uses  it  when  he  says,  *'  Whosoever  shall  dnnk  of  the 
water  I  shall  give  him,  it  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water,  springing  up 
unto  everlasting  life."  It  is  used  in  the  Apocalypse  when  it  is  said,  ''The 
Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come.  And 
let  him  that  i^  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
of  life  freely."  The  propriety  of  this  figure  cannot  be  called  in  question 
by  any  one  who  knows  anything  of  the  gospel  plan  of  redemption.  What 
does  this  common  and  easily  understood  figure  reveal  to  us  of  the  character 
of  heaven's  inhabitants  ?  They  are  those  who  were  once  strangers  and 
pilgrims  on  the  earth ;  they  are  those  who  once  were  wanderers  in  the  wil- 
derness of  the  world,  and  who  thirsted  for  holinesi,  pardon  and  happioess ; 
they  are  those  who  have  been  led  by  the  heavenly  Father  to  the  fountain 
which  he  has  opened,  and  who  have  satisfied  their  souls  with  living  water. 
Or,  dropping  the  figure,  they  arc  those  who  felt  their  need  of  salvation, 
and  who  have  found  it  in  the  way  of  divine  appointment^  through  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 

In  the  second  part  of  this  threefold  description  it  is  said,  '*  He  that 
overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things."  Here  is  another  common  figure.  The 


THB  NBW  JBRtrSALBM — CONTINUED.  603 

Christian  life  is  a  warfare.  What  does  this  figure  reveal  to  us  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  heaven  ?  They  are  those  who,  putting  on  the  armor  of  God,  have 
fought  the  good  fight ;  they  are  those  who  have  overcome  the  enemies 
by  whom  they  were  surrounded — sin  and  its  attractions,  the  world  and  its 
allurements  and  afflictions,  and  Satan  and  his  hosts ;  they  are  those  who 
have  followed  the  great  Captain  of  their  salvation  through  temptation, 
suffering  and  death ;  they  are  those  who,  having  done  all  this,  have  inher« 
ited  the  kingdom. 

In  the  third  part  of  this  description  it  is  said,  '*  I  will  be  his  God,  and 
he  shall  be  my  son."  Here  is  another  common  figure.  Christians  have 
been  adopted  into  the  family  of  God,  and  have  been  made  sons  and 
daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty.  What  does  this  figure  reveal  to  us  of  the 
inhabitants  of  heaven  ?  They  are  those  who  have,  through  grace,  been 
adopted  into  the  family  of  God ;  they  are  those  who  have  received  the 
spirit  of  adoption,  and  the  names  and  disposition  of  children ;  they  are 
those  who  have  enjoyed  the  protection,  the  education,  the  love,  and  the 
chastisement  which  the  heavenly  Father  provides  for  those  of  his  house- 
hold ;  they  are  those  who  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  who  are  all  l^at  is 
implied  in  the  word  "  sons" ;  they  are  those  to  whom  Qod  is  a  father,  and 
all  that  is  implied  in  the  word  *'  father." 

It  is  well  for  us  that  these  characteristics  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven 
are  so  easily  understood ;  for  we  cannot  be  deceived,  even  while  we  are 
here  on  earth,  as  to  whether  we  are  among  the  number  of  those  who  are  to 
dwell  for  ever  in  the  heavenly  city  of  our  God.  We  must  not  think  that 
death  works  any  magical  change  in  our  spiritual  condition.  "As  the  tree 
falleth,  so  it  must  lie."  As  we  are  when  we  die,  so  will  we  enter  into 
eternity.  The  future  life  is  only  a  continuation  of  the  life  which  is  begun 
here.  The  state  of  glory  is  only  the  state  of  grace  completed  and  perfected. 
We  cannot,  therefore,  expect  to  be  saints  of  God  hereafter,  unless  we  are 
saints  of  God  here.  We  cannot  expect  to  be  among  the  conquerors  of  the 
future,  unless  we  are.  among  the  conquerors  of  the  present.  We  cannot 
expect  to  drink  at  the  fountain  of  life  in  heaven,  unless  we  first  drink  at 
that  fountain  on  earth.  Are  we  now,  though  our  spiritual  taste  is  weakened 
and  impaired  by  sin,  drinking  from  the  wells  of  salvation  ?  Then  we  may 
rest  assured  that  by  and  by  our  souls  will  quench  their  thirst  at  that  river 
which  flows  hard  by  the  throne.  Are  we  now  fighting  our  foes  and  wresting 
dearly  bought  victory  from  their  powerful  hands  ?  Then  we  may  rest 
assured  that  by  and  by  the  last  battle  will  be  fought,  and  the  inheritance  of 
the  conquerors  will  be  ours.  Are  we  now  sons  of  God,  called  by  his  name, 
and  transformed  in  some  measure  into  his  likeness  ?  Then  we  may  rest 
assured  that  by  and  by  we  will  enter  the  many-mansioned  house  of  our 
heavenly  Father,  from  which  we  have  long  been  exiled,  and  be  restored  to 
the  full  privileges  of  sonship  which  we  justly  forfeited.     For  these  are  the 


504  LEOTURB  LXY. 

wordB  of  him  who  is  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end: 
"  I  will  give  unto  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life 
freely.  He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things :  and  I  will  be  his  ^God, 
and  he  shall  be  my  son." 

IV.  The  description  of  those  who  are  without  is  this :  ''  But  the 
fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable,  and  murderers,  and  whore- 
mongers, and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have  their  part 
in  the  lake  which  bumeth  with  fire  and  brimstone :  which  is  the  second 
death."  What  a  striking  contrast  there  is  between  those  who  are  here 
described,  and  those  who  are  described  in  the  words  we  have  just  consid- 
ered— those  who  have  satisfied  their  thirsty  souls  at  the  fountain  of  life, 
who  have  overcome  their  enemies  and  inherited  the  kingdom,  and  who  are 
the  sons  of  God.  It  seems  as  if  there  could  be  no  danger  of  mistaking  one 
for  the  other.  And  in  that  future  world,  when  faith  will  be  lost  in  victory, 
and  unbelief  will  reach  its  full  development,  there  will  be  no  such  danger. 
But  here  on  earth,  where  the  saints  are  yet  defiled  with  sin,  and  where  the 
lines  of  the  divine  likeness  are  so  blurred  and  blotted  as  to  be  often  doubted 
and  sometimes  denied — ^where  sinners,  through  the  restraints  which  Qod 
has  laid  upon  them,  are  measurably  held  in  check,  it  is  not  always  easy  to 
determine  who  are  the  heirs  of  heaven,  and  who  are  among  the  number  of 
those  against  whom  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  will  be  closed.  To 
help  in  such  determination,  the  character  of  the  latter  is  here  set  in  em- 
phatic contrast  with  the  character  of  the  former. 

First  among  those  who  are  without  are  the  "  fearful."  The  fearful  are 
those  who  have  not  firmness  to  stand  by  their  professed  principles,  or  who 
are  afraid  to  profess  themselves  friends  of  God  in  the  wicked  world. 
They  have  convictions  but  they  dare  not  live  up  to  them.  The  fear  of 
men  keeps  them  from  being  on  the  Lord's  side.  There  were  such  in 
the  days  of  the  incarnation.  It  was  this  fear  which  long  held  back 
Nicodemus.  It  was  this  fear  which  held  back  many  others  whose 
names  have  not  been  mentioned.  This  fear  has  at  'this  day  a  powerfiil 
influencci  for  in  eveiy  age  there  have  been  those  who  have  been  ashamed 
of  Christ  before  men.  These  fearful  ones  are  in  danger  of  condemnation. 
The  ''unbelieving''  are  those  who  have  not  faith.  They  are  avowed 
infidels,  or  (hose  who  are  infidels  at  heart ;  they  are  those  who,  for  any 
reason,  refuse  or  neglect  to  believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  To  this 
class,  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  belonged.  To  this  dasSi  those  who  now 
openly  reject  the  gospel  belong.  To  this  class,  those  who  live  in  cardess- 
ness  belong,  for  faith  in  Christ  is  an  essential  qualification  of  the  citiiess 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  The  *^  abominable  "  are  those  who  live  in  open 
sin,  who  seek  their  pleasure  in  unholy  thoughts,  words  and  actions.  To 
this  dass^  a  mighty  multitude  of  those  who  have  lived  on  earth  belong, 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM^ONTINUED.  505 

and  they  must  be  excluded  from  that  world  wbiob  is  pure  and  boly. 
*' Murderers"  are  tbose  who  are  guilty  of  taking  human  life,  or  of  cherish* 
ing  those  passions  which  lead  to  the  taking  of  human  life ;  ^'  for  he  that 
bateth  his  brother  is  a  murderer."  '  This  class  includes  the  persecutors  of 
the  saints,  tbose  who  carry  on  unrighteous  wars,  those  who^are  wasters  of 
human  life  through  slavery,  or  oppressive  labor,  or  criminal  careleasness,  or 
dueling,  or  revenge,  or  intemperance.  It  includes  all  those  who  in  thought 
or  in  deed  are  shedders  of  human  blood ;  for  they  all,  unless  they  repent 
and  are  renewed,  cannot  hope  to  enter  the  New  Jerusalem.  "  Whoremon- 
gen  "  are  tbose  who  are  licentious,  who  violate  that  purity  of  heart  and 
life  which  is  enjoined  in  the  seventh  commandment.  The  Saviour  charged 
this  vice  upon  many  who  were  attendants  on  his  ministry ;  and  it  is  a  vioe 
which  prevails  to  an  alarming  extent  in  the  days  in  which  we  live,  under- 
mining the  whole  social  structure,  and  winked  at  by  those  from  whom  better 
things  might  be  expected.  All  such  will  have  their  part  in  the  lake  which 
bumeth  with  fire  and  brimstone.  '^  Sorcerers  "  are  those  who  deceive 
men  by  claiming  supernatural  powers,  and  by  professing  to  hold  interoourse 
with  the  spirits  of  the  departed. .  By  their  claims  they  promote  supersti* 
tion,  and  turn  men  away  from  lives  of  fidth  and  holiness.  '<  Idolaters" 
are  those  who  worship  idols,  and  who  give  the  glory  and  service  which 
belong  to  Ood  to  anything  else,  whether  false  deities,  or  angelic  spirits,  or 
human  beings,  or  inferior  animals,  or  any  created  thing.  ^'  Liars "  are 
those  who  are  false  in  their  statements,  their  promises  or  their  contracts, 
false  either  toward  men  or  toward  God.  All  these  shall  be  left  without 
the  New  Jerusalem.  They  will  have  their  part  in  the  lake  of  fire  and  brim- 
stone.   They  will  die  the  second  death. 

What  a  fearful  catalogue  I  What  a  terrible  destiny  I  And  I  cannot 
pass  on  without  referring  more  particularly  to  that  sin  which  is  the  founda- 
tion on  which  all  the  others  rest,  and  out  of  which  all  the  others  grow,  the 
sin  of  unbelief.  It  has  been  made  a  matter  of  complaint  that  heaven  and 
immortal  life  should  hang  on  such  a  slender  thread  as  faith.  But  is  faith, 
which  is  just  confidence  in  Ood,  so  slender  a  thread?  Without  confidence 
among  men,  society  would  be  demoralized.  Destroy  confidence  in  our  fi- 
nancial institutions,  and  ruin  comes.  Destroy  confidence  between  husband 
and  wife,  parents  and  children,  physician  and  patient,  lawyer  and  client, 
and  in  the  other  departments  of  the  social  and  commercial  world,  and 
society  becomes  a  rope  of  sand.  If  faith  or  confidence  in  men  is  so  im- 
portant, surely  fiiith  or  confidence  in  Ood  must  be  more  important.  Yet 
unbelief  is  the  most  cotpimon  of  all  sins.  It  sometimes  shows  itself  in  the 
open  rejection  of  Christianity.  It  calls  the  Bible  a  lie,  and  Christ  cruci- 
fied a  fable.  This  is  vulgar  infidelity.  It  more  frequently  shows  itself  in 
practice.  There  are  those  who  profess  to  believe  every  truth  of  Christian- 
ity, but  the  gospel  has  no  hold  on  their  hearts,  and  its  great  voice  is  no 


506  LEOTUBB  LXYI. 

music  for  their  ears.  They  are  just  what  they  would  have  been  if  Chris- 
tianity had  never  been  proclaimed  in  the  world.  There  are  also  those  who 
reject  certain  troths  which  Christianity  reveals,  because  they  cannot  under- 
stand them,  or  because  they  do  not  love  them.  There  are  also  those  who 
reject  nothing,  but  who  simply  neglect  to  put  forth  that  faith  which 
Christianity  commands.  All  these,  disguise  it  as  we  may,  are  among  the 
unbelieving.  If  a  man  is  known  by  the  company  he  keeps,  what  must  be 
their  character  ?  They  are,  by  the  word  of  God,  numbered  among  liars, 
sorcerers,  idolaters  and  murderers  in  the  present  world,  and  they  will  have 
the  same  home  in  the  world  to  come.  Let  unbelievers  ponder  this  thought. 
Tou  may  now  be  choice  in  your  company.  You  may  now  refuse  to  asso- 
ciate with  those  who  violate  the  laws  of  honor,  honesty  and  chastity.  Are 
you  willing  to  associate  with  them  for  ever  ?  If  not,  withdraw  yourselves 
now ;  for  the  same  dividing  line  which  runs  through  this  life  will  run 
through  the  next. 

Let  believers  ponder  the  thoughts  which  have  been  presented.  In 
the  inspired  words  we  have  reviewed,  we  have  seen  something  of  the  New 
Jerusalem,  for  irhich  you  are  looking  and  waiting.  After  death  has  come, 
after  the  earth  has  been  burned  and  the  heavens  rolled  together  as  a  scroll, 
after  the  judgment  has  passed,  you  will  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the 
city.  <'  Seeing  then  that  all  these  things  shall  be  dissolved,  what  manner 
of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness,  looking 
for  and  hasting  unto  the  coming  of  the  day  of  God,  wherein  the  heavens 
being  on  fire  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent 
heat  ?  Nevertheless  we,  according  to  his  promise,  look  for  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness.  Wherefore,  beloved, 
seeing  that  ye  look  for  such  things,  be  diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of 
him  in  peace,  without  spot,  and  blameless."     2  Peter  3  :  11-14. 


LECTURE    LXVI. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CoHTiNUKD. 

And  there  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels,  which  had  the  seven  vials 
full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  talked  with  me,  saying,  Come  hither,  I  will 
show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  And  he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit 
to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and  showed  me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusa- 
lem, descending  out  of  heaven  from  God,  having  the  glory  of  God:  and  her 
light  was  like  unto  a  stone  most  nrecious,  even  like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as 
crystal ;  and  had  a  wall  great  and  high,  and  had  twelve  gates,  and  at  the  gates 
twelve  angels,  and  names  written  thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve 
tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel :  On  the  east,  three  gates;  on  the  north,  three 
gates  ;  on  the  south,  three  gates  ;  and  on  the  west,  three  gates.  And  the  wall  of 
the  city  had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles 
of  the  Lamb.— Rev.  21 :  9-14. 


THE  NSW  JEBUSALBM — CONTINUED.  507 

We  now  enter  npon  a  more  minute  account  of  the  holy  city,  which  is 
the  symbol  of  heaven.  The  previous  verses  have  sketched  the  outlines  of 
the  New  Jerusalem,  but  in  the  following  verses  these  outlines  are  to  be 
filled  up.  Our  attention  has  been  called  to  the  name  of  the  holy  city,  to 
its  divine  builder,  to  its  peerless  beauty,  to  its  glorious  King,  to  its  sorrow- 
less  and  deathless  inhabitants,  to  its  superiority,  to  the  characteristics  of  its 
citiKens,  and  to  the  characteristics  of  those  who  are  without.  Now  our 
attention  is  to  be  called  to  those  details  which  will  give  us  a  clearer  idea  of 
the  symbolical  city,  and  which  will  lead  us  to  a  better  understanding  of 
what  heaven  is  to  be.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  exile  of  Patmos 
loved  to  linger  upon  the  revelations  of  this  vision.  After  all  the  troubled 
visions  which  had  been  made  to  pass  before  him,  the  sight  of  this  holy  city 
must  have  soothed  his  troubled  spirit.  And  we  may  well  love  to  linger 
upon  the  revelations  of  this  vision,  for  it  tolls  us  more  of  heaven  than  we  are 
told  elsewhere  in  the  word  of  God.  What  we  cannot  learn  of  heaven 
from  this  chapter,  we  cannot  hope  to  know  till,  through  divine  grace,  we 
stand  in  the  midst  of  its  blessedness.  Some  of  the  details  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  are  set  before  the  apostle  and  before  us  by  one  of  the  seven 
angels.  And  this  is  the  first  thing  which  claims  our  attention  in  the  sub- 
ject of  the  present  lecture,  viz. : 

I.  The  angelio  guide  through  the  streets  of  the  heavenly  city. 
'*  There  came  unto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels,  which  had  the  seven  vials 
full  of  the  seven  last  plagues,  and  talked  with  me."  Which  one  of  the 
seven  angels  it  was  who  was  now  commissioned  to  show  the  apostle  the 
wonders  of  the  city,  we  do  not  know,  but  it  seems  more  than  probable  that 
it  is  the  same  one  who  occupies  such  a  prominent  place  in  the  vision  of 
chapter  XVII.  In  the  first  verse  of  that  chapter,  we  are  told,  "  there 
came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  vials  and  talked  with 
me,  saying  unto  me,  Gome  hither  j  I  will  show  unto  thee  the  judgment  of  the 
great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters.*'  It  was  appropriate  that  the 
angel  who  had  been  employed  in  describing  the  enemies  of  the  church  and 
their  overthrow,  should  be  employed  in  describing  the  church  and  its  final 
triumph  and  gloiy.  And  the  fiict  that  this  is  the  same  angel  who  has  taken 
part  in  previous  visions,  must  convince  us  that  each  one  of  these  visions  is 
a  part  of  one  great  revelation.  To  understand  their  true  meaning,  they 
must  be  explained  as  a  whole,  and  not  as  separate  and  independent  revela- 
tions. The  explanation  of  the  angel  may  be  relied  on  with  implicit  confi- 
dence. He  is  one  of  the  holy  ones  of  Ood,  and  he  is  commissioned  by 
God  to  do  this  particular  work.  We  must,  therefore,  believe  his  words  as 
if  they  were  the  words  of  God  himself*  Following,  then,  the  steps  of  this 
angel,  and  listening  to  his  words,  let  us  see  what  we  can  learn  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 


608  LEOTITRE  LXVI. 

II.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  name  which  the 
angel  gives  to  the  holy  city.  <'  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the 
Lamb's  wife.'*  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  angel  applies  this  name  to 
the  holy  city,  for  we  are  told  in  the  next  verse  that  he  carried  the  apostle 
to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and  showed  him  that  great  city,  the  holy 
Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from  Ood.  Nor  is  it  difficult  to 
discover  the  way  in  which  this  figurative  name  was  suggested  in  the  preeent 
circumstances.  In  that  vision  to  which  we  referred  a  little  while  ago,  this  same 
angel  described  Antichrist  under  the  figure  of  a  drunken  harlot.  This 
false  church  committed  fornication  with  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and  was 
drunken  with  the  blood  of  the  saints.  Now,  when  he  would  describe  the 
true  church,  he  employs  a  related  figure.  The  true  church  is  the  bride, 
the  Lamb's  wife.  In  order  to  appreciate  the  beauty  of  this  symbolical 
representetion,  we  must  bring  these  two  visions  together.  We  must  let  the 
gaudily-dressed  and  drunken  harlot  stand  side  by  side  with  the  white- 
robed  and  beautiful  bride.  We  must  read  the  first  verse  of  chapter  XV II, 
in  immediate  connection  with  the  words  we  are  now  considering.  "And 
there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  which  had  the  seven  vials,  and  talked 
with  me,  saying  unto  me,  Come  hither;  I  will  show  unto  thee  the  judgment 
of  the  great  whore  that  sitteth  upon  many  waters."  ''And  there  came 
unto  me  one  of  the  seven  angels,  which  had  the  seven  vials  full  of  the  seven 
last  plagues,  and  talked  with  me,  saying.  Come  hither,  I  will  show  thee  the 
bride,  the  Lamb's  wife." 

The  propriety  of  this  figure  to  describe  the  glory  and  honor  of  the  true 
church  and  the  intimate  relation  which  exists  between  it  and  its  King, 
cannot  be  called  in  question.  So  appropriate  is  it  that  it  is  one  of  the 
common  figures  of  the  Bible.  As  an  illustration  of  the  manner  in  which 
this  figure  is  employed,  I  would  refer  to  Esekiel  16.  In  that  chapter, 
the  church  in  its  natural  stete  is  pictured  as  a  wretohed  infant,  oast  out  by 
its  unnatural  parents  into  the  open  field  in  the  day  in  which  it  was  bom, 
weltering  in  its  own  blood,  with  no  eye  to  pity,  and  no  hand  to  save.  But 
on  this  helpless  and  friendless  outcast,  the  Lord  had  pity.  As  he  passed  by 
and  saw  it  polluted  in  its  own  blood,  he  said,  Live.  He  watohed  over  her  till 
she  had  reached  the  comeliness  of  adult  life,  and  then  he  entered  into  a 
covenant  with  her,  and  she  became  his.  He  clothed  her  with  beautifol 
robes,  and  put  costly  jewels  upon  her,  and  espoused  her  to  himself.  Though 
she  was  oilen  unfaithful  to  her  Lord,  forgetting  the  vows  of  her  espousaii, 
yet  he  ever  forgave  her  unfaithfulness  and  forgetfulness,  and  restored  her 
to  his  favor.  All  this  the  prophet  describes  in  that  wonder^  chapter. 
And  the  sequel  of  this  history  is  revealed  in  the  words  under  consideratiott. 
When  the  long  espousal  is  ended,  the  church  redeemed  from  all  undean- 
ness  will  be  brought  home  to  glory  with  shouts  of  joy  on  every  side,  the 
figurative  marriage  will  be  celebrated  in  the  heavenly  cathedral,  and  the 
church  will  be  for  evermore  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife. 


THE   NEW  JERUSALEM — OONTINUED.  600 

This  figure  shows  the  saperiority  of  the  heavenly  over  the  earthly  church. 
The  latter  is  only  espoused  to  Christ;  the  former  is  his  wife.  It  also  shows 
the  great  honor  which  is  put  on  the  redeemed  of  our  fallen  race.  The  Son 
of  Ood  passed  by  the  angels,  and  gave  to  his  Church  the  highest  place  in 
his  kingdom.  It  also  shows  the  intimate  relation  which  exists  between  the 
church  and  its  Lord.  He  calls  his  redeemed  not  only  his  servants,  not  only 
bis  friends,  not  only  his  children,  but  his  bride.  It  also  explains  something 
of  the  church's  eternal  glory.  While  the  angeb  stand  before  the  throne 
and  cast  their  crowns  upon  the  jeweled  pavements,  and  bow  in  humblest 
adoration,  the  church  sits  upon  the  throne  and  reigns  with  Christ,  for  she 
is  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  Inasmuch  as  this  figure  reveals  all  this,  and 
inasmuch  as  it  occupies  so  prominent  a  place  in  the  word  of  God,  it  is  one 
to  which  our  thoughts  and  our  faith  should  oflen  turn.  Our  Maker  is  our 
husband.  He  is  married  unto  us.  The  church  is  the  bride,  the  Lamb's 
wife. 

III.  The  location  of  the  holy  city  demands  a  few  remarks.  "And 
he  carried  me  away  in  the  spirit  to  a  great  and  high  mountain,  and  showed 
me  that  great  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  descending  out  of  heaven  from 
Gk>d."  There  have  been  those  who  have  tried  to  fix  the  geographical 
location  of  the  great  and  high  mountain  which  is  here  referred  to ;  but 
surely  those  who  have  made  the  attempt  have  forgotten  that  this  is  a  vision. 
It  was  not  in  the  body,  but  in  the  spirit  that  the  apostle  was  carried  to  the 
mountain.  This  mountain  was  only  a  part  of  the  vision.  John  is  repre- 
sented as  standing  upon  such  a  mountain  that  he  might  have  a  distibct  view 
of  the  symbolical  city.  It  is,  therefore,  useless  to  attempt  to  fix  the  locality 
of  this  mountain,  for  it  has  no  locality,  save  in  vision.  The  meaning  of  the 
symbol  is  this :  the  apostle  was  so  placed  that  he  could  distinctly  see  and 
describe  the  glories  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

In  thb  verse  several  characteristics  of  the  symbolical  city,  which  have  been 
referred  to  in  the  previous  parts  of  the  vision,  are  again  brought  to  our 
noUce.  Its  name  is  Jerusalem.  It  is  a  holy  city.  It  descends  from  God 
out  of  heaven.  These  points  have  been  recently  discussed,  and  there  is  no 
necessity  in  discussing  them  again.  But  I  cannot  pass  on  without  referring 
to  the  thought  that  thLs  world,  resurrected,  renewed  and  purified,  is  possibly 
to  be  the  eternal  home  of  the  saints.  The  New  Jerusalem  is  here  described  as 
descending  from  heaven,  and  to  what  place  could  it  descend  but  to  the  earth? 
And  this  supposition  harmonises  with  the  revelation  contained  in  the  first 
verse  of  this  chapter.  John  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  for  the  first 
heaven  and  the  first  earth  were  passed  away.  This  supposition  also  har- 
monizes with  the  predictions  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  which  point 
to  this  world  as  the  future  residence  of  the  saints.  However,  on  this  point 
we  may  not  speak  too  positively,  for  the  word  of  God  is  not  clear  enough 


510  LBOTUBE  LXYI. 

to  answer  every  question,  and  remove  every  doubt.  Wherever  heaven 
is,  it  will  satisfy  all  the  desires  of  our  immortal  souls,  by  the  absence  of  sin 
and  sorrow,  and  the  presence  of  God. 

lY.  The  liqht  of  this  heavenly  city  is  the  next  thing  which  daims 
our  attention.  '*  Having  the  gloiy  of  Gtxl ;  and  her  light  was  like  unto  a 
stone  most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper  stone,  dear  as  crystal."  The  same 
idea  is  even  more  clearly  expressed  in  verse  23.  "And  the  city  had  no  need 
of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it:  for  the  glory  of  God  did 
lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light  thereof.''  From  these  passages,  it 
appears  that  the  luminary  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which»will  never  be 
darkened  or  eclipsed,  is  the  glory  of  God ;  that  is,  God  will  dwell  in  this 
city,  and  his  glorious  presence  will  be  its  light.  It  will  help  us  to  under- 
stand  this  revelation  if  we  turn  back  to  the  Old  Testament,  and  see  how 
the  visible  presence  of  God  was  then  manifested.  Who  has  not  heard  of 
the  Shechinah  ?  What  was  the  Shechinah  ?  It  was  a  brilliant  and  glorious 
light,  enveloped  in  a  cloud,  and  generally  concealed  by  the  cloud,  so  that 
the  cloud  alone  was  visible.  On  particular  occasions  it  was  revealed  in 
dazzling  brightness.  This  Shechinah  usually  abode  in  the  most  holy  place 
in  the  tabernacle  and  temple,  between  the  Cherubim,  on  the  mercy  seat.  It 
was  concealed  by  a  heavy  vail  which  hung  before  it ;  but  sometimes  it 
manifested  itself  in  the  presence  of  all.  Thus  it  manifested  itself  on  mount 
Sinai,  and  in  the  pillar  of  fire  which  guided  the  Israelites  in  their  long 
journey  through  the  wilderness.  Thus  it  manifested  itself  again  and  again 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord,  so  that  the  priests  could  not  stand  to  minister 
because  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  that  filled  the  temple.  And  whenever  it 
manifested  itself,  it  was  a  most  brilliant  and  glorious  light,  which  exceeded 
the  brightness  of  the  noonday  sun. 

Rearing  this  in  mind,  we  will  have  no  difficulty  in  understanding  the 
words  before  us.  In  this  New  Jerusalem  God  will  ever  dwell,  for  we  are 
told,  in  verse  3,  ''  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell 
with  them."  At  that  time  God  will  dwell  with  men,  not  merely  by  his 
spiritual  presence  as  he  does  now,  and  as  he  has  ever  done  in  all  ages  of  this 
world's  history ;  he  will  dwell  with  them  by  his  visible  presence.  And  thai 
visible  presence  will  continually  manifest  itself,  as  heretofore  it  has  done 
only  on  rare  occasions,  in  the  most  brilliant  and  glorious  light,  a  light  so 
brilliant  and  glorious  that  the  sun  will  never  more  be  needed. 

If  we  could  carry  ourselves  in  the  spirit  into  the  most  holy  place  of  the 
temple  of  Solomon,  and  stand  beside  the  high  priest  on  the  day  of  atone- 
ment, and  see  the  Shechinah  as  it  rested  on  the  mercy  seat ;  if  we  could 
stand  on  the  shores  of  the  Red  sea,  on  the  memorable  night  of  Pharaoh's 
destruction,'  and  see  the  Shechinah  as  it  brought  light  and  peace  to  the 
hosts  of  Israel  and  dismay  and  terror  to  the  hosts  of  Egypt ;  if  we  could 


THE   NEW  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  511 

go  back  to  any  of  those  remarkable  ocoasionR  when  tbe  Sheohinab  showed 
itself  to  the  faithful  church  of  the  old  dispensation ;  we  might  be  able  to 
form  a  better  idea  of  the  glory  of  Qod,  which  is  to  be  the  luminary  of  the 
New  Jerusalem.     But  as  we  cannot  do  this,  we  will  have  to  use  to  the 
best  possible  advantage  the  helps  which  are  within  our  reach.     The  light 
of  the  Shechinah  will  be  brighter  than  that  of  the  sun.     It  will  be  more 
enduring  than  that  of  the  sun,  for  while  the  sun  shall  grow  dim  with  age, 
the  gloiy  of  the  Lord  will  endure  for  ever.     It  will  be  more  pleasing  than 
that  of  the  sun,  for  it  is  "  like  unto  a  stone  most  precious,  even  like  a 
jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal.''     There  is  so  much  uncertainty  as  to  what 
precious  stone^  are  meant  in  this  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  that  it 
will  not  be  advisable  to  attempt  to  identify  them.    It  is  true  the  names  are 
mentioned,  especially  in  the  description  of  the  foundations  of  the  city,  but 
some  of  these  names  are  so  obscure,  and  some  were  so  loosely  applied  in 
ancient  days,  that  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  determine  in 
modem  language  what  names  correspond  with  jasper,  and  sapphire,  and 
chalcedony,  and  all  the  rest.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  say,  in  the  present  con- 
nection, that  the  glory  of  Gk>d  which  lightens  the  New  Jerusalem  is  not 
so  much  like  the  light  of  the  sun^  as  it  is  like  the  soft  radiance  of  a 
precious  gem.     In  the  light  of  this  luminary,  which  no  cloud  will  ever 
darken,  and  over  which  no  eclipse  will  cast  a  shadow,  the  glorified  saints 
will  ever  live  and  walk.     While  we  are  yet  on  earth,  we  know  something 
of  what  it  is  to  walk  in  the  light  of  God's  countenance ;  we  are  not  wholly 
without  experience  of  the  joy  which  attends  the  sensible  presence  of  Ood ; 
nor  are  we  wholly  without  experience  of  the  agony  which  attends  the  dark- 
ening of  the  paternal  face ;  still  we  come  fiir  short  of  fuU  knowledge,  both 
of  the  joy  and  of  the  agony.     Of  all  the  thousands  who  have  walked  the 
earth  in  human  form,  only  one  really  knew.     That  one  was  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth.    Therefore,  in  the  days  of  his  humiliation,  he  regarded  the  with- 
drawal of  the  sensible  presence  of  G-od  as  the  greatest  of  all  his  sorrows. 
It  was  this  that  drew  from  him  the  bitterest  of  his  bitter  cries,  <'  My  Qod, 
my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me"  I     When  we  enter  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem, which  is  lightened  by  the  glory  of  God,  we  will  know  what  it  is  to 
walk  in  the  light  of  his  countenance,  and  it  will  be  to  us,  if  I  mistake  not, 
a  source  of  unending  wonder  that  we  were,  while  on  earth,  so  indifferent 
to  his  glorious  presence.     Among  the  glories  of  the  better  land,  this  de- 
serves a  prominent  place.    The  luminary  of  the  New  Jerusalem  will  be  the 
glory  of  God. 

V  y.  The  defences  of  the  New  Jerusalem  is  the  last  point  which 
claims  our  attention  in  the  present  lecture.  ''  And  it  had  a  wall  great  and 
high;  and  had  twelve  gates,  and  at  the  gates  twelve  angels,  and  names 
written  thereon,  which  are  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children 


512  LEOTUBE  LXVI. 

of  Israel.  On  the  east,  three  gates ;  on  the  north,  three  gates ;  on  the 
souths  three  gates ;  and  on  the  west,  three  gates.  And  the  wall  of  the  city 
had  twelve  foundations,  and  in  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of  the 
Lamb.*'  In  thesa  words,  four  defences  are  specially  mentioned :  the  wall 
of  the  city,  its  gates,  its  sentinels,  and  its  foundations.  A  few  words  on 
each  of  these  points  will  be  all  that  is  necessary  to  give  us  a  clear  idea  of 
the  symbol,  and  to  assure  us  of  the  perpetual  safety  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem. In  nothing  do  ancient  cities  differ  from  modern  cities  more  widely 
than  in  the  walls  by  which  they  were  surrounded.  On  account  of  the 
methods  of  warfare  which  were  then  employed,  a  wall  was  essential  to  the 
safety  of  a  city.  The  city  which  had  no  wall  was  at  the  mercy  of  its 
enemies,  but  the  city  which  had  a  wall  could  defy  its  foes.  Therefore, 
when  a  city  was  builded,  particular  attention  was  paid  to  its  wall ;  and 
when  a  city  was  captured,  its  first  great  humiliation  was  to  have  its  wall 
leveled  with  the  dust.  Both  these  statements  are  illustrated  in  the  various 
rebellions  and  overthrows  of  the  old  Jerusalem.  To  us,  familiar  with  all 
the  appliances  of  modern  civilization,  the  wall  of  a  city  does  not  have  the 
same  importance  it  had  to  those  who  lived  in  the  lands  of  the  Bible.  To 
them,  a  wall  was  of  the  first  importance.  A  city  without  a  wall  was  in- 
complete. This  is  the  reason  why,  in  this  vision,  the  wall  occupies  such  a 
protninent  place.  This  holy  city,  which  was  a  symbol  of  heaven,  had  a 
wall.  This  wall  was  great,  that  is,  thick  and  strong;  it  was  high,  so  high 
that  its  measurement,  given  in  a  subsequent  verse,  must  fill  us  with  aston- 
ishment. Those  whose  lot  it  is  to  stand  behind  these  walls  are  for  ever 
safe.  No  enemy  can  overthrow  them.  No  engine,  though  devised  by 
Satanic  cunning  and  worked  by  satanic  power,  can  batter  them  down.  In 
this  respect,  what  a  difference  there  is  between  the  present  and  the  future  11 
Here  there  are  no  walls  strong  enough  to  resist  our  great  enemy  i 
there  are  no  walls  high  enough  to  bafile  his  ingenuity ;  but  those  who 
stand  behind  the  battlements  of  heaven  need  fear  no  ill,  for  against  these 
battlements  the  counsels  of  hell  can  never  prevail.       s 

In  order  to  complete  the  defences  of  the  city,  something  more  than  a 
vrall  b  necessary.  There  must  be  gates,  through  which  the  inhabitants  of 
the  city  can  enter,  and  which  can  be  shut  and  defended  against  the  ap- 
proach of  every  foe.  Therefore,  this  heavenly  city  has  gates.  These  gates 
are  twelve  in  number.  Twelve,  as  we  have  had  occasion  to  show,  is  the 
number  of  heavenly  perfection.  On  these  twelve  gates  were  inscribed  the 
names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel,  the  name  of  one  tribe 
on  each  gate.  This  part  of  the  symbol  shadows  forth  the  fact  that  this 
holy  city  is  to  be  the  residence  of  all  Ood's  people.  All  the  tribes  of  spir- 
itual Israel  will  enter  through  these  gates.  In  that  glorified  state  all  the 
redeemed  of  Ood  will  be  gathered  into  one  family.  This  part  of  the  sym- 
bol also  shadows  forth  the  fact  that  this  holy  city  is  to  be  the  residence  of 


THE   NEW  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  513 

noDe  but  God's  people.  None  will  enter  through'  these  gates  who  do  not 
belong  to  one  of  the  tribes  of  spiritual  Israel.  These  gates  were  equally 
distributed  on  each  of  the  sides  of  the  city  ;  for  the  city,  as  we  learn  from 
another  verse,  is  in  the  form  of  a  square,  and  three  gates  were  on  the 
north  side,  three  on  the  east  side,  three  on  the  south  side,  and  three  on  the 
west  side.  This  part  of  the  symbol  shadows  forth  the  fact  that  all  the 
children  of  spiritual  Israel,  no  matter  from  what  part  of  the  world  they 
come,  will  find  ready  access  to  their  heavenly  home.  When  they  come  from 
all  the  lands,  from  the  north,  south,  east  and  west,  to  sit  down  with  Abra- 
ham, Isaac  and  Jacob,  they  will  find  open  gates  through  which  they  may 
enter  the  city.  These  twelve  gates  suggest  not  only  the  safety  of  the  city, 
but  also  the  greatness  of  its  extent.  There  is  room  in  the  New  Jerusalem, 
room  in  its  twelve  gates  of  access,  room  within  its  towering  walls,  room  in 
its  golden  streets,  room  in  the  love  of  Ood,  room  in  the  atonement  of 
Christ,  room  in  the  offers  of  the  gospel.  The  twelve  gates,  three  on-  each 
side,  stand  open  to  welcome  all  the  members  of  all  the  tribes  of  spiritual 
Israel,  that  mighty  multitude  which  no  man  can  number. 

The  defences  of  the  city  are  still  further  provided  for  by  the  twelve 
angels  who  stand  as  sentinels  at  the  twelve  gates.  The  allusion  is  of  course 
to  the  custom  of  placing  sentinels  at  the  gates  of  ancient  cities.  Thebes, 
with  its  hundred  gates,  had,  we  are  told,  a  hundred  sentinels  to  keep 
watch  and  ward  night  and  day.  The  temple  at  Jerusalem  had  watching 
priests  and  Levites  to  see  that  no  unclean  person  entered,  and  to  do  any 
service  required  at  their  hands.  The  garden  of  Eden  had  a  sentinel  cherub 
with  a  flaming  sword  to  guard  its  entrance.  So  the  New  Jerusalem  had 
an  angel  septinel  at  each  of  its  gates,  to  admit  those  who  had  a  right  to  the 
tree  of  life,  and  to  defend  the  inhabitants  from  every  approaching  foe. 

The  defence  of  the  city  is  stiU  further  provided  for  by  the  firm  founda- 
tions upon  which  its  walls  are  builded,  foundations  of  precious  stones 
which  the  lapse  of  time  cannot  weaken  or  overthrow.  On  these  twelve 
foundation  stones  were  written  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles.  This  is 
in  accordance  with  the  inspired  declaration:  "Ye  are  built  upon  the  founda- 
tion of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
comer-stone.''  For  this  is  the  way  in  which  the  church,  visible  and  in- 
visible, is  to  be  built.  Christ  is  the  corner-stone.  The  apostles  are  the  foun- 
dation stones.  The  saints  are  the  living  stones  of  which  its  walls  are  to  be 
composed.  With  such  a  foundation  as  this,  a  foundation  which  can  never 
be  moved,  the  city  is  safe  for  evermore. 

This  is  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem  as  it  is  described  in  the  verses 
before  us.  By  the  help  of  this  vivid  description,  which  the  Spirit  of  in- 
spiration has  given  us,  we  can  see  it  rising  before  our  eyes.  Its  luminary 
is  the  glory  of  God^    Its  defences  are  complete.     Its  walls,  and  its  gates, 

and  its  sentinels,  and  its  foundations,  make  assurance  doubly  sure.     How 

83 


.614  LECTURE  LXVII. 

unspeakable  must  be  the  joy  of  those  who  pass  throagh  those  gates,  and 
having  been  welcomed  by  those  sentinel  angels,  stand  within  those  walls 
which  can  never  be  moved  !  Will  this  ever  be  our  lot  ?  There  is  room. 
The  gates  are  open  yet.  If  this  is  our  hope,  we  should  make  ourselves 
familiar  with  the  New  Jerusalem,  just  as  the  Jews  made  themselves  famil- 
iar with  the  old  Jerusalem,  the  object  of  their  love;  for  to  us  is  addressed 
the  exhortation  of  the  Spirit,  not  with  reference  to  mount  Zion  of  the  old 
economy,  but  with  reference  to  the  new  Zion,  that  great  and  high  moun- 
tain on  which  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  will  stand : 

About  mount  Zion  walk,  Observe  her  palaces, 

Survey  her  walls  with  care,  And  mark  her  ramparts  well, 

And  look  upon  her  lofty  towers  ;  That  feo  what  you  have  seen  you  may 

See  what  their  numbers  are.  To  future  ages  tell. 


LECTURE    LXVir. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CoNTiNUKD. 

And  he  that  talked  with  me  had  a  golden  reed  to  measure  the  city,  and  the 
fixates  thereof,  and  the  wall  thereof.  And  the  city  lieth  foursquare,  and  the 
length  is  as  larse  as  the  breadth :  and  he  measured  the  citv  with  the  reed, 
twelve  thousand  furlongs.  The  length,  and  the  breadth,  and  the  height  of  it  are 
equal.  And  he  measured  the  wall  thereof,  an  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
cubits,  according  to  the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel.  And  the 
building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jasper :  and  the  city  was  pure  gold,  like  unto 
clear  glass.  And  the  foundations  of  the  wall  of  the  city  were  garnished  with 
all  manner  of  precious  stones.  The  first  foundation  was  jasper ;  the  second, 
sapphire;  the  third,  a  chalcedony ;  the  fourth,  an  emerald ;  the  fifth,  sardonyx ; 
the  sixth,  sardius;  the  seventh,  chrysolite  ;  the  eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  a  toiMftz ; 
the  tenth,  a  chrysoprasus  ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth;  the  twelfth,  an  amethyst. 
And  the  twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls  ;  every  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl : 
and  the  street  of  the  citv  was  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass .-^Rkt. 
21 :  15-21. 

Wb  come  now  to  the  measurement  of  the  holy  city. 

I.  The  first  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  PEasoN  by  whoh 
THE  MEASuasMENT  IS  MADE.  It  WHS  an  angel,  the  same  angel  who  had 
been  explaining  to  the  apostle  the  details  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  who  is 
described  in  a  previous  verse  as  one  of  the  seven  angels  who  had  the  seven 
vials  full  of  the  seven  last  plagues.  It  has  been  shown  to  be  more  than 
probable  that  this  angel,  who  was  commissioned  to  explain  to  John  the 
final  triumph  and  glory  of  the  true  church,  is  the  samciangel  who  in  previ- 
ous visions  was  commissioned  to  explain  the  rise  and  progress,  the  decline 


THE  NBW  JIBUBALSM— OONTINUSD.  616 

and  fiJl  of  the  false  charch.  At  any  rate,  cm%  thing  is  eertain :  as  this 
measarer  and  describer  of  the  holy  city  was  an  angel  of  Gk)d,  appointed  to 
do  this  yeiy  work,  and  familiar  with  the  subject  on  which  he  speaks,  we 
may  tnist  his  explanations  and  rely  on  his  words  with  implicit  confidence. 

II.  The  next  thing  which  calls  for  notice  is  the  measitbe,  with  which 
the  angel  measured  the  city.  It  was  a  reed,  or  rod,  similar  to  those  which 
are  often  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  and  which  are  yet  in  common  use 
among  men.  But  it  was  a  golden  reed.  He  who  carried  it  was  an  angel, 
a  holy  one  ]  and  it  was  fitting  that  the  instrument  which  he  employs  should 
be  of  no  common  material.  The  city  which  was  to  be  measured  was  brill- 
iant with  all  manner  of  precious  stones  and  richest  workmanship ;  and  it 
was  fitting  that  the  measuring  reed  should  be  in  keeping  with  the  city  to 
be  measured.  This  is  all  that  is  meant  by  this  part  of  the  symbol.  AH 
parts  of  the  vision  are  in  beautifnl  harmony.  The  golden  reed  was  suited 
to  the  personage  who  uses  it  and  to  the  occasion  on  which  it  was  used. 
With  his  golden  reed,  the  holy  angel  measures  the  city,  and  its  gates,  and 
its  wall ;  and  in  the  following  Tenses  we  have  the  result  of  his  measurement. 

III.  The  QENsnAL  plan  of  the  city  is  described  in  these  words : 
"  The  dty  lieth  foursquare,  and  the  length  is  as  large  as  the  breadtrh." 
Before  we  proceed  to  speak  particularly  of  this  plan  and  the  angel's  meas- 
urement, it  may  be  well  to  ask  and  answer,  if  we  can,  the  questions :  Why 
was  this  measurement  made  ?  What  is  its  meaning  ?  What  does  this 
part  of  the  symbol  shadow  forth?  We  have  had  occasion  more  than  once 
in  our  expositions  to  point  out  the  similarity  between  the  imageiy  of  this 
book  and  the  imageiy  employed  in  the  prophetic  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. This  measurement  of  the  New  Jerusalem  must  remind  us  of  that 
vision  which  is  recorded  in  the  concluding  chapters  of  the  prophecy  of 
Esekiel.  In  that  vision,  the  prophet  saw  a  city,  even  Jerusalem ;  he  saw 
the  holy  temple,  with  its  court,  and  its  altars,  and  its  furniture.  Under 
the  divine  direction,  he  measured  and  described  that  city  and  its  temple  to 
the  smallest  part.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  reason  of  this  vision. 
The  children  of  Israel  were  then  in  captivity.  For  yeara  they  had  waited 
and  longed  for  the  promised  restoration,  but  that  restoration  seemed  no 
nearer  now  than  when  their  captivity  b^an.  They  were  beginning  to  de- 
spair. They  were  banning  to  think  that  they  were  never  again  to  see 
the  land  and  the  graves  of  their  fathers,  and  that  mountain  and  temple 
which  the  God  of  their  fathers  loved  so  well.  They  were  beginning  to 
think  that  Zion  was  to  be  a  perpetual  desolation,  and  that  their  sanctuary 
would  ever  be  a  heap  of  ruins.  To  inspire  them  with  comfort  and  hope 
in  their  sorrow,  that  vision  was  vouchsafed  to  their  prophet.  He  was  per 
mitted  to  see  the  city  of  their  solemnities  and  the  temple  in  which  they 


516  LEOTURS  LXVII. 

were  yet  to  worship.  He  was  commanded  to  measure  that  city  and  temple, 
eyen  to  the  smallest  part,  and  to  record  the  result  of  the  measurement,  ao 
that  the  captive  Israelites  might  be  assured  that  the  promises  of  God  con* 
oerning  them  would  be  fulfilled.  After  reading  the  minute  measurement 
and  description  of  the  prophet,  they  could  feel,  even  with  tlieir  weak  and 
discouraged  faith,  that  their  city  and  temple  were  just  as  certain  as  if  they 
were  already  builded.  And  if  we  ihistake  not,  this  angelic  measurement 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  is  for  the  same  purpose.  We  are  yet  in  distant 
banishment  from  our  heavenly  home.  The  days  and  years  of  our  sinful 
captivity  are  slowly  wearing  away,  and  our  waiting  hearts  are  sick  with 
unsatisfied  longings.  It  is  true,  Otod  has  promised  us  a  heavenly  home,  but 
there  are  no  outward  signs,  at  least  we  think  there  are  no  outward  signs, 
that  this  promise  will  be  fulfilled.  We  are  ready  to  give  up  in  despair. 
We  are  ready  to  lie  down  beside  our  unfinished  tasks  in  the  wildemees  and 
die.  But,  lo  1  an  angel  comes  forth  with  his  golden  reed,  and  the  city 
stands  before  us.  Our  weak  faith  is  strengthened.  Our  fainting  hopes  are 
revived,  and  we  look  with  confidence  for  that  heavenly  city  which  hath 
foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  Ood.  Thb  is  the  great  design  of 
this  measurement  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  It  is  to  strengthen  our  faith  in 
our  heavenly  home.  But  there  is  another  and  secondary  design.  It  is  to 
show  that  this  heavenly  home  is  perfect  in  all  its  parts  and  in  all  its  pro- 
portions. Though  we  may  not  be  able  to  understand  the  full  meaning  of 
all  the  measurements,  we  are  able  to  understand  enough  to  assure  us  that 
that  heavenly  city,  whose  builder  and  maker  is  God,  is  as  sure  as  if  it  was 
already  builded,  and  perfectly  adapted  to  all  the  wants  of  those  for  whom 
it  is  builded.  With  these  thoughts  in  our  mind,  we  may  proceed  with  our 
explanations. 

The  city  is  in  the  form  of  a  square.  There  is  nothing  irregular  about  it. 
Its  walls  are  not  crooked.  There  are  no  juttings  out  in  one  place,  and  no 
indentations  in  another.  ''The  city  lieth  foursquare."  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this  part  of  the  symbol  ?  Perhaps  the  answer  to  this  question  does  not 
lie  upon  the  surface,  but  a  little  reflection  will  make  it  plain.  Think  for  a 
moment  of  the  cities  with  which  we  are  now  familiar.  They  are  builded  at 
different  times,  and  their  plans  are  modified  hj  circumstances.  The  founders 
of  cities  have  not,  for  the  most  part,  looked  far  enough  into  the  future. 
Their  cities  have  grown  beyond  their  greatest  expectations.  The  original 
plan,  if  there  was  one,  has  been  altered  and  enlarged  again  and  again.  One 
part  has  been  joined  to  another  as  the  necessities  of  the  case  required,  and 
the  result  is  that  there  is  no  regularity.  And  in  some  cases  the  fbunden 
of  cities  have  been  deceived  by  their  hopes.  They  have  prepared  plans 
which  have  never  been  realised ;  they  have  laid  out  streets  which  have 
never  been  built  up ;  instead  of  a  city  there  is  only  a  village,  which  stands 
as  a  monument  of  the  folly  of  its  builders  and  of  the  vanity  of  human 


THE  NEW  JBRUBALEM— CONTINUED.  §17 

expectations.  Compare  all  this  with  tbe  New  Jerusalem.  Its  plan  was 
laid  down  at  the  very  beginning,  and  that  plan  has  never  been  changed. 
Not  a  street  has  been  surveyed,  not  a  house  has  been  builded  which  was 
not  in  the  original  design.  It  has  not  grown  beyond  the  expectations  of  its 
founder.  The  lapse  of  years  has  not  made  it  necessary  to  enlarge  its  widls 
and  to  take  in  additional  territory.  In  one  word,  it  stands  for  ever  in  strict 
accordance  with  the  original  plan  of  its  divine  builder.  Or,  if  we  transfer 
our  thoughts  from  the  symbol  to  the  things  symbolized,  the  meaning  is, 
the  heavenly  church  will  be  just  what  God  from  all  eternity  intended  it  to 
be.  There  will  not  one  soul  enter  heaven  which  God  did  not  intend  to  save, 
and  for  which  he  has  not  made  provision.  There  will  not  one  soul  fail  to 
enter  heaven  which  God  intended  to  save,  and  for  which  he  made  provision. 
In  that  better  country  there  will  not  be  a  white  robe  without  one  to  wear 
it,  or  a  golden  crown  without  a  brow  on  which  to  place  it,  or  a  royal  throne 
without  a  king  to  sit  on  it ;  nor  will  there  a  single  one  come  seeking  robes, 
and  crowns,  and  thrones,  for  whom  these  things  have  not  been  prepared. 
Let  us,  if  we  can,  grasp  this  sublime  thought,  which  is  hard  to  grasp  be- 
cause of  the  uncertainty  which  attends  human  affairs,  and  the  changes 
which  are  continually  made  in  human  plans.  The  city  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem is  not  to  be  the  outgrowth  of  circumstances,  but  in  accordance  with 
an  eternal  and  unchangeable  plan.  "  The  city  lieth  foursquare."  And  this 
symbolic  language  but  expresses  a,truth  which  is  revealed  in  many  places 
in  the  word  of  God,  in  such  passages  as  these:  '^The  Lord  knoweth  them 
that  are  his.*'  "  They  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any  pluck  them  out 
of  my  hand."  "  Being  confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  he  who  hath 
b^un  a  good  work  in  us  will  perform  it  until  the  day  of  Christ  Jesus." 

IV.  In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  bize  of  the  oitt.  '*  He  measured 
the  city  with  the  reed,  twelve  thousand  furlongs."  As  a  mile  is  eight 
furlongs,  the  city  would  be  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  circumference  ;  or  each 
side  of  it  would  be  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  miles  in  length.  In 
comparison  with  this  city,  how  insignificant  are  the  cities  on  earth,  even 
the  greatest  cities  which  man  has  ever  builded!  The  size  of  this  city 
must  overturn  the  theory  of  those  literalists  who  suppose  that  the  things 
described  in  this  chapter  are  to  have  their  locality  in  the  land  of  Palestine, 
for  the  boundaries  of  such  a  city  would  stretch  far  beyond  the  narrow 
limits  of  the  promised  Canaan.  However,  these  dimensions  are  not  to  be 
understood  literally.  Twelve,  as  we  have  had  occasion  to  show,  and  as 
should  always  be  remembered  in  the  study  of  this  book,  is  the  number  of 
heavenly  completeness.  Hence  the  twelve  gates,  the  twelve  sentinels,  the 
twelve  foundations,  the  twelve  tribes,  and  the  twelve  thousand  furlongs. 
The  meaning  is,  that  the  city,  which  measures  twelve  thousand  furlangs, 
will  be  complete.     It  will  be  large  enough  to  contain  all  its  chosen  inhabit- 


SIS'  LSCTUBB  LXVII. 

antB.  No  one  will  be  crowded  out.  No  oolonies  will  be  oompdled  to  find 
a  home  eLiewhere,  beoanse  the  place  is  too  strait  for  them.  Within  the 
compasB  of  the  twelre  thousand  furlongs,  there  will  be  room  enough  for  all 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty.  This  is  the  idea  which  this 
representation  reveals  to  us  of  heaven.  The  home  of  the  redeemed  is  to  be 
on  the  most  magniltoent  scale  and  with  the  largest  proportions. 

y.  In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  height  of  the  oitt.  ''The  length, 
and  the  breadth,  and  the  height  of  it  are  equal."  According  to  this  rep- 
resentation the  height  of  the  city,  not  of  the  walls,  which  are  measured 
afterwards,  is  to  be  the  same  as  its  length^-that  is,  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  miles.  This  part  of  the  symbol  we  find  it  hard  to  realiie.  The 
height  seems  to  be  out  of  all  proper  proportion  when  compared  with  the 
other  dimensions.  What  was  the  symbol  as  it  appeared  before  the  eyes 
of  the  apostle  ?  Did  the  palaces  of  this  city,  like  the  hanging  gardens  of 
Babylon,  rise,  story  above  story,  untO  they  pierced  the  clouds  ?  Though  it 
is  not  an  unusual  thing  for  the  height  of  our  houses  to  equal  and  even 
surpass  their  other  dimensions,  we  cannot  think  this  to  be  the  figure  here. 
Let  us  walk  about  the  old  Zion,  and  compass  the  walls  of  the  old  Jerusa- 
lem, and  see  if  we  can  discover  nothing  which  will  help  us  to  understand 
the  vision.  We  stand  in  the  valley  of  the  son  of  Hinnom,  on  the  southwest 
of  the  city.  We  look  up  the  steep  sides  of  the  mountain,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  or  two  hundred  feet,  and  away  at  the  top  the  walls  of  the  city  are 
builded.  From  where  we  stand  to  the  top  of  the  wall  is  a  giddy  distance ; 
and  when  the  Saviour  was  tempted  to  cast  himself  down  from  that  highest 
pinnacle — if  this  is  the  scene  of  that  terrible  temptation,  as  some  have  sup- 
posed— it  is  no  wonder  that  he  said,  '*  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God."  To  us,  standing  in  the  valley  and  straining  our  eyes  to  catch 
glimpses  of  the  turrets  on  the  walls,  there  does  not  seem  to  be  so  much 
difierence  between  the  height  and  the  breadth  of  the  old  Jerusalem.  In 
this  description  of  the  city  of  David  is  to  be  found  the  key  to  the  symbol 
before  us.  The  holy  city  is  builded  upon  a  great  and  high  mountain  which 
towers  far  towards  heaven  ;  and  on  the  top  of  this  mountain  the  walls  of 
this  dty  stand,  and  its  golden  palaces  glisten  in  the  clear  sunlight  of  heaven. 
So  high  is  this  mountain,  that  to  the  wondering  apostle  the  length,  and  the 
breadth,  and  the  height  of  it  seem  to  be  equal.  What  is  the  meaning  of 
this  part  of  the  symbol  ?  Every  one  acquainted  with  the  location  of  ancient 
cities  can  answer  this  question  without  hesitation.  Why  was  Jerusalem 
builded  on  the  summit  of  mount  Zion  ?  Why  were  other  dties  builded  in 
places  not  easily  accessible  ?  It  was  that  they  might  be  more  easily  de- 
fended against  their  enemies.  It  was  that  they  might  be  more  safe  ftom 
eveiy  attack.  So  the  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem  is  represented  as  being 
on  a  great  and  high  mountain,  to  assure  us  of  its  everlasting  safoty.    No 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— -CX)NTINUED.  519 

foe  oan  scale  its  walls,  or  foroe  an  entrance  through  its  gates.  Those  who 
stand  within  and  look  over  the  lofty  battlements  need  fear  no  ill.  In  these 
words,  then,  "The  length,  and  the  breadth,  and  the  height  of  it  are  equal,' '^ 
the  Spirit  assures  us  of  the  safety  of  heayen. 

YI.  The  same  thought  is  presented  for  our  encouragement  in  the  next 
thing  which  claims  our  attention,  viz.,  the  measurement  of  the  walls. 
"And  he  measured  the  wall  thereof,  an  hundred  and  forty  and  four  cubits, 
according  to  the  measure  of  a  man,  that  is,  of  the  angel."  The  reference  is 
of  course  to  the  height  of  the  wall,  for  its  length  would  correspond  to 
the  extent  of  the  city.  Here  again  the  mystical  twelve,  that  number  of 
heavenly  completeness,  appears,  for  the  hundred  and  forty-four  cubits  a)  e 
twelve  times  twelve.  If  a  cubit  is  reckoned  as  eighteen  inches,  as  it  is 
usually  reckoned  in  the  measurement  of  the  Jewish  sanctuary,  then  this 
wall  was  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet  high.  And  while  this,  literally 
understood,  is  a  great  height,  it  is  not  without  a  parallel  in  earthly  architec- 
ture. The  walls  of  Babylon,  so  Herodotus  tells  us,  were  three  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  high.  Such  a  wall  as  is  here  described,  builded  on  the  top  of  a 
great  and  high  mountain,  gives  the  idea  of  security  against  every  possiblo 
attack.  To  express  this  thought,  viz.,  the  eternal  safety  of  the  inhabitants 
of  heaven,  human  language  is  employed,  and  human  measurements  are 
used  ;  for  the  measure  which  the  angel  employed  was  the  measure  of  men  ; 
that  is,  the  measure  commonly  used  among  men.  We  could  not  under- 
stand any  other.  If  the  angel  had  described  heaven  as  it  really  is,  wc 
stBl  would  have  been  ignorant;  his  discourse  would  have  been  as  the 
discourse  of  one  talking  in  an  unknown  tongue.  But  the  Spirit  of  inspira- 
tion knew  our  weakness,  and  he  employed  figures  we  are  in  some  measure 
able  to  understand.  Gathering  up  these  figures  in  our  mind,  what  a  sense 
of  security  do  they  impart !  Heaven  is  a  city,  builded  on  a  great  and  high 
mountain,  up  whose  lofty  and  inaccessible  sides  no  hostile  army  can  climb. 
It  is  surrounded  by  towering  walls  and  frowning  battlements  which  no 
artillery  can  reach  or  injure.  If  it  is  our  high  privilege  to  ascend  that 
mountain  and  to  stand  behind  those  walk,  there  will  fill  our  souls  such  a 
sense  of  safety  as  we  have  never  felt  on  earth,  though  we  are  now  surrounded 
by  the  unalterable  promises  and  defended  by  the  omnipotent  power  of  God. 

YII.  But  there  is  to  be  beauty  as  well  as  strength  in  the  New  Jeru- 
salem. This  thought  is  in  the  next  verse  presented  for  our  consideration. 
"And  the  building  of  the  wall  of  it  was  of  jasper :  and  the  city  was  of 
pure  gold,  like  unto  clear  glass."  Precious  stones  are  employed,  to  give  us 
some  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  wall ;  the  most  precious  metal  is  employed, 
to  give  us  some  idea  of  the  beauty  of  the  city  itself  How  beautiful  must 
that  wall  be  which  is  of  jasper !    How  beautiful  must  that  city  be  which  is 


520  LECTURE  LXVII. 

of  purest  gold  I  But  the  gold  of  which  the  city  was  huilded  was  something 
different  from  the  gold  with  which  we  are  familiar,  and  something  better. 
It  was  like  clear  glass.  The  golden  city  would  be  so  bright  that  it  would 
seem  to  be  glass  reflecting  the  sunbeams.  Sometimes  we  have  stood  in  the 
neighborhood  of  some  magnificent  building  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  and 
have  seen  his  rays  reflected  from  the  many  windows.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
building  was  one  mass  of  glowing  fire.  It  seemed  as  if  it  was  huilded  of 
burnished  and  glittering  gold.  In  some  such  way  as  this,  the  heavenly  city 
burst  upon  the  vision  of  the  wondering  apostle.  It  was  radiant  with  the 
glory  of  God.  It  dazzled  his  eyes  as  it  reflected  the  beams  of  the  sun  of 
righteousness.  He  could  compare  it  to  nothing  earthly,  save  to  a  city  of 
gold,  and  jasper,  and  glass.  We  cannot  fully  appreciate  this  description. 
It  surpasses  the  wildest  flight  of  our  imagination.  Eye  has  not  seen,  ear 
has  not  heard,  neither  has  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, 
what  Gk)d  has  prepared  for  them  that  love  him.  Even  here  we  long  for 
beauty,  and  our  longings  are  in  some  measure  satisfied.  Howbeit,  all  beauty 
on  earth  is  mhigled  with  deformity  and  imperfection.  When  we  enter  heaven 
and  stand  within  those  jasper  walls,  and  in  the  midst  of  that  city  of  gold  and 
glass,  then,  for  the  first  time,  will  we  see  beauty  without  a  stain. 

The  security  and  beauty  of  this  holy  city,  which  is  a  symbol  of  heaven, 
are  still  further  described  in  the  next  verses.  "  And  the  foundations  of 
the  wall  of  the  city  were  garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones. 
The  first  foundation  was  jasper;  the  second,  sapphire;  the  third,  a  chal- 
cedony ;  the  fourth,  an  emerald ;  the  fifth,  sardonyx ;  the  sixth,  sardius ; 
the  seventh,  chrysolite  ;  the  eighth,  beryl ;  the  ninth,  a  topaz ;  the  tenth,  a 
ohrysoprasus  ;  the  eleventh,  a  jacinth ;  the  twelfth,  an  amethyst."  It  would 
be  useless  to  attempt  to  identify  these  precious  ^tonesi  They  are  mentioned 
by  name,  but  some  of  these  names  are  so  obscure,  and  some  were  so 
loosely  applied  in  ancient  times,  that  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to  try 
to  discover  what  names  in  modem  language  correspond  with  jasper,  si^- 
phire,  chalcedony,  and  all  the  rest.  It  will  be  sufficient  for  us  to  grasp 
the  general  idea  which  the  Spirit  intended  to  convey.  That  idea  is  plain 
enough.  Foundations  of  such  precious  stones  can  never  be  weakened  or 
destroyed  by  the  lapse  of  time.  Such  foundations  are  beautiful,  for  the 
precious  stones  of  which  they  are  huilded  are  among  the  most  beantiful 
objects  with  which  we  are  familiar.  If  the  foundations,  which  are  ever  the 
most  unsightly  parts  of  an  edifice,  are  so  beautiful,  how  much  more  beauti- 
ful must  be  the  city  itself ! 

The  security  and  beauty  of  this  holy  city  are  still  further  described  in 
the  verse  which  concludes  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture.  '*  And  the 
twelve  gates  were  twelve  pearls ;  every  several  gate  was  of  one  pearl,  and 
the  street  of  the  city  was  of  pure  gold,  as  it  were  transparent  glass.'*  Of 
these  twelve  gates^  three  on  each  side  of  the  city,  each  one  guarded  by  an 


THE  NEW.  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  521 

angel  sentinel,  we  have  already  spoken.  We  have  shown  that  this  part  of 
the  symbol  shadows  forth  the  fact,  that  when  the  saints  of  God  are  gath- 
ered from  all  the  lands  to  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  they 
will  find  free  access  to  their  heavenly  home.  The  only  additional  idea  pre- 
sented here  is  that  each  gate  is  a  single  pearl.  This  part  of  the  descrip- 
tion, like  those  we  have  just  considered,  is  designed  to  impress  as  with  the 
beauty  of  the  city.  We  have  also  spoken  of  the  gold  of  the  city,  which 
was  like  transparent  glass.  The  apostle  refers  to  this  feature  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  again  and  again,  for  it  made  a  powerful  impression  upon  his 
mind.  The  very  streets  of  the  heavenly  city  glistened  like  gold,  not  the 
tarnished  gold  of  earth,  but  the  pure  gold  of  the  better  land. 

These  are  the  three  thoughts  which  are  prominently  brought  to  our 
notice  in  the  verses  we  have  been  considering,  viz.,  the  extent,  the  security, 
and  the  beauty  of  heaven.  We  have  come  far  short  in  our  conception  and 
our  description.  Who  that  is  familiar  only  with  this  world,  and  with  the 
church  in  this  world,  can  understand  the  extent  of  that  city,  which  is 
measured  by  twelve  thousand  heavenly  furlongs  ?  Who  can  understand 
the  security  of  that  city,  which  is  builded  on  such  a  mountain  and  sur- 
rounded by  such  battlements  ?  Who  can  understand  the  beauty  of  that 
city,  which  has  such  a  wall,  and  such  foundations,  and  such  gates  7  But 
what  we  know  not  now,  we  may  hope  to  know  hereafter.  The  way  to  this 
city  lieth  before  our  pilgrim  feet.  It  is  the  way  of  faith  and  obedience, 
the  way  pointed  out  by  the  cross  of  Christ,  the  way,  strait  and  narrow,  yet 
trodden  by  the  noblest  and  best  of  men.  The  rewards  of  the  future,  the 
love  of  Qod,  and  the  blood  of  the  covenant  beckon  us  on.  Beyond  the 
narrowness  and  the  dangers  and  the  sins  of  the  present,  beyond  the  wilder- 
ness and  the  Sinai  and  the  Jordan,  there  is  waiting  a  land  of  Canaan,  the 
city  of  the  Great  King,  whose  extent,  security  and  beauty  surpass  all  human 
hopes,  whose  walls  are  of  jasper,  whose  foundations  are  of  precious  stones, 
whose  streets  are  of  gold,  and  whose  gates  are  of  pearl.  Would  we  have 
this  city  for  our  home  ?  Would  we  stand  within  these  walls  ?  Would  we 
be  for  ever  ravished  by  this  beauty  ?  Then  our  way  is  plain ;  our  duty  is 
expressed  in  these  words,  which  have  more  than  human  or  angelic  sanction, 
''Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ";  for  start  where  we  will,  from  man's 
lost  condition,  from  his  present  need,  or  from  his  future  glory,  we  ever 
come  to  this  great  central  revelation  of  divine  love  and  human  duty,  "God 
so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only  begotten  8on,  that  whosoever  be- 
Jieveth  on  him  should  not  perish  but  have  everlasting  life.'* 


522  LEOTURB  LXVIII. 


LECTURE     LXVIII. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— Continued. 

And  I  saw  no  temple  therein  :  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are 
the  temple  of  it.  And  the  ci^  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to 
shine  in  it :  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
thereof.— Rev.  21 :  22,  23. 

As  John  looked  upon  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  was  the  symbol  of 
heaven,  and  as  he  followed  the  angel  in  his  measurement  of  the  holy  city, 
he  saw  much  which  filled  him  with  wonder  and  astonishment  He  saw 
the  peerless  beauty  of  the  city,  which  was  as  a  bride  adorned  for  her 
husband.  He  saw  its  sorrowless  inhabitants,  from  whose  eyes  the  Father's 
hand  had  wiped  away  every  tear.  He  saw  the  streets  of  gold,  and  the 
gates  of  pearl,  and  the  walls  of  precious  stones.  He  saw  all  this,  and 
many  other  things  connected  with  the  symbolical  city,  which  were  so  dif- 
ferent from  anything  with  which  he  was  fiimiliar  in  the  earthly  state, 
that  he  must  have  marveled  above  measure  at  what  God  had  prepared  for 
them  that  love  him.  But  there  was  no  marvel  equal  to  the  one  which  is 
now  brought  to  our  notice.  *'  I  saw  no  temple  therein  :  for  the  Lord  Otod 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it.*'  These  words  startle  us  by 
their  unezpeotedDess.  Familiar  ajs  we  are  with  places  of  worship  in  the 
present  dispensation,  ooDScious  as  we  are  from  a  life-long  experience  of 
their  necessity  to  our  spiritual  growth  and  happiness,  we  are  not  prepared 
to  appreciate  a  dispensation  in  which  places  of  peculiar  sacredness  will  be 
unknown.  No  temple  in  heaven  I  This  revelation  seems  like  an  unsightly 
gap  in  a  perfect  landscape ;  like  a  threatening  cloud  in  a  radiant  sky  ;  like 
a  grating  discord  in  the  heavenly  music.  Yet  a  little  reflection  will  con- 
vince us  that  this  is  one  of  the  brightest  spots  in  the  celestial  landscape, 
and  one  of  the  sweetest  chords  in  the  celestial  harmony.  How  holy  must 
be  that  people  which  needs  no  temple  in  which  to  worship  1  How  heavenly 
must  be  that  city,  whose  streets  and  homes  are  all  alike  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  Ood  and  of  the  Lamb  1 

In  order  to  appreciate  this  revelation  of  heaven,  we  must  remember 
what  is  made  necessary  on  earth,  both  by  divine  appointment  and  by  the 
requirements  of  our  own  imperfect  natures.  Here  we  need  temples.  Here 
we  must  have  sacred  places,  in  which  we  may,  with  various  helps,  shut  out 
the  noise  and  temptations  of  the  world.  In  all  the  dispensations  there  have 
been  such  temples.  In  the  patriarchal  dispensation,  the  fathers  built  their 
altars,  and  around  their  altars  they  gathered  their  families  for  worship,  and 
held  their  sweetest  communion  with  their  God.  In  the  Jewish  dispensation, 
there  was  first  the  tabernacle  and  then  the  temple,  in  which  the  tribes  were 


THB  NEW  JBBU8ALBM — OONTINXTSD.  523 

oommanded  to  meet  at  certain  seasons,  and  in  which  the  most  solemn  rites 
of  their  holy  religion  had  to  be  observed,  rites  which  could  not  be  observed 
elsewhere  without  sin.  In  the  Christian  dispensation,  there  is  a  great 
change  in  the  manner  and  places  of  worship.  The  time  has  now  come 
when  men  may  worship  the  Father,  not  merely  in  Jerusalem,  or  on  mount 
Oerisim,  but  wherever  true  worshipers  may  meet  in  spirit  and  truth.  Still, 
Christian  temples  are  a  necessity.  The  formal  worship  which  Ood  requires 
cannot  be  performed  in  any  place.  Some  places  are  dedicated  to  mammon. 
In  some,  pleasure  holds  high  carnival.  Still  others  are  filled  with  the 
bustle  of  business.  We  know  ourselves  too  well,  we  know  how  easily  our 
attention  is  diverted  by  surrounding  circumstances,  to  think  that  we  can, 
without  distraction,  give  to  Ood  formal  worship  where  we  must  hear  the 
dick  of  gold  or  the  rustle  of  bonds,  the  merry  song  of  gaiety  or  the  wild 
orgies  of  dissipation,  the  din  of  business  or  the  discordant  voices  of  com- 
merce. We  must  retire  from  the  world ;  we  must  enter  our  sanctuaries, 
whose  doors  shut  out  the  sights  and  sounds  of  daily  life ;  and  even  then  we 
find  it  difficult  to  worship  our  God  with  singleness  of  purpose.  But  when 
the  fullness  of  time  has  come,  and  the  present  dispensation  will  give  place 
to  the  heavenly,  all  this  will  be  changed.  In  heaven  there  will  be  no  tem- 
ple, in  which  either  the  friends  or  foes  of  God  will  meet  for  conference  or 
worship.  There  will  be  no  infidel  temple,  for  then  all  will  know  the  Lord 
from  the  least  to  the  greatest,  and  th&  truth  will  not  be  overshadowed  by  a 
angle  doubt.  There  will  be  no  Mohammedan  temple,  or  idol  shrine,  for 
the  followers  of  the  false  prophet  will  be  shut  up  in  their  prison  of  dark* 
ness,  and  all  idols  and  their  worshipers  will  be  destroyed.  There  will  be 
no  Jewish  temple,  for  there  will  be  no  sacrifices  to  offer,  and  all  distinction 
between  the  circumcision  and  the  uncircumcision  will  have  passed  away. 
There  will  be  no  denominational  temple,  for  in  the  clear  light  of  eternity, 
all  the  redeemed  will  see  eye  to  eye,  and  all  creeds  and  confessions  will  be 
blended  into  one  harmonious  whole.  There  will  be  no  Sabbath,  binding 
together  with  its  golden  hours  all  the  days  of  the  week.  Every  day  will 
be  a  Sabbath,  and  all  time  will  be  a  season  of  worship.  There  will  be  no 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  for  all  will  know  even  as  they  are  known.  No 
man  will  need  to  teach  his  brother,  for  all  will  be  taught  of  God.  There 
will  be  no  prayer  like  that  with  which  we  are  familiar  on  earth.  There  will 
be  no  shortcomings  in  duty,  and  therefore  no  confessions  to  make. 
There  will  be  no  transgressions,  and  therefore  no  penitence  to  express^ 
There  will  be  no  wants,  and  therefore  no  petitions  to  offer.  There 
will  be  no  hope,  for  every  hope  will  be  realized.  There  will  be  no  faith, 
as  this  term  is  now  understood,  for  fiiith  will  be  swallowed  up  in  actual 
fruition.  All  this,  and  more  than  this,  is  expressed  by  the  revelation,  that 
there  will  be  no  temple  in  heaven.  We  therefore  repeat  it,  how  holy 
must  be  that  people  which  needs  no  temple  in  which  to  worship  I     How 


624  LECTURE  LXVIII. 

heavenly  must  be  that  city  whose  streets  and  homes  are  all  alike  consecra- 
ted to  the  service  of  God  and  the  Lamb  1 

There  is  no  necessity  for  a  temple  in  heaven.  There  all  places  will  be 
equally  holy,  and  equally  near  to  God.  There  will  be  nothing  in  his  sur- 
roundings to  disturb  the  worshiper,  and  he  will  not  need  the  help  of  sacred 
associations,  and  fitting  services,  and  holy  places  to  keep  his  mind  fixed  on 
God.  There  God  will  be  everywhere  present.  His  visible  presence  will 
shine  in  all  the  city.  This  is  not  the  case  on  the  earth.  In  the  old  dispensar 
tion,  God  specially  manifested  himself  in  his  temple.  Here  was  the  place 
where  God  delighted  to  dwell.  Here  was  the  place  where  the  Shechinah 
abode  and  from  which  it  shone.  Here  was  the  place  where  the  divine  gloiy 
was  to  be  seen.  If  the  Israelites  desired  to  see  the  glory  of  God,  and  to 
enjoy  the  light  of  his  visible  presence,  they  were  not  to  go  to  the  Red  sea, 
though  its  waters  were  once  frightened  into  heaps  by  his  glorious  presence  ; 
they  were  not  to  go  to  mount  Sinai,  though  it  once  burned  like  glowing 
coals  beneath  his  feet ;  they  were  not  to  go  to  the  Jordan,  though  its  waves 
once  fled  back  before  the  presence  of  God ;  they  were  not  to  go  to  Lebanon, 
with  its  snows  and  its  cedars,  or  to  the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  with  its  harvest 
and  its  memories ;  they  were  to  go  to  the  temple  in  Jerusal^n,  for  there 
alone  the  Lord  was  pleased  to  manifest  his  special  presence.  So  in  the  new 
dispensation,  if  we  would  see  special  revelations  of  the  divine  glory  in  the 
conversion  and  sanctification  of  souls,  we  must  visit,  not  the  forest  or  the 
field,  not  the  market  place  or  the  forum,  not  the  workshop  or  the  school- 
roomi  but  the  Christian  church,  the  place  where  prayer  is  wont  to  be  made. 
There  God  has  promised  to  meet  with  his  people,  and  there,  if  past  history 
is  to  be  believed,  he  has  met  with  them.  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  God's 
visible  presence  will  not  be  confined  to  any  particular  spot  or  temple.  It 
will  fill  the  whole  city,  from  the  centre  to  the  remotest  comer  of  its  jasper 
walls.  Let  the  glorified  saints  stand  wherever  they  may,  by  any  one  of  the 
twelve  gates,  on  the  north,  or  the  south,  or  the  east,  or  the  west  of  the 
foursquare  city,  on  the  crystal  sea,  or  on  the  banks  of  the  river  of  the 
water  of  life,  God  will  be  with  them,  just  as  he  was  with  his  people  in  the 
ancient  temple,  and  even  more  gloriously.  This  is  what  is  meant  when  it 
is  said,  '^for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the  temple  of  it." 

All  this  plainly  implies  that  temples  are  needed  here.  Sinners  need 
temples.  They  require  to  be  arrested  and  aroused,  to  be  convicted  and 
instructed ;  and  the  experience  of  centuries  has  shown  that  there  is  nothing 
so  powerful  in  this  direction  as  the  faithful  preaching  of  the  gospel  in  places 
of  Christian  worship.  Saints  need  temples.  They  are  the  flowers  of  Qod's 
own  planting ;  they  are  branches  of  the  vine,  and  they  must  have  the  dew, 
and  the  rain,  and  the  sunshine  of  heaven,  or  they  will  wither  and  die.  And 
the  experience  of  centuries  has  shown  that  it  is  in  places  of  Christian 
worship  that  these  heavenly  influences  are  specially  felt     It  was  no  em- 


THE   NEW   JERUSALEM — CONTINXTED.  525 

tranced  entlitisiast,  but  holy  David  who  said,  "  How  amiable  are  tby  tab- 
ernacles, O  Lord  of  boats  !  Mj  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  faintetb,  for  tbe 
oonrts  of  tbe  Lord :  my  beart  and  my  flesb  crietb  out  for  tbe  living  God/' 
"  I  had  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  tbe  bouse  of  my  G-od  than  to  dwell  in 
the  courts  of  wickedness/'  There  is  not  one  on  earth,  whatever  be  his  age 
or  condition,  who  does  not  need  a  temple.  But  when  we  enter  heaven,  if, 
through  divine  grace,  this  exalted  privilege  will  ever  be  ours,  this  need  will 
be  done  away  for  ever.  There  will  be  no  sinful  world  to  keep  out,  and  no 
wandering  thoughts  to  keep  in.  Tbe  unbroken  calm  of  a  perpetual  Sabbath 
will  fill  every  heart,  and  tbe  visible  presence  of  God  will  be  seen  in  every 
part  of  tbe  better  land. 

The  parts  of  this  description  of  heaven  come  home  with  different  power 
to  different  hearts.  There  are  those  who  cherish  with  special  love  and 
longing  the  thought  that  there  "  G^d  will  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their 
eyes.^'  There  are  those  who  ever  meditate  upon  tbe  safety  which  is  shad- 
owed forth  by  those  lofty  and  imperishable  walls.  There  are  those  who 
find  their  greatest  comfort  in  anticipating  the  perpetual  presence  of  God. 
But  none  of  these  revelations  of  heaven  has  taken  so  strong  a  bold  on  my 
mind  as  the  one  before  us.  '*No  temple  in  heaven.''  What  holiness 
does  this  reveal  on  the  part  of  its  inhabitants  I  What  condescension  on  the 
part  of  God  I  What  happiness  does  it  shadow  forth,  for  go  where  we  will 
we  will  not  go  beyond  tbe  divine  presence  I  What  unwearied  worship  does 
it  describe,  for  all  place  will  be  a  temple,  all  time  will  be  a  Sabbath,  and 
all  sounds  will  be  praise  I  Then  let  us,  among  these  revelations  of  heaven^ 
give  prominence  to  this :  "  I  saw  no  temple  therein :  for  the  Lord  God 
Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  tbe  temple  of  it.*' 

And  as  there  will  be  no  temple  in  tbe  New  Jerusalem,  so  there  wiU  be 
no  sun,  and  for  tbe  same  reason ;  it  will  not  be  needed.  "And  the  city  had 
no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it :  for  the  glory  of 
God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  tbe  light  thereof."  This  thought  was 
once  before  presented  to  our  notice.  In  verse  11  we  are  told  that  this 
holy  Jerusalem  which  came  down  from  God  out  of  heaven  "  bad  the  glory 
of  God :  and  her  light,"  or  rather  her  luminary,  "  was  like  unto  a  stone 
most  precious,  even  like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal."  In  this  verse,  as 
well  as  in  the  verse  before  us,  the  idea  is  that  tbe  glory  of  God  will  shine 
80  brightly  in  the  New  Jerusalem  that  no  other  luminary  will  be  needed. 
Though  this  idea  has  been  discussed  in  another  lecture,  we  cannot  pass  it 
over  in  silence  now,  for  tbe  Spirit  of  inspiration  has  thought  it  important 
enough  to  receive  a  second  mention.  In  order  to  understand  this  feature 
of  the  heavenly  state,  we  must  remember  how  the  visible  presence  of  God 
has  manifested  itself  in  the  past  history  of  the  church.  For  information 
on  this  point,  we  must  turn  to  the  word  of  God.  The  word  of  God  tells 
us  that   now  and  then  the  presence  of   God  has  been   manifested  on 


526  LSOTUBE  Lxyiii. 

earth,  thoagh  on  aoconnt  of  human  weakness  thai  praenoe  has  been 
80  vaOed  that  only  a  part  of  its  glory  oould  appear.  When  Moees 
was  in  the  wilderness,  he  saw  a  brilliant  light  in  the  burning  bush, 
and  that  brilliant  light,  which  dazzled  his  eyes  and  made  his  heart 
quake  with  fear,  revealed  the  presence  of  God.  When  the  Israelites  en* 
camped  at  the  foot  of  Sinai,  they  saw  the  summit  of  the  mountain  envel- 
oped with  clouds  and  darkness,  and  through  the  clouds  and  darkness  thej 
saw  a  brilliant  light,  like  vivid  flashes  of  lightning,  and  that  brilliant  light 
revealed  the  presence  of  God.  So  the  brilliant  light,  which  guided  the 
tribes  through  the  wilderness  as  a  pillar  of  fire  by  night  and  a  pillar  of 
cloud  by  day,  revealed  the  presence  of  God.  So  that  brilliant  light,  which 
filled  the  most  holy  place  in  the  tabernacle  and  temple,  ever  emanating 
from  the  mercy-seat,  where  the  Shechinah  abode,  revealed  the  presence  of 
God.  And  so,  not  to  multiply  instances,  that  brilliant  light,  which  blinded 
Paul  at  the  gate  of  Damascus,  and  which  far  exceeded  the  brightness  of 
the  noonday  eun,  revealed  the  presence  of  God.  But  all  these  revelations 
of  divine  glory  have  been  partial  and  incomplete,  for  such  partial  and  in- 
complete revelations  were  all  that  man  oould  endure.  In  the  heavenly 
state,  we  who  lived  in  weakness  on  the  earth  will  be  raised  in  power.  Then 
the  presence  of  God  will  manifest  itself,  not  partially,  but  fully ;  not  now 
and  then,  but  continually ;  for  the  tabernacle  of  God  will  be  with  men,  and 
he  will  dwell  with  them.  Then  that  brilliant  light,  indicating  the  divine 
presence,  which  Moses  saw  in  the  burning  bush,  which  the  Israelites  saw 
on  the  summit  of  smoking  Sinai  and  in  the  pillar  of  fire,  which  the  high 
priest  saw  illuminating  the  most  holy  place,  and  which  Paul  saw  on  his  way 
to  Damascus,  will  become  sevenfold  more  brilliant,  and  will  shine  out  with 
such  brightness  that  sun,  moon  and  stars  will  be  eclipsed  for  ever.  This 
is  what  is  meant  by  the  words  under  consideration.  In  heaven,  God's 
visible  presence  will  ever  be  seen,  and  that  visible  presence  will  manifest 
itself  in  such  glorious  light  as  will  illumine  the  whole  city.  In  other 
words,  the  glory  of  God,  shining  in  the  Lamb,  who  is  the  brightness  of 
the  Father's  person,  will  be  the  luminary  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 

This  luminary  will  make  plain  many  things  which  were  dark  before ;  it 
will  throw  light  upon  many  things  which  were  obscure  before.  There  are 
doctrines  of  revelation,  whose  full  comprehension  are  far  beyond  our  reach. 
We  believe  them,  not  because  we  can  understand  them,  but  because  they 
are  doctrines  of  revelation.  There  is  the  doctrine  of  the  eternal  election  of 
the  saints,  the  sovereign  choice  of  God.  We  believe  it,  because  Gtxl  has 
said,  *'I  have  chosen  you  ;  ye  have  not  chosen  me."  There  is  the  doctrine 
of  the  freedom  of  the  human  will.  We  believe  it,  not  only  because  we  are 
conscious  of  our  freedom,  but  because  God  has  said,  "  Ye  will  not  come  unto 
me  that  ye  might  have  life."  If  we  attempt  to  reconcile  these  doctrines,  we 
are  involved  in  mystery.    When,  in  the  heavenly  state,  the  glory  of  God 


THE  NEW  JBRUSALBM— CONTINUED.  627 

will  shine  all  around  us  and  within  us,  and  we  will  know  even  as  we  are 
known^  we  will  understand  how  God  has  chosen  us  from  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world,  and  how  this  choice  is  consistent  with  the  freedom  of 
the  human  will.  So  with  the  imperfect  light  of  the  present,  we  cannot  fully 
harmonize  the  doctrines  of  free  grace  and  good  works ;  but  in  the  light  of  the 
hereafter  all  this  will  be  made  plain.  So  with  those  other  matters  of 
doctrine  which  now  trouble  us.  When  the  glory  of  God  shines  upon  them 
and  us,  every  difficulty  will  disappear.  And  as  it  is  with  doctrines,  so  it  is 
with  providences.  There  are  no  greater  mysteries  than  those  which  are 
connected  with  God's  providential  dealings  wiih  his  people.  The  reasons 
of  the  sicknesses,  the  disappointments  and  the  bereavements  which  befall 
us  here  are  shrouded  in  darkness.  We  ask  ourselves,  why  was  this  sorrow 
or  this  trial  sent  ?  But  a  satisfactory  answer  is  beyond  our  reach.  When 
the  glory  of  God  shines  upon  these  providences,  and  upon  us,  every  difficulty 
will  disappear.  We  will  know  the  reason  of  every  tear  we  shed,  and  of 
every  pain  we  felt.  Then  will  be  fiilfiUed  these  words  of  the  Mast^, ''  What 
I  do,  thou  knowest  not  now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter.'' 

This  luminary,  whose  rays  evermore  lighten  the  celestial  city,  will  increase 
our  happiness.  We  do  not  know  now  what  it  is  to  walk  in  the  light  of 
God's  countenance.  It  is  true,  we  have  had  some  experience  of  the  joy 
which  flows  from  this  source ;  we  have  had  some  experience  of  the  agony 
which  comes  from  the  darkening  of  the  paternal  presence ;  but  as  yet,  we 
comprehend  neither  the  joy  nor  the  agony.  If  we  did,  our  joy  would  be 
tenfold  greater,  and  our  agony  tenfold  deeper  than  it  is.  When  we  enter 
heaven  and  learn  from  sweet  experience  what  it  is  to  live  in  the  light  of 
Gk)d's  visible  presence,  it  will  be  a  source  of  unceasing  wonder  that  we 
cared  so  little  about  Gk)d's  presence  while  we  were  on  earth. 

Thb  is  another  characteristic  of  the  celestial  city,  which  should  stand  in 
our  meditations  beside  the  other  characteristics  which  have  oceupied  our 
attention.  The  vbible  presence  of  God  will  be  its  light,  and  in  that  light 
the  glorified  saints  will  rejoice. 

These  verses  suggest  some  practical  thoughts.  In  heaven  there  will  be 
neither  temple  nor  sun,  for  the  Lord  will  be  its  temple  and  its  light.  We 
hope  to  enter  heaven,  for  all  expect  at  last  to  be  saved.  Are  we  prepared 
to  enter  heaven?  There  will  be,  without  doubt,  a  great  change  at  the  hour 
of  death.  There  will  be  a  change  in  our  appearance,  in  the  place  of  our 
residence,  in  our  joys,  and  in  many  a  thing  beside ;  but,  after  all,  this 
change  may  not  be  as  radical  as  we  expect.  Heaven  is  only  a  place  where 
God's  saints  are  completely  glorified.  The  church  in  heaven  is  only  the 
church  on  earth  wholly  sanctified.  Glory  is  only  grace  perfected.  We 
have  seen  in  the  revelation  of  heaven,  which  has  passed  in  review  before 
us,  that  there  is  to  be  no  temple  in  heaven,  and  that  all  parts  of  it,  filled 
with  the  presence  of  God  and  the  Lamb,  are  to  be  holier  than  the  holiest 


528  liEOTUBE  LXIX. 

temple  the  earth  ever  knew.  If  we  do  not  find  delight  in  the  earthly 
sanctaary,  how  can  we  hope  to  find  delight  in  that  better  country  which  is 
one  great  temple  ?  We  have  seen,  in  this  revelation,  that  there  is  to  be  no 
stated  Sabbath  in  heaven  ;  all  time  is  to  be  holy  time ;  and  if  we  have  no 
pleasure  in  the  Sabbath  here,  how  can  we  expect  to  have  pleasure  in  the 
Sabbath  which  never  ends  ?  We  have  seen  that  there  is  to  be  no  sun  in 
heaven  ;  that  the  glory  of  God  is  to  be  the  luminary  of  that  better  coun- 
try; and  if  we  find  no  enjoyment  in  the  communion  of  God  here,  how  can 
we  hope  to  find  enjoyment  in  the  communion  of  God  in  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem ?  In  view  of  these  thing?,  we  do  well  to  ask  ourselves,  are  we  pre- 
pared for  heaven  ?  Are  we,  through  divine  grace,  cultivating  our  love  for 
the  sanctuary,  and  for  the  Sabbath,  and  for  communion  with  G^d  ?  If  so, 
we  have  a  right  to  hope  that  we  will  find  our  unepding  happiness  in  that 
city  in  which  there  is  no  temple,  no  Sabbath,  and  no  sun;  but  in  which  all 
places  will  be  holy  places,  and  all  times  holy  times,  and  all  light  the  holy 
radiance  of  God's  presence.  To  stimulate  in  this  preparation  for  glory, 
let  these  words  of  sublime  description  abide  in  our  memory,  '^And  I  saw 
no  temple  therein :  for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  and  the  Lamb  are  the 
temple  of  it.  And  the  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon, 
to  shine  in  it ;  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the- 
light  thereof." 


LECTURE    LXIX. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CoNTiKUKn. 

And  the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it :  and* 
the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honour  into  it.  And  the  eates- 
of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day  :  for  there  shall  be  no  night  there. — Ksv. 
21 :  24,  25. 

If  we  live  and  die  in  entire  ignorance  of  what  God  has  prepared  for 
them  that  love  him,  we  ourselves  must  be  to  blame.  The  more  we  study 
this  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  and  the  better  we  understand  it, 
the  more  we  wonder  at  its  vividness  and  fullness.  No  traveler  ever  de- 
scribed the  land  which  he  was  visiting,  or  the  city  in  which  he  was  living, 
more  minutely  than  the  apostle  describes  this  holy  city,  which,  by  divine 
appointment,  was  a  symbol  of  the  heavenly  state.  Its  appearance,  its  in- 
habitants, its  dimensions,  the  materials  of  which  it  is  builded,  its  holiness, 
and  its  glorious  luminary,  have  all  been  brought  to  our  notice  in  the  sub- 
lime words  which  have  engaged  our  attention.     If  nothing  else  was  told 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  529 

US,  we  have  learned  enough  to  give  us  a  very  clear  idea  of  what  heaven  is, 
and  to  create  in  our  hearts  earnest  longings  for  that  heavenly  inherit- 
ance. But  we  have  not  yet  reached  the  end  of  the  inspired  description. 
There  are  other  characteristics  of  the  heavenly  state,  no  less  sublime,  no 
less  comforting,  and  no  less  inspiring,  than  those  which  have  already  been 
considered.  In  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  we  have  a  revelation  of 
the  multitude  of  heaven's  inhabitants,  df  its  open  gates,  and  of  its  endless 
day. 

I.  Let  us  notice  the  multitude  of  heaven's  inhabitants.  ^'And 
the  nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it ;  and  the 
kings  of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  if  These  words 
reveal  not  only  the  multitude  of  heaven's  inhabitants,  but  also  the  fact 
that  they  are  gathered  from  all  nations,  ranks  and  conditions  of  men. 
Whole  nations  of  the  saved  shall  be  there,  and  kings  shall  stand  side  by 
side  with  their  subjects  in  the  worship  of  that  heavenly  sanctuary. 

The  first  thing  which  claims  our  attention  in  this  description  of  the  in- 
habitants of  heaven  is  that  they  are  *'  of  them  which  are  saved."  Who 
are  the  saved  ?  This  is  a  word  whose  full  meaning  we  are  not  yet  able  to 
understand ;  for  the  one  term  salvation  describes  not  only  the  earthly 
happiness  of  those  who  are  in  Christ,  but  also  their  eternal  glory.  It  is 
only  when  we  have  enjoyed  that  happiness  to  the  fiill,  and  have  entered 
upon  that  glory,  that  we  will  know  what  salvation  means.  Still,  we  are 
not  entirely  ignorant.  The  saved  are  those  who  are  delivered  from  the 
condemnation  of  Satan,  and  from  the  guilt  and  punishment  of  sin ;  they 
are  those  who  are  reconciled  to  God  and  are  admitted  to  his  friendship ; 
they  are  those  who  have  laid  aside  the  last  vestiges  of  the  earthly  imper- 
fections and  have  put  on  the  completeness  of  the  heavenly  glory.  Even 
now  and  here,  we  speak  of  the  joys  of  salvation,  but  it  is  only  a  partial 
salvation  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  The  good  work  has  only  begun  in  u?, 
though  we  may  be  "  confident  of  this  very  thing,  that  he  who  has  begun 
the  good  work  in  us  will  perform  it  until  the  day  of  Christ  Jesus."  Even 
now  and  here,  we  speak  of  the  saved,  but  it  is  only  by  anticipation.  The 
saved,  the  fully  and  completely  saved,  are  those  who  have  entered  their 
heavenly  home.  And  this  word,  saved,  which  describes  the  inhabitants 
of  heaven,  shows  the  relation  which  exists  between  the  church  in  heaven 
and  the  church  on  earth.  The  true  members  of  the  earthly  church  are 
described  by  such  language  as  this :  ^'  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  thou  shalt  be  saved"  ;  '^  the  Lord  added  unto  the  church  daily  such  as 
should  be  saved."  The  members  of  the  heavenly  church  are  described  by 
such  language  as  that  before  us:  ^Hhe  nations  of  them  that  are  saved." 
No  one,  therefore,  has  a  right  to  expect  to  belong  to  the  church  in  heaven, 
unless  he  belongs  to  the  church  on  earth  j  for  they  are  one.    No  one  has  a 

34 


530  LEOTUBE  LXIX. 

right  to  expect  that  he  will  belong  to  the  sared  hereafter,  nnleas  the  work 
of  salvation  is  begun  in  his  soul  here. 

''Are  there  few  that  be  saved''  ?  This  question,  which  was  first  asked 
by  the  disciples  during  the  incarnation,  has  been  asked  again  and  again 
since  that  day.  The  Lord's  answer  was  this :  "  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
gate,  for  many  shall  seek  to  enter  in  and  shall  not  be  able."  This  answer, 
as  well  as  the  similar  words,  "  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen,"  cer- 
tainly teach  that  at  that  time,  while  many  were  walking  in  the  broad  way 
of  death,  only  a  few  were  walking  in  the  narrow  way  of  life.  Our  observa- 
tion must  convince  us  that  this  is  the  case  to  this  very  day.  Of  all  the 
nations  of  the  world,  only  a  few  are  even  nominally  Christian ;  and  even 
in  nominal  Christian  nations  only  a  few  are  thoroughly  leavened  with  the 
gospe].  Even  in  the  most  enlightened  Christian  lands,  how  few  there  are 
who  are  true  members  of  the  church,  and  how  many  there  are  who  are  as 
far  from  salvation  as  the  worshipers  of  idols !  When  the  millennium  comes, 
and  all  the  glorious  promises  of  Ood  are  fulfilled,  all  this  will  be  changed. 
Then  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  will  cover  the  earth,  and  all  men  will  know 
the  Lord,  from  the  least  even  to  the  greatest.  And  when  the  end  comes, 
and  al]  the  saved  are  brought  to  their  heavenly  home,  they  will  be  a  mighty 
multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  and  which  is  described  in  the  words 
under  consideration  as  "  nations  of  them  which  are  saved." 

These  words  not  only  indicate  the  great  multitude  of  the  saved,  but  also 
the  fact  that  they  are  called  from  all  nations.  The  same  fact  is  brought  to 
our  attention  again  and  again  in  this  book.  We  are  told  so  often  that 
the  heavenly  congregation  is  composed  of  all  kindreds,  and  peoples,  and 
nations,  that  we  cannot  forget  it  The  past  history  of  redemption  will  help 
us  to  understand  this  feature  of  the  heavenly  state.  Under  the  Jewish 
dispensation  the  ofiers  of  salvation  were  for  the  most  part  confined  to  the 
children  of  faithful  Abraham.  When  Christ  came  the  middle  wall  of  partition 
was  broken  down,  and  all  distinction  between  the  circumcision  and  the  uncir- 
cumcision  was  removed.  The  apostles  went  forth  offering  salvation,  not  to 
the  Jews  only,  but  to  the  Gentiles  as  well.  This  great  work  has  been 
going  on  through  all  the  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  until  there  is  not 
perhaps  a  nation  under  the  whole  heaven  which  has  not  heard  of  Christ 
and  his  sacrifice.  Some  of  these  nations  have  paid  little  heed  to  what  they 
have  heard  ;  others  have  forgotten  the  gospel  which  was  preached  unto 
them.  Still,  some  have  been  saved  from  nearly  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 
It  is,  however,  during  the  millennial  period  of  the  world's  history,  that  the 
great  harvest  is  to  be  gathered.  Then  all  kingdoms  are  to  become  the 
kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ.  When  this  great  harvest  will  be 
gathered  home,  all  nations  will  be  represented.  All  continents,  and  all 
islands  of  the  sea,  all  cities  and  all  hamlets,  aU  languages  and  all  dialects, 
will  help  to  swell  the  redeemed  throng,  which  may  be  described  not  only 


THE   NEW  JBRU81.LEM--00NTINUSD.  531 

by  the  words,  "  the  nations  of  the  sayed/'  but  also  by  the  other  words, 
"  the  saved  of  all  the  nations." 

There  is  an  other  fact  revealed  by  the  words  under  consideration  which 
must  not  be  passed  over  in  silence.  This  multitude  of  saved  ones  will  be 
composed  of  men  of  all  ranks  and  conditions.  We  have  seen  that  men  of 
all  nations  will  walk  in  the  light  of  that  holy  city ;  but  we  are  also  told  that 
"  the  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring  their  glory  and  honor  into  it.'*  Up  to 
this  hour,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  not  many  wise,  have  been 
called.  Without  any  controversy,  there  have  been  Christian  rulers,  and 
statesmen,  and  philosophers,  but  they  have  been  comparatively  few.  They 
are  exceptions  to  the  general  rule.  Oreat  wealth  and  exalted  station  are 
so  compassed  about  with  temptations,  that  only  now  and  then  one  has  suf- 
ficient strength  and  grace  to  resist  them  unharmed.  If  the  word  of  God  is 
to  be  believed,  this  will  not  continue  for  ever.  In  that  better  time  of 
which  the  prophets  have  spoken  in  such  glowing  language,  the  princes  of 
the  world  will  be  peace  and  its  governors  righteousness ;  kings  will  be  the 
nursing  fathers  of  the  church,  and  queens  will  be  its  nursing  mothers. 
The  saints  are  to  sit  on  the  thrones  of  earth  ;  all  judgment  is  to  be  given 
unto  them  ;  they  are  to  reign  with  Christ.  When  all  the  redeemed  are 
brought  home,  kings  and  queens,  nobles  and  princes,  will  be  found  among 
the  ransomed  throng,  as  well  as  the  poor  and  the  lowly,  who  have  up  to 
this  hour  constituted  the  vast  majority  of  those  who  have  accepted  the 
offers  of  salvation. 

These  are  the  three  ideas  which  are  prominently  brought  out  in  the  first 
part  of  the  subject  of  the  lecture :  The  inhabitants  of  heaven  will  constitute 
a  mighty  multitude,  for  there  will  be  whole  nations  of  the  saved.  They 
will  be  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  for  they  will  be  the  saved  of 
all  the  nations.  They  will  be  gathered  from  all  ranks  and  conditions  of 
men,  for  there  will  be  kings  as  well  as  nations  walking  in  the  light  of  the 
heavenly  city.  We  need  not  then  be  afraid  that  there  will  be  no  room  for 
us  in  heaven.  In  that  city,  with  its  mighty  multitude  of  inhabitants,  we 
certainly  can  find  a  place.  We  need  not  be  afraid  of  exclusion  because  of 
our  earthly  condition,  or  because  of  the  station  we  occupy,  for  the  highest 
kings  as  well  as  their  lowliest  subjects  will  stand  and  worship  side  by  side. 
The  only  question  which  need  give  rise  to  any  anxiety  or  fear  is,  are  we 
among  the  saved  ?  None  but  the  saved  will  pass  through  the  gates  into 
the  city,  and  salvation  must  begin  in  the  present  life.  There  is  but  one  way 
by  which  the  celestial  city  can  be  reached,  and  that  is,  the  strait  and  nar- 
row way  of  salvation.  There  is  but  one  way  by  which  we  can  enter  that 
Btndt  and  narrow  way,  and  that  is,  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus.  "  Believe  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved."  ''The  nations  of  the 
saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it."  Thus  has  God  joined  together  faith 
on  earth  and  glory  in  heaven,  and  they  cannot  be  separated.     This  is  the 


532  LEOTU&B  LXIX. 

divine  arrangement  which  can  never  be  violated.     This  is  the  divine  role 
to  which  there  is  no  exception.     First  faith,  then  salvation,  then  glory. 

II.  We  torn  now  to  the  open  gates  of  the  city.  "And  the  gates  of 
it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day."  As  we  are  told  in  the  latter  clause  of 
the  verse  that  there  shall  be  no  night  there,  we  most  infer  that  the  gates 
will  never  be  shut.  Of  similar  import  is  the  language  of  Isaiah,  in  which 
he  describes  the  future  glory  of  the  church  :  *^  Thy  gates  shall  be  open 
continually ;  they  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night."  In  order  to  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  this  part  of  the  symbol,  we  must  refer  to  the  cus- 
toms of  ancient  days,  and  to  the  use  of  the  walls  and  gates  which  inclosed 
ancient  cities.  Lofty  walls  and  strongly  barred  gates  were  the  great  de- 
fences of  antiquity.  On  account  of  the  weakness  of  the  weapons  of  offen- 
sive warfare,  a  city  which  had  such  walls  and  such  gates  was  comparatively 
safe.  Therefore,  when  an  enemy  approached,  the  gates  were  shut  and 
barred.  When  the  darkness  of  evening  was  drawing  on,  under  cover  of 
which  a  lurking  enemy  might  enter  the  city,  the  gates  were  shut  and 
barred.  The  shutting  of  the  gates  was  a  sign  of  possible  danger  or  of  the 
actual  presence  of  an  enemy.  If,  then,  the  gates  of  any  city  were  shut, 
we  would  conclude  that  the  enemies  of  that  city  were  actually  engaged  in 
war  against  it,  or  that  there  was  some  other  probable  danger.  l£  the  gates 
of  any  city  were  open,  we  would  conclude  that  no  enemy  was  approaching, 
and  that  there  was  no  probable  danger.  Remembering  this,  we  will  have 
no  difficulty  in  understanding  the  symbol  before  us.  The  open  gates  of 
the  New  Jerusalem  shadow  forth  the  fact  that  there  was  no  danger.  The 
church  on  earth  is  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  dangers-nlangen  so 
many  that  the  walls  of  Zion  have  to  be  guarded  by  &  host  of  watchmen ; 
but  the  church  in  heaven  is  so  far  removed  from  all  possible  danger,  that 
the  watchmen  may  come  down  from  its  walls  and  its  gates  may  stand  open 
continually.  The  church  on  earth  is  surrounded  by  many  enemies,  and 
there  is  not  a  day  or  an  hour  in  which  these  enemies  do  not  attack  some 
of  the  doctrines  or  membenT  of  the  church.  Therefore,  the  church  on 
earth  is  in  a  state  of  perpetual  warfare.  The  earthly  church  must  ever  keep 
its  gates  shut  and  its  walls  in  good  repair ;  its  citisens  must  ever  keep  on 
their  spiritual  armor ;  for  at  any  hour  and  at  any  place  Satan  may  lead  his 
legions  to  a  new  assault.  But  when  the  heavenly  is  come,  all  this  will  be 
changed.  Every  enemy  will  then  be  destroyed.  Satan  and  his  legions 
will  be  powerless  in  their  prison  of  darkness.  The  Christian's  last  battle 
will  be  fought ;  his  last  victory  will  be  won;  his  armor  may  be  laid  aside, 
and  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  city  may  stand  open  continually. 

The  open  gates  not  only  shadow  forth  the  absence  of  all  danger  and  the 
destruction  of  all  enemies,  but  also  the  perfect  freedom  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city.    They  can  go  in  and  out  at  their  pleasure.    When  they  oome 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  633 

from  the  north,  soatb,  east  and  west  to  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father,  the  gates  will  be  wide  open  to 
receive  them.  If  they  would  go  out  to  view  the  towering  walls  of  jasper, 
or  to  visit  other  parts  of  God  s  universal  dominion  on  errands  of  mercy, 
for  it  may  be  that  such  errands  of  mercy  are  a  part  of  their  eternal  felicity, 
the  gates  wiU  be  open  wide  for  their  departure.  There  wUl  be  free  ingress 
and  free  egress  to  and  from  the  New  Jerusalem.  Its  gates  will  never  be 
shut. 

This  is  the  threefold  meaning  of  this  part  of  the  symbol :  The  absenoe 
of  all  danger,  the  destruction  of  all  enemies,  and  the  perfect  freedom  of  all 
the  redeemed  are  shadowed  forth  by  the  words,  '*  the  gates  of  it  shall  not 
be  shut  at  all  by  day." 

III.  We  must  now  notice  the  endless  dat  of  the  heavenly  city. 
"  For  there  shall  be  no  night  there."  No  feature  of  the  heavenly  state 
indicattes  more  dearly  than  this,  the  marvelous  change  which  is  to  be 
wrought  in  us.  Night  is  one  of  our  greatest  temporal  blessings.  When 
we  are  weary  and  worn  with  the  labors  of  the  day,  we  look  forward  with 
gladness  to  the  coming  of  the  evening  and  to  the  sleep  and  rest  which  its 
darkness  brings  to  our  tired  bodies.  "  No  night"  here  would  soon  put  an 
end  to  our  work  and  to  our  usefulness.  "No  night"  here  would  speedily 
undermine  our  strength,  our  health,  and  our  life.  But  a  little  reflection 
will  convince  us  that  that  which  would  be  the  greatest  calamity  in  our 
present  state  will  be  the  greatest  blessing  in  the  future  state. 

Night  is  now  associated  with  fatigue.  The  body,  exhausted  with  labor, 
regains  its  wasted  energies  through  the  repose  of  the  night.  The  mind, 
which  is  just  as  liable  to  weariness  as  the  body,  its  grosser  companion,  and 
which  needs  rest  just  as  much,  is  refreshed  by  quiet  slumber,  and  prepared 
for  new  excursions  in  the  wide  realms  of  thought.  But  in  the  New  Jeru- 
salem no  such  fatigue  will  be  experienced,  and  no  such  rest  will  be  needed. 
The  resurrection  body  will  throb  with  untiring  vigor.  That  which  was 
sown  in  corrupti6n  will  be  raised  in  incorruption  ;  that  which  was  sown  in 
weakness  will  be  raised  in  power.  These  vile  bodies,  fashioned  like  Christ's 
glorious  body,  will  run  and  not  be  weary,  they  will  walk  and  not  faint. 
And  the  spirit  will  be  willing  while  the  body  will  not  be  weak.  The  mind 
will  be  so  strong,  that  the  most  difficult  problems  and  the  most  intense 
application  will  not  exhaust  it.  The  saints  in  heaven  never  rest,  either  in 
body  or  in  mind,  for  there  is  no  night  there. 

Night  is  now  associated  with  insecurity  and  danger.  Under  the  cover  of 
the  darkness  of  the  night,  the  assassin  makes  his  attack,  and  the  thief  breaks 
through  and  steals.  We  feel  that  during  the  darkness  of  the  night,  our 
persons  and  our  property  must  be  most  carefully  secured  against  those  who 
<et  human  law  at  defiance.     But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  no  man  of  blood 


534  LEOTUBE  LXIX. 

will  lie  in  wait  for  his  victim,  no  thief  will  oovet  that  which  belongs  to 
another^  no  yiolator  of  law  will  watch  for  his  prey.  There  will  be  no  mantle 
of  darkness  nnder  which  the  doers  of  evil  may  hide  themselves ;  there  will 
be  no  insecurity  or  danger  to  disturb  the  saints  with  anzions  thoughts;  for 
there  will  be  no  night  there. 

Night  b  a  symbol  of  ignorance.  In  the  darkness^  men  stumble  over 
eveiy  obstacle  ;  they  fall  into  every  pit  *,  they  mistake  friends  for  foes  and 
foes  for  friends ;  they  can  see  no  diflference  between  beauty  and  deformity. 
Therefore,  night  is  an  appropriate  symbol  of  ignorance.  It  requires  no 
argument  to  prove  that  we  are  now  in  comparative  ignorance.  We  are  con- 
tinually stumbling  over  the  providences  of  God,  falling  into  the  pits  which 
Satan  has  dug,  mistaking  good  for  evil  and  evil  for  good.  Too  often,  we 
can  see  no  difference  between  the  beauty  of  holiness  and  the  deformity  of 
sin.  We  are  too  iguprant  to  understand  either  the  words  or  works  of  God. 
From  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  we  are  walking  in  the  darkness  of  a  spiritual 
night,  and  though  a  few  rays  of  light  penetrate  the  gloom,  the  darkness  is 
not  entirely  removed  till  at  last  we  stumble  into  our  sepulchwB.  But  in 
the  New  Jerusalem  the  ignorance  which  is  so  appropriately  symbolised  by 
darkness  will  disappear.  Then  we  will  know  even  as  we  are  known.  The 
wonders  of  creation  will  be  understood.  The  mysteries  of  God's  providen- 
tial dealings  will  be  made  plain.  The  doctrines  of  revelation  will  all  blend 
in  beautiful  harmony.  The  plan  of  redemption,  which  so  long  baffled  the 
understanding  of  the  angels,  will  be  as  clear  as  the  sun  at  noonday.  Our 
present  ignorance  and  our  fature  knowledge  are  thus  described  by  the 
apostle  Paul :  "  For  now  we  see  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then  fiioe  to 
face ;  now  we  know  in  part,  but  then  we  shall  know  even  as  also  we  are 
known.*'  The  same  truths  are  announced  in  the  symbolical  language  under 
consideration :  "  there  shall  be  no  night  there." 

Night  is  now  associated  with  sin.  Says  the  apostle,  '^Ihey  that  be 
drunken  are  drunken  in  the  night."  The  same  assertion  might  be  made 
with  regard  to  many  another  sin.  It  is  under  the  cover  of  the  night  that 
men  throw  off  restraint  and  run  wild  riot  with  the  beasts  that  perish.  And 
night  is  a  symbol  of  sin.  "  Men  love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
their  deeds  are  evil."  But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  there  will  be  no  drunk- 
enness, or  rioting,  or  chambering,  or  wantonness.  There  will  be  no  night 
of  sin  there. 

Night  is  now  associated  with  death,  and  it  is  a  symbol  of  death.  The 
Saviour  said,  "  The  night  cometh  when  no  man  can  work";  and  in  these 
words  he  spake  of  death.  In  the  Scriptures  and  in  common  conversation, 
death  is  often  called  a  sleep.  This  symbolical  night  of  death  covers  all  the 
earth.  It  casts  its  dark  shadow  over  the  palace  and  the  hovel,  over  city 
and  country.  It  eclipses  the  brightness  of  the  day,  and  gives  a  deeper 
gloom  to  the  blackness  of  the  night.     However  different  different  parts  of 


THE   NEW   JEBUBALEM — CONTINUED.  535 

the  world  may  be,  there  is  one  feature  the  same  in  every  landscape;  and 
that  is,  the  house  of  the  dead,  which  ever  stands  beside .  the  house  of  the 
living;  the  city  of  the  dead,  which  ever  lies  justj  beyond  the  city  of  the  living. 
But  in  the  New  Jerusalem  sicknesses,  bereavements,  burials  and  cemeteries 
will  be  unknown.  Nothing  is  more  clearly  revealed  than  this :  there  will 
be  no  night  of  death  there. 

This  is  a  part,  at  least,  of  what  is  shadowed  forth  by  this  symbol.  The 
words,  "  no  night  there,"  tell  us  that  there  will  be  no  fatigue,  no  insecu- 
rity, no  ignorance,  no  death,  and  no  sin  in  that  better  country,  of  which 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem  was  the  divinely  appointed  symbol. 

Before  these  echoes  from  the  city  of  peerless  beauty  die  away  in  our 
ears,  let  us  take  home  to  our  hearts  the  consolations  which  they  are  well 
calculated  to  impart.  The  prospect  of  that  city,  with  its  ever  open  gates 
and  its  endless  day*  has  comforted  many  a  waitine  saint.  As  they  hllve 
s^n  &om  a&r  th/appn^chiog  glories  of  the  prolked  inheritance,  they 
have  smiled  through  their  tears,  and  shouted  alleluias  in  the  midst  of  the 
greatest  sufferings.  One  who  had  been  in  perils  by  land  and  perils  by  sea, 
and  perils  from  every  other  source,  exclaimed,  ^'  I  reckon  that  the  suffer- 
ings of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory 
which  shall  be  revealed  in  us."  On  another  occasion,  the  same  apostle 
said,  *^  our  light  affliction,  which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  out  for  us  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  Without  controversy, 
his  afflictions  were  heavy,  but  when  placed  in  the  scales  with  the  eternal 
weight  of  glory,  they  were  light.  And  so  let  us,  for  our  comfort,  have 
respect  to  the  recompense  of  the  reward.  Comparing  the  dangers,  the 
enemies,  and  the  restraints  of  the  present,  with  the  safety  and  the  freedom 
of  that  time  when  the  gates  will  be  open  continually ;  comparing  the  fatigue, 
the  ignorance,  the  sin,  and  the  death  of  the  present,  with  the  vigor,  the 
knowledge,  the  holiness,  and  the  life  which  is  symbolized  by  the  endless 
day  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  we  too  can  say,  *^  I  reckon  that  the  sufferings 
of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which 
shall  be  revealed  in  us."  We,  too,  can  bear  our  light  afflictions,  which  are 
but  for  a  moment,  if  so  be  that  we  are  the  heirs  of  heaven,  for  the  gates 
of  the  city  of  our  inheritance  will  never  be  shut  against  us. 


LECTURE    LXX. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— Continued. 

And  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honour  of  the  nations  into  it.  And  there 
shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing  that  deflleth,  neither  whatsoever  work- 
eth abomination,  or  maketh  a  lie:  but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life.— Rev.  21 :  26,  27. 


536  LECTURE  LXX. 

THB'featares  of  the  New  Jdrasalem,  which  are  hroaght  to  oar  notice  in 
the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  are  the  glory  and  honor  of  heaven,  and 
the  character  of  its  inhabitants — two  features  which  are  worthy  of  a  place 
beside  those  we  have  already  considered. 

I.  We  have  the  qlory  and  honor  of  heaven.  ''And  they  shall 
bring  the  gloiy  and  honor  of  the  nations  into  it."  A  similar  expres- 
sion is  to  be  found  in  verse  24 :  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  do  bring 
their  glory  and  honor  into  it."  This  expression,  as  already  explained, 
describes  the  fact  that  kings  and  princes,  as  well  as  the  poor  and 
lowly,  will  have  a  place  in  the  heavenly  congregation.  The  expres- 
sion before  us  describes  the  fact  that  all  that  is  truly  valuable  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth  will  be  found  in  heaven.  All  that  is  truly  glo- 
rious and  honorable  here  will  be  brought  at  last  into  the  New  Jerusalem. 
Of  course,  the  glory  and  honor  here  spoken  of  are  estimated  from  a  heav- 
enly, aqd  not  from  an  earthly  standpoint.  There  are  many  things  which 
the  nations  of  the  earth  now  count  as  a  glory  and  honor,  which  are  not 
These  things,  no  matter  how  high  the  estimation  in  which  they  are  at 
present  held,  will  have  no  place  in  heaven.  The  nations  of  the  earth  regard 
their  standing  armies  as  a  gloiy  and  honor.  They  point  with  pride  to  the 
thousands  they  can  put  into  the  field  at  an  hour's  notice.  When  a  king 
wishes  to  impress  a  royal  visitor  with  the  greatness  of  his  kingdom,  he 
takes  him  out  to  witness  a  review  of  his  disciplined  armies.  But  whatever 
these  armies  may  be  from  an  earthly  standpoint,  they  are  not  a  gloiy  and 
honor  from  a  heavenly  standpoint.  They  are  only  an  embodied  confeamon 
of  human  ambition,  injustice  and  sin ;  for  if  it  was  not  for  ambition,  in- 
justice and  sin,  there  would  be  no  armies.  In  the  glory  and  honor  which 
will  be  brought  into  the  New  Jerusalem  armed  legions  will  have  no  place,  for 
long  before  the  time  described  in  this  chapter  men  will  forget  to  learn  war, 
the  sword  will  be  beaten  into  the  plowshare,  and  the  spear  into  the  pruning 
hook.  The  nations  of  the  earth  regard  their  navies  as  a  glory  and  honor, 
and  they  point  with  pride  to  their  sails  which  whiten  every  sea,  and  to 
their  ships  of  war  which  command  the  respect  of  every  people.  These 
navies,  like  the  standing  armies,  are  only  a  confession  of  human  ambition, 
injustice  and  sin ;  and  in  the  New  Jerusalem  they  will  have  no  place,  for 
long  before  the  time  described  in  this  chapter,  there  will  be  no  sea  to  be 
plowed  by  ships  of  war  or  to  be  stained  with  human  blood.  The  nations 
of  the  earth  regard  their  battles  and  victories  as  a  gloiy  and  honor,  and 
they  point  with  pride  to  the  histories  in  which  these  battles  and  victories 
are  recorded ;  but  these  things  are  only  a  confession  of  human  ambition, 
injustice  and  sin ;  and  in  the  New  Jerusalem  they  will  have  no  place,  for 
long  before  the  time  described  in  this  chapter  universal  peace  will  fill  and 
bless  the  universal  kingdom  of  Christ.     The  nations  of  the  earth  r^;ard 


THE   NEW   JERUSALEM  — CONTINUED.  687 

their  public  buildingS)  their  reformatories,  their  hospitals  and  their  churohes 
as  a  glory  and  honor ;  but  in  the  New  Jemsalem  these  will  have  no  place, 
for  there  there  will  be  no  criminals  to  need  reformation,  no  sick  to  need 
the  care  of  hospitals,  and  no  need  of  churches,  for  the  Lord  Gh)d  Almighty 
and  the  Lamb  will  be  the  temple  of  it. 

What,  then,  is  the  true  gloiy  and  honor  of  the  nations  which  will 
at  last  be  brought  into  the  New  Jerusalem  ?  It  is  that  only  which  is 
truly  yaluable,  and  which  will  endure  after  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
beeome  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  and  his  Christ.  One  true  glofy  of 
the  nations  is  knowledge.  "  Knowledge  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  people  "  That  kingdom  in  which  general  intelligence  pr^ 
tmIs  has  a  right  to  be  proud.  And  without  controrersy,  knowledge  will  be 
a  characteristic  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  There  men  will  no  longer  see 
through  a  glass  darkly — they  will  know  even  as  they  are  known.  Another 
true  glory  of  the  nations  is  justice.  This  will  be  a  characteristic  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  for  God  will  be  its  King,  and  the  saints  are  to  sit  on  the 
thrones  of  glory.  Another  true  glory  of  the  nations  is  holiness.  This  will 
be  a  characteristic  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  for  nothing  that  defileth  will 
pass  through  the  gates  into  the  city.  Another  true  gloiy  of  the  nations  is 
the  honorable  character  of  its  citizens.  This  will  be  a  characteristic  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  for  all  its  inhabitants  will  be  sons  and  daughters  of  the 
Lord  Almighty. 

When  the  time  comes  for  the  gathering  of  the  general  assembly  of  the  first 
bom,  and  God  sends  his  angels  to  bring  them  ^m  the  north,  south,  east  and 
west,  armies  and  navies,  hospitals  and  cathedrals,  warriors  and  heroes  will  be 
overlooked  and  forgotten,  and  they  will  bring  into  it  knowledge,  justice  and 
holiness,  which  are  now,  and  ever  have  been,  and  ever  must  be,  the  gloiy 
and  honor  of  the  nations.  This  revelation  is  of  great  use  in  giving  vivid- 
ness to  our  conceptions  of  heaven.  Take  the  history  of  the  world  in  our 
hands.  Glance  over  that  history  from  the  earliest  ages  till  the  present. 
Leave  out  of  it  everything  that  is  hurtful  and  sinful.  Leave  in  it  every- 
thing that  is  glorious  and  honorable.  Bring  all  that  is  glorious  and  hon- 
orable into  one  land,  confer  it  upon  one  people,  and  what  have  we  ?  We 
have  universal  knowledge,  general  peace,  impartial  justice,  complete  holi- 
noss,  and  unending  prosperity  and  happiness.  We  have  a  heaven  upon 
earth.  When  all  these  things  will  be  brought  to  perfection,  as  they  will  be 
in  the  heavenly  state,  there  will  be  that  which  is  described  in  the  words 
before  us :  ''  They  shall  bring  the  glory  and  honor  of  the  nations  into  it" ; 
that  is,  everything  that  is  valuable,  and  glorious,  and  honorable  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth,  will  have  a  perpetual  place  and  an  eternal  home  in  heaven. 

II.  In  the  last  verse  of  the  chaptlsr,  we  have  another  description  of 
THE  cfiABAGTEB  OF  THE  INHABITANTS  of  heaven.     <^And  there  shall  in 


538  LECTURE   LXX. 

no  wise  eoter  into  it  any  thing  that  defileth^  neither  whatBoever  worketh 
abomination,  or  maketh  a  lie ;  but  they  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's 
book  of  life."  This  is  not  the  first  description  of  the  glorified  saints 
which  the  Spirit  of  inspiration  has  vouchsafed  to  us  in  this  revelation  of 
the  hereafter.  In  one  place  we  are  told  that  they  will  be  without  sorrow ; 
in  another,  that  they  will  be  fully  satisfied  and  finally  victorious,  and  the 
sons  of  God ;  in  another,  that  they  are  the  saved  of  all  the  nations.  But 
the  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  is  a  matter  of  so  much  import- 
ance that  it  is  again  and  again  forced  upon  our  attention.  In  the  words 
before  us  we  are  told,  in  the  first  place,  who  will  not  enter  the  heavenly 
city ;  and  in  the  second  place,  who  will  enter  it. 

Who  will  not  enter  the  heavenly  city?  ^'  There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it 
any  thing  that  defileth,  neither  whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  or  maketh 
a  lie."  Let  it  be  particularly  noted,  and  carefully  remembered,  that  the 
disqualifications  for  the  New  Jerusalem;  which  are  here  pointed  out,  are 
not  founded  on  outward  circumstances  or  relations.  It  is  not  said  that  the 
poor  will  in  no  wise  enter  therein,  or  the  lowly,  or  the  infirm,  or  the  aged, 
or  the  rich,  or  the  noble,  or  the  strong,  or  the  young.  These  distinctions 
are  now  regarded  as  important,  and  without  question,  they  do  have  an  im- 
portance ;  but  when  men  present  themselves  at  the  gates  of  the  heavenly 
city,  it  will  not  be  asked,  are  you  learned  or  unlearned  ?  are  you  rich  or 
poor  ?  are  you  noble  or  of  lowly  birth  ?  The  qualifications  for  citizenship 
in  the  New  Jerusalem  are  not  founded  on  outward  relations  or  circum- 
stances. Nor  are  these  qualifications  founded  on  the  denominational  dis- 
tinctions which  are  recognized  and  loved  and  honored  on  earth.  There  can 
be  no  question  that  the  division  of  the  church  into  different  denominations 
has  been  overruled  by  our  heavenly  Father  for  keeping  his  earthly  church 
pure  and  watchful  in  doctrine  and  in  practice  ;  nor  can  there  be  any  ques* 
tion  that  it  is  our  duty  during  our  present  imperfect  state  to  stand  firmly 
by  our  belief  and  confession  ;  but  when  men  present  themselves  at  the 
gates  of  the  heavenly  city,  it  will  not  be  asked,  are  you  Presbyterians,  or 
Methodists,  or  Baptists  ?  The  qualifications  for  citizenship  in  the  New 
Jerusalem  are  not  founded  on  these  denominational  distinctions. 

These  qualifications  are  wholly  of  a  moral  character.  Outward  ciroum- 
stahces  and  relations  stretch  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  but  no  further. 
Denominational  distinctions,  important  as  they  may  be  now,  are  lost  in  the 
general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first  bom.  Qod  looks  upon  the  heart, 
and  not  upon  the  garment;  on  the  life,  and  not  on  the  profession j  and  Gt)d 
is  king  of  heaven  and  the  sole  judge  of  the  qualifications  of  its  inhabitants. 
There  are  reasons,  obvious  reasons,  why  citizensh^)  in  the  New  Jerusalem 
is  founded  on  moral  qualifications.  Sin  is  the  source,  the  essence  of  mis- 
ery. Some  one  has  well  said,  "  Hell  is  that  monosyllable  '  sin '  repeated, 
re-echoed,  reverberated  for  ever."     As  miseiy  is  unknown  in  heaven,  sin 


THE   NEW   JERUSALEM — CONTINUED.  589 

most  be  anknown.  And  sinners  must  be  disqaalified,  not  only  because  of 
their  misery,  but  also  because  of  their  unfitness.  They  could  not  sing  its 
songs  of  redemption ;  they  could  not  join  in  its  worship ;  they  could  not 
engage  in  its  pleasures.  It  may  be  true,  and  no  doubt  is  true,  that  we  as 
yet  know  but  little  of  heayen,  bat  this  much  we  do  know :  our  qualifica- 
tions for  dticenship  in  that  better  land  will  be  founded  on  moral  character, 
and  not  on  outward  circumstances  or  denominational  distinctions. 

Bearing  this  in  mind,  we  are  pr^ared  to  consider  and  understand  tho 
disqualifications  which  are  here  enumerated.  They  are  three  in  number. 
The  first  one  is :  '*  There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  any  thing  that  de- 
fileth.''  These  words  describe  the  opposite  of  that  which  is  holy ;  that  is, 
unholiness,  undeanness,  sinfulness.  .  From  this  it  appears  that  unholy  and 
sinful  ones  will  not  enter  the  New  Jerusalem.  Those  who  are  unholy  in 
heart  or  life,  in  word  or  deed,  are  disqualified  for  citizenship  in  that  better 
country.  We  may  then  ask,  who  will  be  saved  ?  for  there  is  not  a  just 
man  upon  the  earth  that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not.  But  we  must  re* 
member  that  there  is  a  way  of  pardon  and  sanctification  through  the  Lord 
Jesus.  Those  who  are  pardoned  through  his  blood  and  sanctified  through 
his  Spirit,  are  unholy  no  more.  The  words  before  us  describe  those  who 
haye  not  been  pardoned  and  sanctified,  those  who  haye  the  defilement  and 
sinfulness  of  their  souls  yet  resting  upon  them.  All  such,  because  of  their 
misery,  their  unfitness  and  their  enmity  to  God,  will  haye  no  place  in 
heayen. 

The  second  disqualification  is  expressed  in  these  words  :  "  Neither  what- 
Boeyer  worketh  abomination."  An  abomination  is  anythi&g  which  excites 
abhorrence  or  disgust.  These  words  might  describe  those  who  are  guilty 
of  any  disgusting,  abhorrent  or  sinful  practice,  for  all  sin  is  an  abomina- 
tion in  the  sight  of  God.  The  meaning  of  this  clause  would  then  be  iden* 
tical  with  the  meaning  of  the  one  we  have  just  considered.  But  the  word 
^  abomination,"  as  it  is  used  in  the  Scriptures,  generally  has  a  well  defined 
meaning.  It  refers  to  idolatry.  The  worship  of  idols  is  the  abomination 
of  abominations  in  the  sight  of  God.  If  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  word 
in  the  present  connection,  and  we  see  no  reason  to  doubt  it,  then  the  per- 
sons who  are  here  described  as  having  no  place  in  heaven  are  idolaters. 
We  must  not,  however,  think  that  they  only  are  idolaters  who  worship 
graven  images.  The  second  commandment  not  only  forbids  the  worship  of 
God  by  images,  but  also  the  worship  of  him  in  any  way  not  appointed  in 
his  word.  They,  therefore,  are  idolaters  who  give  to  any  other  object  the 
love,  obedience  and  worship  which  should  be  given  to  God,  or  who  render 
to  God  love,  obedience  and  worship  in  an  unauthorized  way.  All  such,  be- 
cause of  their  misery,  their  unfitness,  and  their  enmity  to  God^  will  have 
no  place  in  heaven. 

The  third  disqualification  is  expressed  in  these  words :     '*  Or  maketh  a 


540  LEOTUBB  LXX. 

lie/'  This  describes  those  who  are  false  to  themselves,  to  their  fellow-men 
and  to  God ;  those  who  by  their,  lives  make  God  a  liar,  and  his  truth  a  lie. 
All  such,  because  of  their  misery,  their  unfitness  and  their  enmity  to  God, 
will  have  no  place  in  heaven. 

These  are  the  three  disqualifications  which  are  here  mentioned,  vis.,  on- 
holiness,  ungodliness  and  falsehood.  Those  who  are  unholj,  ungodly  and 
untruthful,  have  no  right  to  expect  that  they  will  ever  pass  through  the 
gates  into  the  city.  But  some  one  may  say,  will  not  death  work  this 
change  in  us  ?  Though  we  are  not  fit  now,  will  not  death  make  us  fit? 
There  can  be  no  more  fatal  delusion  than  the  one  which  underlies  these 
questions.  Death  works  no  change  in  the  moral  and  spiritual  character. 
It  presents  the  man  before  God  just  as  it  found  him.  Death  transfers, 
it  does  not  transform.  It  carries  the  man  from  the  earth  into  the  presence 
of  God ;  it  does  not  transform  the  ungodly  into  the  godly.  It  sets  the 
seal  of  immutability  upon  the  character,  and  says,  '*  He  that  is  filthy,  let 
him  be  filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous  still." 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  qualifications  for  heavenly  citizenship,  as  they 
are  here  revealed.  We  have  seen  that  the  disqualifications  are  unholiness, 
ungodliness  and  falsehood.  We  would  expect  the  qualifications  to  be  the 
very  opposite,  holiness,  godliness  and  truth.  And  so  they  are ;  but  the 
Spirit  of  inspiration  has  seen  fit  to  describe  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  in 
these  words,  with  which  our  previous  studies  have  made  us  familiar: 
'*  Tbey  which  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life."  It  should  per- 
haps be  remarked  here,  that  these  qualifications,  like  the  disqualifications 
already  referred  to,  are  not  founded  on  outward  relations  and  denomina- 
tional distinctions.  No  man's  name  is  written  in  the  book  of  life  because 
he  is  rich,  or  noble,  or  learned,  or  because  he  is  a  member  of  this  or  that 
particular  church  ;  or  because  he  has  been  baptized,  for  many  who  hav^ 
been  baptized  in  the  name  of  the  true  God  will  come  short  of  entering 
into  rest;  or  because  he  is  a  professing  member  of  the  church,  for  many 
who  have  sat  at  the  communion  table  and  have  handled  the  appointed  em- 
blems of  the  great  sacrifice  will  plead  in  vain  for  admission  to  the  marriage 
supper  of  the  Lamb. 

How  important  become  the  questions,  What  is  the  Lamb's  book  of  life? 
Whose  names  are  written  there?  Are  our  names  among  the  number  ?  No 
dweller  on  earth  has  ever  yet  seen  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  in  which  the 
names  of  all  the  citizens  of  the  New  Jerusalem  are  enrolled.  No  one  has 
ever  climbed  to  heaven  and  wrested  the  wonderful  volume  from  the  hands 
of  its  omnipotent  keeper.  Even  Paul,  when  he  was  caught  up  into  the 
third  heavens  and  saw  many  things  which  it  was  not  possible  for  man  to 
utter,  did  not  see  the  roll  of  the  sons  of  Gt)d.  Even  John,  who  in  vision 
walked  about  the  celestial  city,  was  not  vouchsafed  a  glimpse  of  the  contents 
of  the  Lamb's  book  of  lifei     No  angel  has  ever  proclaimed  on  earth  the 


THE  NEW   JERUSALSIf — CONTINUED.  541 

names  of  the  elect  They  have  been  sent  by  the  Heavenly  Father  to  an- 
nounce many  things  of  interest  to  the  haman  race,  bat  the  Lamb's  book 
of  life  seems  to  be  one  thing  into  which  they  are  not  permitted  to  look. 
No  man  has,  therefore,  the  right  to  say,  I  have  seen  my  name  in  the  book 
of  life ;  or,  an  angel  has  revealed  it  to  me  that  my  name  is  in  the  book  of 
life ;  therefore,  I  will  never  fail.  If  these  things  are  so,  how  can  we  tell 
whose  names  are  in  the  book  of  life  ?  How  can  we  know,  while  we  are 
yet  on  earth,  who  are  qualified  for  citixenship  in  the  heavenly  city  ?  Why, 
in  this  way :  The  Bible  is  almost  a  reprint  of  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  *, 
it  is  almost  a  transcript  of  what  is  contained  in  the  heavenly  record.  The 
great  difference  between  the  two  is  thb :  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  contains 
the  names  of  the  saved;  the  Lamb's  book  of  revelation  contains  the 
character  of  the  saved.  If  we  find  our  character  described  in  the  latter, 
we  may  rise  to  the  assurance  that  our  names  are  written  in  the  former. 
And  the  more  nearly  our  character  agrees  with  the  revelation,  the  stronger 
will  the  assurance  become.  Herein  we  may  see  the  difference  between  the 
assurance  of  sense  and  the  assurance  of  faith.  If  we  could  be  carried  to 
heaven  and  see  our  names  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life,  such  a  sight 
would  give  us  the  assurance  of  sense,  that  is,  an  assurance  founded  on  sense. 
K  we  find  our  characters  described  in  the  word  of  Ood  as  those  who  are 
saved,  we  believe  that  our  names  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life ; 
and  this  gives  us  the  assurance  of  faith,  that  is,  an  assurance  founded  on 
faith.  While  it  might  give  us  joy  to  attain  the  former,  the  latter  is  far 
better ;  for  while  our  senses  are  often  deceived,  our  faith  is  deceived  but 
seldom. 

What  does  the  Lamb's  book  of  revelation  tell  us  of  the  character  of 
those  whose  names  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life  ?  l!hose  whose 
names  are  recorded  therein  must  have  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

* 

Nothing  is  more  clearly  revealed  than  this.  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  thou  shalt  be  saved,"  is  a  truth  which  appears  on  almost  every 
page  of  the  book  of  God.  Let  no  man  wonder  at  the  emphasis  which  is 
put  on  faith,  both  in  the  written  word  and  in  the  preached  word,  for  faith 
is,  by  divine  appointment,  the  great  prerequisite  to  eternal  life.  Those  whose 
names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  must  take  the  written  word  as  the 
rule  of  their  life.  By  it  their  thoughts,  words  and  deeds  must  be  regula- 
ted. The  Bible  contains  the  alphabet  of  heaven,  and  unless  we  learn  that 
alphabet  we  cannot  hope  to  speak  the  language  of  that  better  country. 
Those  whose  names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  must  be  holy.  With- 
out holiness,  no  man  can  see  the  Lord.  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you"  ?  Those  whose 
names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life  must  keep  the  commandments  of 
Christ  "  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you."    '*  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments."     Those  whose  names 


542  LEOTURB  LXXI. 

are  written  in  the  book  of  life  most  have  brothei^lj  love.     ^'  Hereby  shall 
all  men  know  that  ye  are  my  discipleB,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another." 

ThiB  is  the  character  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  They  have  faith, 
holiness,  obedience,  and  love.  It  should  not  be  difficult  to  determine 
whether  we  have  these  characteristics.  If  we  have  them,  we  may  rise  to 
the  assurance  that  our  names  are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life.  And 
the  more  &ith,  holiness,  obedience  and  love  we  have,  the  stronger  will  our 
assurance  be.  With  such  an  assurance  we  may  say,  ^*  For  I  am  persuaded 
that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.'' 


LECTURE    LXXI. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— Continued. 

And  he  showed  me  a  pure  river  of  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal,  proceeding 
out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it, 
and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  was  there  the  tree  of  life,  which  hare  twelve 
manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month :  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations.— Rev.  22 :  1,  2. 

The  first  five  verses  of  this  chapter  continue  and  complete  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  It  is  unfortunate  that,  in  our  Bihles, 
they  are  separated  from  the  preceding  chapter,  for  this  separation  has  a 
tendency  to  mislead.  In  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  the  river  of 
life  and  the  tree  of  life  are  brought  to  our  notice. 

I.  We  have  a  description  of  the  river  of  life,  and  though  this  de- 
scription is  brief,  it  is  sufficient  to  give  a  vivid  idea  of  the  symbol,  and  to 
reveal  its  meaning.  "And  he  showed  me  a  pure -river  of  water  of  life, 
clear  as  crystal,  proceeding  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb.*' 
We  must  not  think  that  the  apostle  was  wandering  aimlessly  through  the 
streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  going  here  and  there  as  his  inclination 
might  lead  him ;  he  had  an  angel  for  his  guide,  the  same  angel  who  is 
brought  to  our  notice  in  the  preceding  chapter,  who  had  measured  the  city 
and  explained  its  parts.  Thb  heavenly  guide  led  the  apostle  to  the  most 
interesting  spots,  and  called  his  attention  to  those  features  which  it  is  best 
for  us  to  know.  It  was  this  angel  who  led  the  seer  away  from  the  walls, 
and  gatos,  and  foundations,  uid  brought  him  to  another  part  of  the  holj 
city  and  showed  him  the  river  of  the  water  of  life.     The  fact  that  the 


THE  NEW  JEBUSALBM— CONTINUED.  543 

angel  ^gled  out  this  river  of  life  must  conviooe  us  that  tins  is  an  import- 
ant feature  in  the  celestial  landscape,  and  that  it  shadows  forth  important 
truths  in  this  reyelation  of  heaven. 

The  river  of  life :  what  is  it  ?  Let  no  one  fail  to  observe  how  frequently 
this  word  "  life  "  occurs  in  these  descriptions  of  heaven.  The  river  of  the 
heavenly  city  is  the  river  of  life  ;  its  water  is  the  water  of  life;  its  trees 
are  the  trees  of  life ;  its  book  is  the  book  of  life.  This  is  no  unmeaning 
or  rhetorical  repetition.  It  points  to  the  great  characteristic  of  the  future 
to  its  life,  a  life  without  dangers,  a  life  without  sorrows,  a  life  without  end, 
a  life  without  death.  Of  course  the  river  of  life  is  a  symbol.  Of  what 
is  it  a  symbol  ?  It  is  a  symbol  of  the  blessings  of  salvation.  It  shadows 
forth  the  joy,  and  peace,  and  holiness,  and  happiness,  which  flow  from  God 
in  Christ,  through  the  Spirit,  to  every  believing  soul.  This  symbol  is  so 
often  employed  by  the  inspired  writers,  that  those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  Scriptures  can  have  no  doubt  as  to  its  meaning.  Let  us  notice  a  few 
passages.  Isaiah  says,  '^  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the 
waters.''  And  what  are  the  waters  save  the  blood  and  Spirit  of  Christ,  and 
the  blessings  which  come  through  that  blood  and  Spirit  ?  The  prophet 
Bzekiel  mentions  it  as  one  main  feature  of  the  predicted  restoration,  that 
there  were  waters  issuing  from  the  threshold  of  the  house,  which  rose  and 
rose  until  they  became  a  river  which  could  not  be  passed  over,  and  which 
filled  with  life  everything  they  touched.  And  what  were  these  waters  save 
the  blessings  of  salvation  ?  Our  Lord  said,  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him 
come  unto  me  and  drink.  The  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  be  in  him 
a  well  of  living  water,  springing  up  unto  everlasting  life.''  Of  a  similar 
import  is  that  remarkable  invitation  which  is  contained  in  this  very  chapter : 
"  The  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth  say, 
Gome.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely."  What  can  these  living  waters  be  save  the 
blessings  of  salvation  ?  These  blessings  are  not  confined  to  the  present 
life ;  and  therefore,  we  are  told  of  rivers  in  the  life  which  is  to  come.  The 
Psahnist  says,  "  Thou  shalt  make  them  drink  of  the  river  of  thy  pleasures : 
for  with  thee  is  the  fountain  of  life.''  So  in  the  passage  before  us,  we  are 
told  that  there  is  a  river  of  life,  proceeding  from  the  throne  of  Gtod  and 
of  the  Lamb,  and  flowing  evermore  through  the  streets  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem. We  therefore  repeat  it,  the  river  of  life  which  John  saw  in 
vision  is  a  symbol  of  the  blessings  of  salvation,  which  include  the  blood  of 
Christ  and  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  joy,  and  peace,  and  holiness,  and  hap- 
piness^ blessings  which  are  partly  enjoyed  here,  but  which  will  not  be  fully 
enjoyed  till  the  hereafter  has  come. 

This  figure  appeared^more  beautiful  and  appealed  more  powerfully  to 
those  who  lived  in  the  lands  of  the  Bible  than  to  us  who  live  in  the  well 
watered  lands  of  the  West.     Here  broad  rivers,  and  flowing  streams,  and 


544  LECTURE  LXXI. 

bubbling  springs  are  so  oommon  that  we  do  not  appreciate  their  value* 
In  those  parched  countries  a  living  stream  was  a  wonder  and  a  bless- 
ing. That  city  whose  walls  were  washed  by  a  continually  flowing  river 
was  envied.  That  home  in  which  an  unfailing  fountain  was  ever  play- 
ing was  counted  a  greater  possession  than  gold,  or  silver,  or  flocks,  or 
herds.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  figure  of  the  river  of  life,  and 
similar  figures,  are  so  common  in  the  word  of  God.  This  is  the  reason 
why  such  a  river  is  described  as  sparkling  in  the  celestial  light,  and  flow- 
ing through  the  streets  of  the  symbolical  city  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
Nor  can  we  overlook  the  appropriateness  of  the  figure,  though  it  may  ap- 
pear to  us  less  beautiful  and  appeal  to  us  less  powerfully,  than  to  those  who 
lived  in  the  lands  of  the  Bible.  Those  who  dwell  on  the  banks  of  a  river 
can  draw  out  all  they  need  and  no  one  can  forbid  it.  Those  who  have  an 
unfailing  spring  bubbling  up  beside  their  doors,  can  drink  their  fill  without 
money  and  without  price.  So  the  blessings  of  salvation  are  free.  Who- 
soever is  athirst  may  come.  Whosoever  will  may  take  freely.  W^r  is 
purifying.  It  is  the  chief  purifying  element  in  nature.  It  is*  the  means 
by  which  our  homes,  our  hands  and  our  garments  are  cleansed.  So  the 
blessings  of  salvation  are  purifying.  He  who  comes  to  Jesus  is  washed 
from  all  undeanness.  Though  his  sins  are  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  made 
as  wool ;  though  they  are  as  red  as  crimson,  they  shall  be  made  as  white 
as  snow.  Water  quenches  thirst.  In  this  nothing  else  can  supply  its 
place.  So  the  blessings  of  salvation  satisfy  the  unutterable  longings  of  the 
soul.  Christ  and  his  gospel  alone  can  satisfy  that  longing  for  immortality 
and  happiness  which  is  to  be  found  in  eveiy  human  breast  Water  gives 
health,  vigor  and  life.  Those  who  are  cut  off  fh>m  all  supply  must  sicken, 
languish  and  die.  So  the  blessings  of  salvation  give  spiritual  health,  and 
unfailing  vigor,  and  eternal  life. 

We  need  not  trace  the  resemblance  between  water  and  the  blessings  of 
salvation  to  any  greater  length.  We  know  something  from  observation  or 
experience  of  the  blessings  of  salvation  in  the  present  life,  though  we  must 
confess  that  our  knowledge  is  as  yet  very  limited,  and  we  know  that  these 
bleesing9  are  properly  symbolized  by  a  river  of  life.  Let  us  now,  guided 
by  that  angel  who  guided  the  apostle  John,  follow  that  river  up  to  its  source. 
We  know  what  it  is  as  it  fiows  through  this  sinful  earth,  tainted  with  the 
impurities  it  has  received  from  contact  with  human  imperfections  and  filthi- 
ness,  and  defiled  by  the  enmity  of  wicked  men  and  angels ;  but  let  us  try 
to  discover  what  it  la  as  it  flows  through  the  sinless  heaven,  before  it  has 
been  marred  by  human  taint  or  satanic  defilement.  And  let  us  be  prepared 
to  see  wonders ;  for  if  the  river  of  life  is  so  great  a  blessing  when  it  reaches 
this  distant  part  of  the  vineyard,  what  must  it  be  as  it  springs  up  doee 
beside  the  throne  I  If  it  gives  so  much  joy  to  those  who  drink  its  tainted 
and  defiled  streams  on  earth,  how  much  greater  must  be  the  joy  of  thoee 


THE  NEW  JSBUSALEM— OONTINUED.  545 

who  are  permitted  to  drink  ftom  it  in  all  its  untainted  purity  as  it  flows 
along  the  plains  of  heaven ! 

First  of  ally  it  is  a  river  of  life.  It  is  no  little  spring  or  struggling 
rivulet,  which  a  score  of  thirsty  ones  could  drain,  or  which  the  sun  of  a 
summer's  day  could  evaporate.  It  is  a  river,  deep  and  broad,  at  which 
unnumbered  multitudes  can  quench  their  thirst  for  unnumbered  ages, 
without  lessening  the  volume  of  its  flow.  A  mighty  throng  are  now  stand- 
ing upon  its  banks,  a  throng  which  has  been  gathering  ever  since  righteous 
Abel  went  home  to  glory,  and  which  is  being  increased  by  night  and  by  day, 
as  the  saintly  from  our  homes  and  our  congregations  are  called  up  higher 
to  receive  their  reward.  And  this  throng  is  only  the  beginning  of  a 
mightier  throng;  they  are  only  the  first  few  who  have  entered  the  heavenly 
sanctuary,  and  who  are  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  rest  of  the  general 
assonbly  and  church  of  the  first  bom.  When  this  general  assembly  has 
gathered,  and  the  latest  comer  has  passed  through  the  gates  into  the  city, 
they  will  constitute  an  innumerable  multitude,  whose  song  of  praise  will  be 
as  the  noise  of  many  waters.  And  yet  this  innumerable  multitude,  through 
all  the  unending  ages  of  their  everlasting  life,  will  not  exhaust  the  river 
fhmi  which  they  obtain  their  supply.  Nor  will  they  drink  lightly  as  they 
do  here  on  earth.  Now  if  we  can  get  a  little  taste  of  joy,  and  peace,  and 
pardon,  we  are  satisfied,  but  then  no  litde  taste  will  be  sufficient.  In  heaven 
the  blessings  of  salvation  will  be  enjoyed  in  full  measure.  Here  they  flow 
in  little  streams  and  tiny  rivulets ;  there  they  flow  in  a  river  deep  and 
broad,  which  human  skill  cannot  fiithom,  and  human  need  cannot  exhaustii 

It  is  a  river  of  the  water  of  life;  that  is,  its  water  gives  fullest  life  and 
prevents  all  forms  of  death.  The  water  which  we  now  draw  from  the  wells 
of  salvation  does  give  spiritual  life,  but  every  Christian  knows  ftom  his  own 
bitter  experience  that  it  does  not,  on  account  of  his  own  weakness,  give 
fullest  life.  There  are  possibilities  of  spiritual  experience,  of  joy  and  of 
peace,  of  which  he  may  dream,  but  which  he  may  not  hope  to  reach  in  the 
present  life.  When  we  drink  of  the  water  of  life  as  it  flows  in  the  heavenly 
river,  and  not  as  we  draw  it  from  our  earthly  wells,  all  these  possibilities 
will  be  realized.  The  water  which  we  now  draw  from  the  wells  of  salvation 
does  not  prevent  natural  death.  It  is  appointed  unto  all  men,  to  the  saint  as 
well  as  the  sinner,  to  die.  There  is  but  one  way  of  exit  from  the  world,  and 
that  is  through  the  grave.  When  we  drink  of  the  water  of  life  as  it  flows 
in  the  heavenly  river,  and  not  as  we  draw  it  from  our  earthly  wells,  we  will 
die  no  more ;  the  last  enemy  will  be  conquered ;  death  will  be  swallowed  up 
in  victory.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  ^eict  that  the  river  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  is  a  river  of  the  water  of  li/e. 

It  is  a  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal.  In  this  respect 
it  diffiars  widely  from  the  streams  at  which  we  try  to  quench  our  spiritual 
thirst  on  earth.     As  has  been  said,  they  are  tainted  and  defiled.     As  they 

36 


646  LECTURE   LXXI. 

flow  through  this  world,  saturated  with  sin,  they  lose  their  purity,  llaa's 
imperfect  and  prejudiced  explanations  of  the  gospel  muddy  the  pure  stream. 
Satan  in  his  enmity  and  <;unning  mingles  with  it  many  an  error.  And  so 
the  pure  river  which  issued  from  the  throne  of  God  clear  as  crystal,  when 
it  reaches  our  homes  and  our  hearts,  is  tainted  and  defiled.  It  is  no  longer 
pure.  It  is  no  longer  clear  as  crystal.  The  fault  is  not  in  the  river,  but 
in  the  impurities  of  the  enemy's  country  through  which  it  flows,  and  in 
the  unclean  hands  and  unclean  vessels  with  which  we  dip  up  the  water  of 
life.  When  we  drink  of  the  water  of  life  as  it  flows  in  the  heavenly  country, 
where  neither  the  malice  of  Satan  nor  the  wickedness  of  men  can  defile  it, 
we  will  find  it  more  sweet  and  more  beautiful  than  we  ever  dreamed  it  to 
be.  Sometimes  even  now,  when  we  take  large  draughts  from  the  wells  of 
salvation,  and  when  we  feel  the  joys  of  salvation  filling  our  souls  to  the 
very  brim,  we  think  we  have  reached  the  full  measure  of  joy  and  peace, 
and  in  our  weakness  and  ignorance  we  say,  ^^Our  willing  souls  would  always 
stay  in  such  a  frame  as  this.''  Like  the  apostles  on  the  mount  of  trans- 
figuration, we  wish  for  tabernacles  that  We  might  abide  for  ever.  When 
we  enter  the  heavenly  land,  we  will  find  that  there  is  a  joy,  and  a  peace,  and 
a  happiness  which  infinitely  surpass  our  most  exalted  earthly  experience. 
All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  &ct  that  the  river  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
is  dear  as  crystal,  and  therefore  unlike  the  streams  at  which  we  try  to 
quench  our  thirst  now,  and  infinitely  better  than  they. 

This  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life,  which  is  clear  as  crystal,  proceeds 
'<from  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb."  God  and  the  Lamb  have 
but  one  throne,  for  they  are  equal  in  power  and  glory.  This  accords  with 
the  words  of  the  Saviour,  when  he  speaks  of  the  time  when  he  shall  tat 
down  with  the  Father  on  his  throne.  These  blessings  of  salvation,  which 
are  symboliEcd  by  the  river  of  life,  come  from  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
The  Father  devised  the  plan  of  salvation,  and  the  Son  wrought  it  out ; 
and  it  was  devised  and  wrought  out  in  such  a  way  as  did  not  in  the  least 
conflict  with  the  attributes  of  the  Godhead.  Hence,  the  river  of  life  is 
described,  not  merely  as  proceeding  from  GK>d  and  the  Lamb,  but  as  pro- 
ceeding from  the  throne  of  Gk)d  and  the  Lamb.  This  the  saints  in  heaven 
will  never  forget.  As  they  see  the  river  of  life  ever  flowing  from  the 
throne,  their  song  of  thanksgiving  will  ever  be,  "  Salvation,  and  glory,  and 
power,  and  might,  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb  for  ever  and  ever." 

This  is  what  is  meant  by  this  part  of  the  symbol.  The  river  of  lift 
shadows  forth  the  blessings  of  salvation,  which  are  now  enjoyed  in  some 
measure,  but  which  will  not  be  enjoyed  in  all  their  fiillness  till  the  here- 
afler  has  come.  When  we  enter  heaven,  if,  through  divine  grace,  this  privi- 
lege will  ever  be  ours,  we  will  find  that  they  surpass  our  highest  earthly 
expectations.     They  will  be  as  great  and  abundant  as  a  river  deep  and 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CONTINUED.  547 

broad;  tliej  will  impart  the  fallest  measure  of  spiritual  vigor  and  life;  they 
will  be  without  the  least  taint  to  mur  their  crystal  purity.  While,  there- 
fore, we  are  now  drinking  from  the  streams  which  make  glad  the  earthly 
city  of  our  God,  we  may  well  long  for  the  time  when  we  will  go  up  higher 
and  stand  beside  the  pure  riTer  of  the  water  of  life,  clear  as  crystal,  which 
prooeedeth  out  of  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb. 

U.  We  have  a  description  of  the  tree  of  life.  *'  In  the  midst  of 
the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  river,  was  there  the  tree  of  life, 
which  bare  twelve  manner  of  fruits,  and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month  ; 
and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations."  This  sym- 
bol is  so  closely  related  to  the  one  we  have  just  considered,  that  it  will  re- 
quire little  explanation.  The  tree  of  life,  like  the  river  of  life,  shadows 
forth  the  blessings  of  salvation.  The  fruit  of  the  former,  like  the  water 
of  the  latter,  is  abundant ;  it  gives  the  fullest  measure  of  life,  and  prevents 
every  form  of  death ;  it  is  free  from  all  taint  and  corruption.  But  instead 
of  dwelling  on  these  characteristics,  which  were  noticed  in  the  exposition 
of  the  preceding  verse,  let  us  turn  to  the  new  characteristics  which  are 
brought  to  our  attention  in  the  verse  before  us. 

In  the  first  place,  the  ripened  blessings  of  the  complete  salvation  are 
accesnble  to  all  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  This  thought  is  beautifully 
expressed.  The  tree  of  life  is  growing  everywhere  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  and  on  all  the  streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem.  Of  course  we  are  not 
to  understand  the  words,  '*  the  tree  of  life,"  as  describing  a  single  tree ;  it 
describes  many  trees.  We  say  the  pine  tree  grows  on  the  mountains  of  the 
north,  or  the  palmetto  tree  flourishes  along  the  streams  of  the  south.  Thus 
the  apostle  says  that  the  tree  of  life  was  growing  and  flourishing  in  the 
heavenly  city.  Let  us  get  the  symbol,  as  the  apostle  saw  it,  firmly  fixed  in 
our  minds.  The  language  is  somewhat  obscure,  but  the  general  meaning 
is  plain  enough.  Trees  of  life  were  growing  on  both  banks  of  the  river ; 
they  lined  all  the  streets  of  the  city,  and  filled  them  with  their  grateful 
shade*  What  a  beautiful  picture  does  this  present  to  our  imagination ! 
Remember  the  walls,  the  gates,  and  the  palaces,  as  they  have  been  described ; 
remember  the  unclouded  light  and  the  sorrowless  inhabitants ;  and  then 
imagine  the  crystal  river  flowing  and  murmuring  through  the  streets,  and 
the  trees  of  life  filling  every  part  with  the  music  of  their  leaves,  the  fra- 
grance of  their  fruit,  and  the  shelter  of  their  shade.  Such  a  symbol  as 
this  must  have  filled  the  heart  of  every  dweller  in  the  sultry  and  sun- 
parched  Orient  with  unutterable  longing ;  nor  can  it  fail  to  move  our  souls 
with  the  beauty,  and  the  peace,  and  the  rest,  which  it  shadows  forth.  As 
has  been  said,  the  accessibility  of  the  blessings  of  salvation  is  shadowed 
forth  by  this  part  of  the  symbol.  There  was  a  tree  of  life  in  the  garden  of 
Bden.     Afber  our  first  parents  were  driven  out,  it  still  stood  in  the  garden, 


648  LEOTUftB  LXXI. 

but  it  waa  no  longer  accessible.  An  angel^  with  a  flaming  sword,  kept  the 
way  of  the  tree  of  life,  so  that  neither  Adam  nor  his  sons  might  approaoh. 
How  different  it  is  in  the  paradise  regained  1  There  the  tree  of  life  will 
stand  in  the  very  streets ;  no  guardian  angel  with  his  sword  of  fire  will 
stand  before  it ;  every  passer  by  may  pluck  and  eat  his  fill.  Even  now, 
though  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  life  is  fireely  offered  to  all,  there  are  many 
things  which  keep  us  back.  The  temptations  of  Satan,  our  prejudices, 
and  our  unbelief,  fence  about  the  tree  of  life  with  a  barrier  almost  as  hard 
to  overcome  as  the  flaming  sword  of  the  cherub ;  and  over  this  obstacle 
many  a  sinner  b  unable  or  unwilling  to  climb.  In  heaven  every  obstacle 
will  be  removed  and  every  dweller  in  the  holy  city  can  pluck  and  eat  at 
his  pleasure.  All  this  is  shadowed  fl)rth  by  the  fl^t  that  *^  in  the  midst 
of  the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side  of  the  ri?er,  was  there  the  tree  of 
life." 

In  the  next  place,  the  ripened  blessings  of^  the  complete  salvation  are 
unfailing  and  uninterrupted.  In  heaven  the  tree  of  life  will  *'  bear  twelve 
manner  of  fruits,  and  will  yield  her  fruit  every  month."  You  will  observe 
that  the  words  "  manner  of**  are  a  supplement  of  our  translators.  The 
exact  translation  is,  '*  which  bare  twelve  fruits."  This  may  mean  that  the 
tree  of  life  will  bear  twelve  different  kinds  of  fruit,  as  our  translators  un- 
derstood it ;  or  it  may  mean,  and  this,  we  think,  is  the  true  explanation, 
that  the  tree  of  life  will  bear  twelve  harvests  every  year.  In  either  case 
the  general  meaning  is  the  same.  The  tree  of  life  will  always  be  loaded 
with  fruit.  Its  fruit  will  ripen  every  month.  Unlike  the  trees  of  earth, 
it  will  need  no  winter's  rest  to  prepare  it  fl>r  its  summer's  fruitfiilness.  In 
our  present  experience,  the  blessings  of  salvation  are  not  enjoyed  uninter- 
ruptedly. To  day  we  have  peace,  to-morrow  we  are  filled  with  unrest ; 
to-day  we  have  joy,  to-morrow  we  are  filled  with  sorrow ;  to-cby  we  taste 
the  sweets  of  holiness,  to-morrow  we  are  overtaken  in  presumptaous  sin ; 
to-day  there  is  sunshine,  to-morrow  there  are  clouds  and  darkness.  So 
it  is  with  all  the  blessings  of  salvation.  They  are  interrupted,  and  we 
must  expect  them  to  be  interrupted  by  satanic  temptation  and  human 
weakness.  In  heaven,  peace,  joy,  holiness,  and  eveiy  other  blessbg  will 
endure  for  ever.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fiiet  that  the  tree  of  lifld 
bare  twelve  fruits  and  yielded  her  fruith  every  month. 

In  the  next  place,  the  ripened  blessings  of  the  complete  salvation  will 
infinitely  surpass  our  highest  earthly  conceptions.  "  The  leaves  of  the  tree 
were  for  the  healing  of  the  nations."  See  what  the  gospel  has  done  fbr  the 
nations  of  the  earth  1  It  has  purified  their  wonhip,  it  has  r6fi)rmed  their 
manners  and  morals,  it  has  restrained  their  sins.  See  what  the  gospel  has 
done  for  the  individuals  of  earth  1  It  has  healed  their  diseases,  pardooed 
their  iniquities,  saved  their  souls.  Yet  all  this  has  been  done  by  the  leaves 
of  the  tree  of  life.    And  if  the  leaves  are  so  beneficial,  how  much  more 


THI   NIW  JXB178ALIM— CONTINUED.  649 

beneftdal  most  the  ripened  firait  be?  Here  we  are  fitvored  with  only  the 
leaves  of  the  tree  of  life,  the  least  preoious  part.  Who  oan  imagine  what  our 
ezperienoee  will  be,  when  the  Lord  of  the  paradise  regaioed  will  pnt  the 
firait  into  our  hands  and  say,  '^  Eat,  0  friends,  yea,  drink  abundantly,  0  be- 
loved" ?  We  now  dream  of  heaven  and  picture  to  ourselves  what  heaven  is 
like ;  but  when  we  enter  it,  we  will  find  that  our  present  ezperienoes  were  not 
suffieient  to  give  us  any  proper  idea  of  the  reality.  The  leaves  of  the  tree 
of  life  can  help  us  only  to  a  faint  conception  of  what  its  ripened  fruit  will 
be.  All  this  is  shadowed  forth  by  the  fact  that  the  leaves  of  the  tree  are 
DOW  for  the  healing  of  the  nations,  but  its  ripened  fruit  for  the  food  of  the 
glorified  saints. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  be  reminded  of  the  unity  of  the  church  on  earth  and 
in  heaven.  We  hope  to  stand  beside  the  river  of  life,  and  to  sit  beneath 
the  tree  of  life ;  to  drink  of  the  water  of  the  one  and  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of 
the  other.  We  have  no  right  to  cherish  this  hope,  unless  we  are  now 
drinking  of  the  river  of  lifo  and  eating  of  the  tree  of  life.  All  Qod's  saints 
are  drinking  fVom  the  same  stream  of  salvation.  The  only  diffisrence  is, 
those  who  have  entered  into  rest  are  drinking  higher  up  the  river,  near 
its  source.  AH  Qod'B  saints  are  eating  from  the  same  tree.  The  only  dif- 
ference is,  those  who  have  entered  into  rest  are  feasting  on  the  fruit,  while 
here  we  have  to  be  content  with  the  leaves.  We  must  be  strengthened 
with  the  water  of  life  now,  if  we  expect  ever  to  be  strong  enough  to  reach 
the  throne  from  which  it  flows.  We  must  be  healed  with  the  leaves  of  the 
tree  of  life  now,  if  we  expect  ever  to  have  an  appetite  for  its  fruit.  Let 
us  then  take  the  water  of  life.  Its  streams  are  flowing  by  us  in  the  offers 
of  the  gospel.  We  are  ready  to  perish.  The  offer  is  ftdl  and  free.  ''  The 
Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come.  .And  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Gome.  And 
let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water 
of  life  freely." 


LECTURE    LXXII. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CoNTiKiTBD. 

And  there  shall  be  no  more  curse :  but  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb 
shall  be  in  it ;  and  his  servants  shall  serve  him :  and  they  shall  see  his  face ; 
and  his  name  shall  be  in  their  foreheads. — Rev.  22  :  8,  4. 

Thi  characteristic  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  is  brought  to  our  notice 
in  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture,  is  expressed  in  these  words :  "  no 
more  curse";  and  no  characteristic  should  be  more  highly  appreciated  by 
us  than  this.  In  no  respect  does  the  heavenly  state  differ  more  widely  from 


550  LECTURE  LXXII. 

the  earthly  than  in  this.  This  is  a  feature  of  the  heavenly  happiness  which 
we  should  be  able,  from  contrast,  to  understand.  We  are  familiar  with  the 
curse  and  its  effects.  Ever  since  it  was  addressed  to  our  fallen  pareDla  in 
the  garden  of  Eden,  it  has  been  ringing  through  the  world.  There  is  not 
a  land  which  has  not  heard  its  echoes ;  there  is  not  a  heart  which  has  not 
felt  its  sting.  It  has  changed  the  garden  of  Eden  into  Gethsemane,  and 
torn  up  the  tree  of  life  to  plant  the  cross  of  Christ.  At  its  bidding  thorns 
and  briars  spring  in  every  field,  and  sorrows  in  every  heart.  At  its  bidding 
earth  has  been  shaken  with  earthquakes,  and  swept  with  whirlwinds,  and 
scorched  with  fire.  Under  its  influence  men  have  labored  and  thought  in 
vain.  Under  its  command  hatred  and  anger,  murder  and  war  have  marched 
in  one  hideous  procession  through  all  the  centuries;  and  disease,  and  famine, 
the  plague,  and  the  pestilence,  have  visited  every  city  and  scourged  every 
home.  It  has  scarred  the  earth  with  graves,  and  watered  it  with  the  bitter- 
est tears.  The  footsteps  of  the  curse  can  be  seen  everywhere — in  our  homes, 
in  our  churches,  in  the  city  and  in  the  country,  in  the  forest  and  in  the 
field,  in  our  gardens  and  in  our  cemeteries,  on  the  land  and  on  the  sea. 
The  voice  of  the  curse  can  be  heard  everywhere.  It  mingles  with  the 
sounds  of  the  natural  world ;  it  gives  tone  to  human  speech ;  it  thunders 
like  a  deep  bass  in  the  worship  of  the  sanctuary,  and  it  speaks  even  in  the 
inspired  word  of  Ood.  The  slimy  trail  of  the  serpent  is  over  all  the  earth, 
and  the  terrible  words  of  the  primal  curse  are  echoing  through  all  the  lands 
and  through  all  the  ages  of  time.  Let  the  dweller  on  the  earth  go  where 
he  will,  he  cannot  get  beyond  the  reach  of  the  effects  of  the  curse.  Let 
him  abide  where  he  will,  he  cannot  shut  out  the  sound  of  its  fearful  woes. 

Since  all  this  k  so,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  understand  something  of  the 
beauty  of  that  revelation  which  assures  us  that  in  heaven  there  will  be  no 
more  curse.  If  we  knew  nothing  of  the  effects  of  the  curse,  we  might  care 
little  for  its  removal ;  but  surely  the  labor,  the  trials,  the  sorrow,  the  an> 
guish,  and  the  death  of  the  present  must  help  us  in  comprehending  the 
feature  of  the  New  Jerusalem  which  is  brought  to  our  attention  in  the 
words  which  begin  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture :  "  there  shall  be  no 
more  curse." 

Let  us  inquire  more  particularly  what  is  this  curse  which  in  the  iuture 
is  to  be  removed  ?  For  an  answer  to  this  question,  we  must  turn  to  the 
beginning  of  revelation  •  No  curse  rested  upon  our  first  parents  A>r  a 
time  after  their  creation,  but  they  tran^essed  the  commandments  of  their 
Qod,  and  God  came  to  them  in  righteous  anger  and  proclaimed  the  curse. 
This  curse,  which  has  not  been  fully  removed,  and  which  will  not  be  till 
the  creation  of  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  may  be  divided  with 
sufficient  accuracy  for  our  present  purpose  into  three  parts :  the  ourse  upon 
the  woman ;  the  curse  upon  the  ground ;  the  curse  upon  the  man.  We 
have  not  forgotten  that  the  first  part  of  the  primal  curse  related  to  Satan,  bat 


THE  NEW  JEBUSALSK-— CONTINUED.  551 

with  tliiB  we  have  jost  now  nothing  to  do.  Long  before  the  time  referred 
to  in  this  chapter,  that  part  of  the  oorse  will  be  full j  aocompllAihed.  The 
old  serpent  will  be  subdued  and  confined  in  the  bottomless  pit.  It  is  only 
with  so  mnch  of  the  curse  as  relates  to  the  human  race  and  its  abode  that  we 
hare  now  to  do.  In  this  part  of  the  curse,  woman  is  first  singled  out.  As 
she  was  first  in  transgression,  she  was  doomed  to  be  first  in  suffering. 
''  Unto  the  woman  he  said,  I  will  greatly  multiply  thy  sorrrow  and  thy 
conception ;  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  bring  forth  children  ;  and  thy  desire  shall 
be  to  thy  husband,  and  he  shall  rule  over  thee/'  Her  punishment  was 
not  only  in  her  peculiar  suffering  and  sorrow,  but  also  in  her  dependence 
and  subjection.  The  whole  history  of  the  race  furnishes  dear  and  painful 
evidence  of  the  fulfillment  of  this  part  of  the  curse.  In  those  lands  into 
which  Christianity  has  not  entered,  woman  inherits  a  consuming  and  cor* 
roding  curse.  She  enjoys  neither  the  dignity  of  a  woman,  nor  the  love  of 
a  wife,  nor  the  protection  of  a  slave.  In  Christian  lands  this  curse  is  being 
removed.  The  dependence  and  subjection  are  made  less  and  less  by  the 
gospel.  The  better  the  gospel  is  understood  and  obeyed,  the  more  on  an 
equality  will  the  husband  and  the  wife,  the  brother  and  the  sister,  the  man 
and  the  woman  stand.  The  elevation  of  woman  is  an  encouraging  sign 
of  the  approach  of  the  millennium.  It  gives  promise  of  the  dawning  of 
the  day  when  this  part  of  the  curse  will  be  removed.  Though  this  curse 
is  being  removed,  we  may  not  expect  that  it  will  be  entirely  removed 
till  the  prefection  of  the  ftiture  comes.  Then  woman  will  stand  beside  her 
husband  and  brother,  as  she  was  in  the  creation,  and  as  she  is  fitted  to  be 
in  all  her  mental,  moral  and  spiritual  powers,  equal  in  dignity,  honor  and 
glory.  Then  that  burden  of  dependence  and  subjection  which  she  has 
borne  through  all  the  centuries,  and  which  men,  when  blessed  with  the 
gospel  of  Christ,  the  gospel  of  perfect  equality,  have  been  so  slow  in  lift- 
ing, will  be  removed,  for  there  will  be  no  more  curse  there* 

The  second  part  of  the  curse  fell  upon  the  ground.  '*  Cursed  is  the 
ground  for  thy  sake :  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of  thy  life. 
Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring  forth  to  thee."  The  earth  wa£ 
first  created  fruitful  and  beautiful.  There  was  not  an  unsightly  blot  upon 
all  the  fair  landscape.  Harvests  followed  each  other  without  intermission, 
and  without  toil.  But  under  the  influence  of  the  blighting  curse,  all  this 
has  been  changed.  Barren  deserts,  rugged  rocks,  tangled  jungles,  and 
miasmatic  swamps  everywhere  mar  the  fair  face  of  nature ;  and  winter's 
snow  and  summer's  heat,  the  blasting  and  the  mildew,  the  caterpillar  and 
the  locust  interfere  with  the  reaping  of  the  harvest  which  man  has  sown. 
Sometimes  a  frost  blights  the  labor  of  months ;  sometimes  the  earth  opens 
her  mouth  and  cities  with  their  inhabitants  are  buried  in  one  common 
sepulcher ;  sometimes  the  tempest  and  the  torrent  engulph  flocks  and 
herds,  homes  and  dwellers  in  them  in  sudden  ruin.     The  ground  has  been 


552  LSOTU&B  LXXIT. 

yifflted  with  a  ooDsoming  and  corroding  ourse  for  man's  sake.  The  whole 
creation  is  groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  together.  The  earthquake  and 
the  thnnder,  the  tempest  and  the  frost,  the  miasma  and  the  famine  are 
only  echoes  of  these  words  which  were  addressed  to  the  trembling  Adam: 
*'  Cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy  sake."  In  the  new  heavens  and  the  new 
earth,  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness,  this  part  of  the  curse  will  be  re- 
moved. The  lost  paradise,  with  all  its  beauty  and  fruitfulness,  will  be  re- 
stored. There  will  be  no  more  barren  deserts  to  defy  the  skill  of  the 
husbandman ;  no  more  rugged  rocks  and  tangled  jungles  to  offend  the 
taste ;  no  more  miasmatic  swamps  to  breed  pestilence  and  death.  The  tree 
of  life  on  the  banks  of  the  heavenly  river  will  yield  its  fruit  every  month, 
and  the  hopes  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  New  Jerusalem  will  never  be  dis- 
appointed by  finding  on  the  tree  nothing  but  leaves.  They  will  eat  of  the 
heavenly  manna,  and  Ood  will  make  them  drink  from  the  river  of  his 
pleasures ;  for  then  the  curse,  which  was  put  upon  the  ground  for  man's 
sake,  will  be  no  more. 

The  third  part  of  the  curse  fell  upon  man  himself.  "  In  the  sweat  of 
thy  face  shalt  thou  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  unto  the  ground ;  for  out 
of  it  wast  thou  taken :  for  dust  thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  letam/' 
This  curse  is  twofold.  It  consists,  in  the  first  place,  in  wearing,  exhaustive 
and  comparatively  fruitless  toil.  How  dosdy  has  this  cune  been  dinging 
to  the  race  since  the  beginning  1  The  sweat  of  the  fi^e  and  the  eating  of 
bread  have  always  been  inseparably  connected.  ^'  If  any  man  will  not 
work,  neither  shall  he  eat."  Even  the  most  exhausting  labor  will  hardly 
su|^ly  the  laborer  and  his  fiimily  with  the  necessaries  of  life.  Thoae  who 
labor  hardest,  and  who  receive  the  most  abundant  rewards  for  their  labors, 
can  get  nothing  more  than  their  food  and  olothing,  for  they  can  cany 
nothing  with  them  when  they  go  hence  to  be  here  no  more.  The  slave  in 
the  mine,  the  fanner  in  the  field,  the  sailor  on  the  ocean,  the  mechanic  in 
the  workshop,  the  merchant  in  the  counting  room,  and  the  student  in  the 
study,  are  all  under  the  curse,  '<  In  the  sweat  of  thy  fiMM  shalt  thou  eait 
bread,"  and  waiting  and  longing  to  be  delivered.  In  the  new  heavens  and 
new  earth,  this  part  of  the  ourse  will  be  removed.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  will  have  their  work  to  do ;  they  will  not  fold  their  hands 
in  idlenesB,  though  we  do  not  fully  know  as  yet  how  they  will  be  em- 
ployed ;  they  will  serve  the  Lord,  though  we  do  not  know  fully  yet  in 
what  their  service  consists.  But  this  we  know :  their  work  will  be  a  pleasure 
and  their  service  a  joy.  The  curse  which  has,  through  all  the  years  of  time, 
embittered  the  duty  of  labor,  will  be  no  more. 

The  other  part  of  the  twofold  curse  which  was  pronounced  upon  man 
consists  in  death.  The  history  of  the  race  is  but  a  fulfillment  of  this  part 
of  the  curse.  The  concluding  sentence  of  every  man's  earthly  life  is, 
^*  and  he  died."     In  this  respect  the  king  and  the  peasant,  the  infant  and 


THE  NIW  JIEUSALVK — OONTINUID.  558 

the  patriarch,  the  judge  and  the  crimiiial,  the  physioiaa  and  the  patient 
are  alike.  All  are  heirs  of  the  same  diaeaaes  and  oandidateB  for  the  same 
grave.  No  skill,  or  wealth,  or  tears,  or  sanctity  can  shield  from  the  stroke 
of  the  king  of  terrors.  Nor  are  the  living  permitted  to  forget  the  presence 
and  the  power  of  this  part  of  the  curse.  The  pains  and  the  sicknesses  which  are 
continually  visiting  our  bodies,  and  the  deaths  which  are  continually  visit- 
ing our  homes,  are  evermore  repeating,  in  a  way  we  cannot  mistake,  the 
words  of  the  primal  cnise, ''  dost  thou  art,  and  unto  dost  shalt  thou  re- 
tnm.'*  In  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth  this  part  of  the  corse  will 
be  removed.  The  inhabitants  of  that  better  country  will  never  say,  I  am 
sick.  No  mourners  will  go  about  its  streets.  No  somber  signs  of  bereave- 
ment will  ever  float  from  its  doors.  No  funeral  dirge  or  wail  of  bereave- 
ment will  ever  mingle  with  the  glad  alleluias  of  the  redeemed,  for  the 
curse  of  death,  which  has  made  our  world  one  vast  hospital  and  one  mighty 
cemetery,  will  be  no  more. 

This  feature  of  the  New  Jerusalem  must  appeal  powerfully  to  us,  who 
are  through  our  whole  life  so  familiar  with  the  curse  and  its  effects. 
Though  we  cannot  fblly  understand  yet  what  is  included  in  the  removal  of 
the  curse,  we  know  it  is  something  which  will  go  beyond  the  greatest 
stretch  of  our  imaginations.  Let  us,  then,  refiresh  and  strengthen  our 
souls  on  the  prospect,  as  on  grapes  of  Eshcol  £rom  the  promised  land.  There 
will  be  no  mount  Ebal  of  cursing  there,  but  every  mountain  will  be  a 
mountain  of  blessing.  The  words,  ^^  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth 
not  in  all  things  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them/*  will  no  more 
be  heard ;  every  tongue  will  unite  in  saying,  "  Blessed  are  they  who  have 
washed  their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  that  they  may  have  right  to 
the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  dty." 

We  would,  however,  come  far  short  of  our  conceptions  of  heaven,  if  we 
supposed  that  its  blessedness  consisted  only  in  the  absence  of  misery. 
Heaven  is  not  merely  a  place  of  n^;atives.  For  every  negative  there  ia  a 
positive.  There  is  no  night  there,  but  there  is  also  endless  day.  There 
is  no  sorrow  there,  but  there  is  also  endless  joy.  There  is  no  death 
there,  but  there  is  also  endless  life.  There  is  no  temple  there,  but  there 
is  also  endless  worship.  There  is  no  curse  there,  but  there  is  also  positive 
blessings,  which  are  an  evidence  and  a  result  of  the  removal  of  the  curse. 
To  four  of  these  blessings  our  attention  is  now  called. 

The  first  is  the  presence  of  the  divine  throne.  '^  The  throne  of  Qod 
and  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it."  As  in  Israel  of  old,  the  presence  of  any 
accursed  thing  in  the  camp  was  followed  by  the  removal  of  the  divine 
presence,  so  in  the  future,  God  and  the  curse  will  not  be  present  at  the 
same  time  and  place.  Where  one  is,  the  other  will  not  be ;  where  one  is 
not,  the  other  will  be.  Therefore,  we  are  told  that  in  the  heavenly  city, 
in  which  the  curse  will  not  be,  the  throne  of  Ood  and  the  Lamb  will  ever 


564  LSOTU&E  LXXII. 

stand.  What  does  the  continual  presence  of  the  diyine  throne  indicate  ? 
Of  course  it  indicates  the  presence  of  the  glorious  persons  who  sit  upon  it 
This  will  be  one  of  the  peculiar  joys  of  heayen.  On  earth  we  see  but 
little  of  the  divine  presence.  We  ar^  too  weak  to  endure,  and  too  sinful 
to  enjoy  much  of  that  presence ;  and  hence  we  have  to  live  and  die  under 
an  overshadowing  doud.  It  is  true,  sometimes  in  our  more  exalted 
spiritual  experience  the  cloud  seems  in  some  measure  to  be  removed,  and 
we  have  a  foretaste  of  the  promise ;  but  it  is  only  when  the  curse  is  re* 
moved,  and  our  souls  recovered  from  all  the  weakness  and  taint  of  sin,  that 
we  will  be  able  to  stand  unvailed  in  the  presence  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb. 
The  presence  of  the  throne  also  indicates  the  fact  ihat  we  will  then  be 
under  the  immediate  and  visible  government  of  the  glorious  persons  who 
sit  upon  it.  It  is  true,  the  saints  are  even  now  under  their  government, 
but  they  are  often  unwilling  servants.  And,  in  this  world,  there  are  yet 
many  unconquered  rebels.  In  the  heavenly  country  all  will  yield  obedience 
to  their  divine  King,  and  they  will  find  their  highest  pleasure  in  standing 
before  his  throne  and  in  doing  his  will. 

This  brings  us  to  the  second  evidence  and  result  of  the  removal  of 
the  curse,  viz.,  willing  service.  "  His  servants  shall  serve  him."  It  will 
be  useless  to  speculate  as  to  what  that  service  will  be.  It  may  be  that 
God  will  send  hb  glorified  saints,  as  he  now  sends  his  angels,  to  other 
parts  of  the  universe  to  carry  messages  of  love  and  salvation ;  but  thb 
has  not  been  revealed.  All  we  know  is,  that  there  will  be  rest,  worship 
and  service ;  but  for  a  Aill  knowledge  of  what  is  included  in  that  rest, 
worship  and  service,  we  must  wait  till  we  know  as  we  are  known.  The 
simple  fact  that  the  glorified  saints  of  God  willingly  seiTC  him,  shows  that 
they  are  wonderfully  changed  from  what  they  were  here  on  earth.  Now 
they  serve  him,  but  it  is  with  reluctance.  Through  weakness  and  tempta- 
tion they  often  rebel.  It  requires  much  instruction,  and  sore  discipline, 
and  many  chastisements,  before  we  are  ready  to  say  in  any  and  in  all  cir* 
cumstanoes,  ^'  Here  we  are ;  send  us."  But  in  heaven  every  one  will  be 
eager  to  serve  his  God  in  whatever  way  God  may  think  best 

The  third  evidence  and  result  of  the  removal  of  the  curse  is  the  full 
revelation  of  the  divine  glory.  '^And  they  shall  see  his  face."  Here  we 
do  not  see  him.  We  try  to  imagine  what  he  is  like,  and  we  may  reach  a 
proper  conception  of  some  of  his  attributes,  but  Gkxl  himself  is  unseen. 
We  seize  the  telescope  and  point  it  to  the  sky,  where  star  seems  piled  on 
star,  and  world  on  world,  till  the  mind  fails  to  compute  the  distance  and 
staggers  beneath  the  load  of  thought.  But  in  all  those  rolling  worids^ 
though  the  footsteps  of  the  Creator  are  everywhere  visible,  God  himself  is 
unseen  still.  We  may  dose  our  eyes  in  prayer,  and  may  have  the  assurance 
and  evidence  that  every  word  we  utter  is  heard  by  him,  but  Gk)d  is  unseen 
still.     We  may  follow  the  dying  down  to  the  very  gates  of  death,  and 


THE  NEW  JERUSALBM — CONTINUED.  565 

may  oatch  glimpses  of  the  ineffable  glory  as  they  enter  in,  but  Gk>d  is 
unseen.  The  curse  is  upon  us  and  has  blinded  our  eyes.  It  is  only  when 
that  curse  is  lifted  and  we  stand  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  that  we  will 
see  his  fiice.  Then  will  our  longings  be  satisfied,  and  these  words  be  ful- 
filled :  "  In  my  flesh  shall  I  see  Ood."  <'  It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we 
shall  be ;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear  we  shall  be  like  him,  for 
we  shall  see  him  as  he  is." 

The  fourth  evidence  and  result  of  the  removal  of  the  curse  is  the  open 
and  manifest  acknowledgment  that  we  are  the  Lord's.  ^^And  his  name 
shall  be  in  their  foreheads."  We  have  had  occasion  to  refer  to  this  symbol 
in  some  of  our  former  lectures.  In  ancient  times  masters  sometimes  branded 
their  names,  or  the  initials  of  their  names,  upon  the  foreheads  of  their  slaves, 
so  that  they  could  be  distinguished  from  the  slaves  of  othen.  Hence  we 
are  told  that  the  beast  had  set  his  mark^  and  his  number,  and  his  name 
upon  the  fioreheads  of  his  followers ;  that  is,  by  their  profession,  and  their 
practices,  and  their  lives  they  were  plainly  distinguished  from  all  others. 
So  the  name  of  God,  which  is  here  said  to  be  written  upon  the  foreheads 
of  his  saints;  is  but  a  symbol  shadowing  forth  the  fiict  that  their  sainthood 
will  be  as  manifest  as  if  the  name  of  God  was  written  in  their  foreheads. 
It  will  be  known  to  all  that  they  are  the  saints  of  God.  On  earth  this  is 
not  always  manifest.  Some  are  counted  among  the  people  of  God  who  are 
not ;  some  are  not  counted  among  the  people  of  God  who  are  his.  The 
saints  are  so  imperfect  in  their  hearts  and  lives,  and  hypocrites  can  put  on 
such  a  semblance  to  holiness,  that  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  distinguish  one 
from  the  other  ;  and  the  tares  and  the  wheat  have  to  grow  together  till  the 
harvest.  After  the  harvest  they  will  be  separated,  their  character  will  be 
developed,  and  all  will  know  who  are  the  children  of  God  and  who  are  the 
children  of  Satan.  The  sin  and  misery  of  the  one,  and  the  holiness  and 
happiness  of  the  other  will  be  as  different  as  light  is  from  darkness.  And 
this,  when  it  comes  to  pasff,  will  be  an  evidence  and  result  tha^  they  have 
entered  the  land  in  whi^h  there  is  no  more  curse. 

This  is  the  characteristic  of  heaven  which  is  here  brought  to  our  notice. 
It  is  a  characteristic  which  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  beside  any  other.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  curse  under  which  the  human  race  and  the  whole  crea- 
tion have  been  groaning  and  travailing  in  pain  together  from  the  begin- 
ning, will  be  removed ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  throne  of  God  will  be  estab- 
lished in  the  midst  of  his  glorified  church,  his  servants  will  serve  him,  they 
will  see  his  face  no  longer  through  a  glass  darkly,  and  their  sainthood  will 
be  as  manifest  as  if  the  name  of  God  was  written  in  their  foreheads.  We 
have  no  right  to  expect  to  inherit  this  blessedness  hereafter,  unless  we 
enter  upon  its  Inheritance  here.  How  can  we  now  throw  off  the  burden 
of  the  curse?     By  permitting^ Christ  to  become  a  curse  for  us.     How  can 


5&6  LSOTUBB  LXXIU. 

we  DOW  worship  at  the  throne  of  Qtod  and  the  Lamb  ?  By  enthroning 
Ghrkt  in  onr  hearts  as  onr  Lord  and  King.  How  can  we  now,  as  his  ser- 
vants, serve  him  ?  By  obeying  his  o(»nmandments  and  taking  his  word 
as  the  mle  of  our  life.  How  can  we  now  see  his  face  ?  By  looking  npon 
Christ  ss  onr  personal  Saviour,  for  he  is  the  brightness  of  the  Father's 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his  person.  How  can  we  now  have  the 
name  of  Ood  written  in  onr  foreheads  ?  By  nnmbering  onisdves  with 
the  friends  of  Christ  and  by  living  as  his  friends  should  live.  If  we  thus  do, 
and  thus  live,  we  can  even  now  enjoy  a  foretaste  of  that  promised  inherit- 
ance. Day  by  day,  we  may  feel  the  lifting  of  the  curse,  the  peace  and 
security  of  the  divine  government,  and  the  joy  of  seeing  Ghxl  and  being 
his  peculiar  people.  Day  by  day,  placing  our  affections  on  thingfi  above, 
where  Christ  sitteth  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  we  can  shake  off  the  dust 
and  ashes  of  the  curse,  and  put  on  the  garland  and  crown  of  the  pronused 
blessings ;  we  can  lay  aside  the  sackdodi  of  the  fall,  and  be  invesUng  our- 
selves vrith  the  coronation  robes  of  the  kings  uid  priests  of  Ood. 


LECTURE  'LXXIII. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM— CowTiNUEi). 

And  there  shall  be  no  night  there ;  and  they  need  no  candle,  neither  light  of 
the  son ;  for  the  Lord  Gk>d  giveth  them  light :  and  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and 
ever. — Rev.  22:  6. 

The  subject  of  the  present  lecture  concludes  the  description  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  The  features  of  the  heavenly  city  whioh  are  here  brought  to 
our  notice  are  three  in  number :  the  endless  day;  the  bright  radiaaoe  of  the 
divine  presence;  and  perpetual  kingship* 

I.  The  first  feature  of  the  New  Jerusslem  which  is  here  desoribed  is 
ITS  INDLSSS  DAT.  ''And  there  shall  be  no  night  there."  This  feature 
was  once  before  brought  to  our  notice.  In  verse  26  of  the  preceding 
chapter,  it  is  said,  *'  the  gates  of  it  shall  not  be  shut  at  all  by  day,  for  there 
shall  be  no  night  there."  It  will  be  sufficient  here  to  refer  to  what  was 
said  in  our  exposition  of  that  verse.  But  as  the  Spirit  of  inspiration  re- 
garded this  characteristic  of  heaven  worthy  of  a  second  mention,  it  should 
have  a  prominent  place  in  our  hearts  and  memory*  Let  us  glory  in  the 
thought.  The  endless  day  of  the  New  Jerusalem  tells  of  labor  which 
will  know  no  weariness,  and  of  service  which  will  know  no  rest  It 
tells  of  perfect  security  from  fear  and  danger.    It  tells  of  perfect  knowledge, 


THE  NEW  JIEUfiALIM— CONTINUED.  657 

enlightenment  and  holineea.  It  tells  of  entire  deUyemnoe  from  death. 
Here  a  few  hoars  spent  in  the  worship  of  Qod  weary  us  in  body  and  in 
mind;  there  we  will  rest  not  day  nor  night.  Here  our  searohingfi  after 
knowledge,  and  oar  labors  for  others  and  for  Ood  most  be  interrnpted  by 
the  coming  of  night ;  there  we  will  learn  and  labor  through  all  the  unnum- 
bered hours  of  the  endless  day.  Here  our  attainments  and  our  aotivities 
are  eut  short  by  the  feebleness  of  age  and  the  approach  of  death ;  there 
we  will  make  unhindered  progress  for  ever  and  ever.  We  cannot  yet  un- 
derstand it.  When  we  have  given  to  imagination  its  wildest  flight,  and  to 
fkith  its  fbrtheM  reach  and  strongest  grasp,  we  must  still  say,  ''  It  doth  not 
yet  appear  what  we  shall  be;  but  we  know  that  when  he  shall  appear 
we  shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  As  he  never  slumbers 
nor  sleeps,  so  we  will  neither  slumber  nor  sleep,  when  we  enter  that  land  in 
which  there  is  no  night. 

II.  The  second  feature  of  the  New  Jerusalem  which  is  here  described 
is  THE  BBieHT  RADIANCE  OF  THE  DIVINE  PRESENCE.  "And  they  need 
no  candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun ;  for  the  Lord  God  giveth  them  light." 
If  we  had  been  told  nothing  more  than  this,  that  there  would  be  no  night 
there,  we  might  have  thought  that  the  natural  sun  would  never  set,  and 
that  his  rays,  undimmed  and  uneclipsed,  would  fill  the  heavenly  city  with 
the  light  of  perpetual  day ;  but  to  avoid  the  possibility  of  inistake,  we  are 
told  that  there  will  be  no  need  of  natural  light,  like  the  light  of  the  sun, 
or  of  artificial  light,  like  the  light  of  a  candle,  '^  for  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light" 

This  is  not  the  first  time  that  the  divine  source  of  the  light  of  heaven  is 
brought  to  our  notice  in  these  revelations  of  the  hereafter.  In  verse  11  of 
the  preceding  chapter,  we  are  told  that  the  holy  Jerusalem  had  "  the  glory 
of  God,  and  that  her  lights"  or  luminary,  "  was  like  unto  a  stone  most  pre- 
cious, even  like  a  jasper  stone,  clear  as  crystal."  In  verse  23  of  the  same 
chapter,  we  are  told,  that  the  "  city  had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the 
moon  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof."  It  is  the  same  thought  which  is  now  for  the  third  time, 
in  a  somewhat  different  form,  brought  to  our  notice.  Here  we  need  all  the 
light  we  can  get  to  illumine  our  pathway  towards  heavon.  We  must  have 
the  fight  which  shines  forth  from  nature,  from  the  word,  from  the  symbols, 
sacraments  and  ordinances  of  the  church,  and  from  the  Mediator,  who  is 
the  sun  of  righteousness ;  and  even  with  all  this  light,  we  often  stumble 
and  go  astray.  When  we  enter  heaven,  none  of  these  things  will  be  needed. 
The  teachings  of  nature  will  not  be  needed,  for  we  will  have  advanced  so 
fiur  in  our  spiritual  education  that  nature  can  give  us  no  new  light.  The 
teachings  of  symbob  and  sacraments  will  not  be  needed,  for  we  will  have 
advanced  so  far  in  our  spiritual  education  that  they  will  be  useless.    Even 


558  LBOTURE  LXXIII. 

'  Ghrifit  as  Mediator  will  not  be  needed,  for  he  will  have  aocomplished  hiB 
great  work  of  reconciliation,  and  will  have  delivered  up  his  mediatorial 
kingdom  to  Ood  and  the  Father.  These  means  and  instrumentalities,  by 
which  we  are  now  instructed  and  enlightened,  are  the  things  which  are 
shadowed  forth  by  the  sun  and  the  candle  in  the  words  before  us;  and  they 
will  not  be  needed  in  the  perfect  knowledge  and  enlightenment  of  the  future. 
We  would  not  underrate  the  present  value  of  these  means  and  instruments. 
.  What  would  we  have  been  without  the  help  of  nature,  and  the  word,  and 
sacrament,  and  ordinance  ?  Let  us  be  thankful  that  we  have  enjoyed  their 
light  Though  these  suns  have  sometimes  been  eclipsed,  and  though  these 
candles  have  sometimes  been  extinguished,  they  have  shed  much  light  upon 
our  path,  and  they  have  brought  us  in  safety  thus  far  on  our  way  towards 
heaven.  The  thought  of  what  they  have  done  for  us,  and  of  what  they  are 
doing  for  us,  will  help  us  to  appreciate  the  glory  of  that  heavenly  8tat«  in 
which  they  will  be  needed  no  more.  And  why  will  they  not  then  be 
needed?  Because  we  will  then  receive  our  light  and  instruction,  not 
through  means  and  instrumentalities;  but  directly  ftrom  Otod  himself.  Then, 
neither  sun  nor  candle,  but  the  Lord  God  himself  will  be  our  light.  In 
plain  words,  we  will  then  know  God  and  our  duty,  not  from  the  light  of 
nature  or  from  the  revelations  of  God's  word,  or  from  such  ordinances  as 
are  now  peculiar  to  the  church,  but  from  the  mouth  of  God  himself.  While, 
therefore,  we  are  thankful  for  word  and  ordinance,  for  the  sun  and  candles 
of  the  present  dispensation,  let  us  be  specially  thankful  that  the  time  is 
coming  when  our  souls  will  be  advanced  in  glory  and  knowledge  beyond 
the  teaching  of  these  instructors,  and  when  the  Lord  himself  will  be  our 
light.  , 

III.  The  third  feature  of  the  New  Jerusalem  which  is  here  described 
is  PSRPETUAL  KINGSHIP.  "And  they  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever." 
You  are  aware  that  this  is  not  a  solitary  expression  in  the  word  of  God. 
Ruling  is  often  ascribed  to  the  saints  in  the  Scriptures,  especially  in  the 
Apocalypse.  Jesus  said  to  his  apostles,  that  in  the  r^eneration  they 
should  sit  on  twelve  thrones,  "judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  Paul 
says, "  If  we  suffer  with  him,  we  shall  also  reign  with  him."  "There  is  laid 
up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness.*'  John  says,  '^  Unto  him  that  loved 
us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings 
and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father,  to  him  be  glory  and  dominion  for 
ever  and  ever."  And  what  will  be  our  kingdom  ?  Over  what  will  we 
reign  ?  We  will  reign  over  the  angels.  "  Know  ye  not,"  says  Paul  to  the 
Corinthian  Christians,  "  that  ye  will  judge  angels"  ?  We  will  reign  over 
the  secrets  of  nature ;  all  creation  will  be  subject  to  us,  and  there  will  be 
no  marvel  too  deep  for  us  to  understand.  We  will  reign  over  the  secrets 
of  providence ;  all  the  past  will  be  remembered,  and  all  its  mysterious 


THE   NBW   JERnSALI!M-»CONTINU£D.  559 

events  will  arrange  themselves  in  perfect  harmony.  We  will  reign  over 
the  seorets  of  grace ;  all  the  parts  of  the  mediatorial  plan  will  be  made 
plain.  We  will  reign  over  ourselves;  there  will  be  no  conflict  between  the 
flesh  and  the  spirit,  so  that  when  we  would  do  good,  evil  is  present  with 
us ;  we  will  be  masters  of  ourselves.  And  this  kingdom  will  be  everlasting. 
There  will  be  no  elements  of  weakness  within,  or  powerful  enemies  without 
to  threaten  its  safety.  It  is  a  kingdom,  like  the  kingdom  of  God  himself, 
which  can  never  be  moved. 

This  feature  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  perpetual  kingship  of  the  saints, 
is  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  description  of  heaven.  We  cannot  conceive 
of  any  greater  glory  than  this;  our  longing  hearts  can  desire  nothing 
better  than  this.  So  great  is  the  glory,  that  it  almost  staggers  our  great- 
est faith.  But  all  this  must  be,  for  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  has  spoken  it. 
The  crown,  which  has  fallen  from  our  heads,  will  be  placed  again  upon  our 
brows ;  the  scepter,  which  has  dropped  from  our  nerveless  grasp,  will  again 
be  put  into  our  hands;  our  tattered  rags  will  be  exchanged  for  royal 
robes ;  we  who  have  so  long  groveled  in  the  dust  and  ashes,  will  ascend  the 
thrones  prepared  for  us  from  before  the  foundation  of  the  world.  How  can 
we  believe  all  this  ?  It  is  too  much  for  our  &ith.  The  least  place  in 
heaven  is  more  than  we  deserve.  We  are  worthy  only  to  stand  at  a  dis- 
tance and  to  behold  the  King  in  his  beauty  and  the  land  that  is  very  far 
off.  But  there  comes  to  our  fainting  souls  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying, 
"  Ye  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever."  "  Lord,  we  believe ;  help  thou  our 
unbelief." 

This  concludes  the  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  a  description 
which  is  more  full  and  plain  than  any  other  found  in  the  word  of  Gk)d« 
What  we  do  not  learn  of  heaven  Irom  this  description,  we  may  not  hope 
to  learn  till  death  opens  before  us  the  gates  of  glory.  Let  us  sum  up,  in  a 
brief  review,  the  main  features  of  the  heavenly  state,  as  they  have  been 
brought  to  our  notice.  1.  Heaven  will  be  something  different  from  the 
order  of  things  with  which  we  are  now  acquainted.  Former  things  will 
have  passed  away  and  all  things  will  have  become  new.  It  will  be  '<a 
new  heaven  and  a  new  earth."  In  our  meditations,  we  must  lifb  our 
thoughts  above  the  earthly,  for  there  will  be  such  a  marvelous  change  in 
us,  in  our  residence,  in  our  employments,  and  in  our  lives,  that  we  will,  in 
many  respects,  bear  only  a  very  faint  resemblance  to  those  who  once  lived, 
and  sinned,  and  worshiped  on  the  earth.  2.  The  exact  locality  of  heaven 
is  carefully  concealed.  It  may  be  that  this  world,  which  has  been  the 
great  arena  of  conflict  between  Christ  and  Satan,  will  be  re-created  for  the 
eternal  abode  of  the  redeemed.  It  may  be  that  some  other  part  of  the 
universe  will  be  fitted  up  for  their  home.  But  on  this  point  we  are  left  to 
conjecture.     Nothing  has  been  clearly  revealed.     We  may,  however,  be 


5d0  LXOTUBB  LXXIIL 

sure  of  this :  heaven  will  be  where  the  throne  of  Gkxl  and  the  Lamb  is. 

3.  Heaven  will  be  entirely  free  from  all  the  effeots  and  oonaequenoee  of 
sin.    There  wUl  be  no  sorrow,  or  pain,  or  tears,  or  death,  or  enrse. 

4.  Heaven  will  be  a  place  of  perfect  light.  There  will  be  no  ni^t  there, 
for  the  glory  of  God  will  lighten  it.  6.  Heaven  will  be  a  place  of  holi- 
ness. Into  it  nothing  that  defileth  will  ever  come.  6.  Heaven  will  be  a 
place  of  unending  service  and  nninterrupted  communion  with  Qod.  His 
servants  will  serve  him,  and  they  will  always  see  his  face.  7.  Heaven 
will  be  a  place  of  surpassing  splendor.  Its  gates  will  be  of  pearl,  its  streets 
of  gold,  its  foundations  of  precious  stones,  8.  Heaven  will  be  a  place  of 
everlasting  honor,  for  the  saints  will  reign  for  ever  and  everi 

All  this  is  shown  to  us  in  symbol ;  it  is  revealed  to  us  by  a  description 
of  the  holy  city  which  John  saw  coming  down  from  Ood  out  of  heaven,  and 
which  is,  by  divine  appointment,  a  figure  of  better  things  to  come.  John 
did  not  attempt  to  describe  heaven  in  literal  language,  for  literal  language 
is  too  weak  for  such  a  task ;  nor  would  we  have  been  able  to  understand 
such  a  literal  description.  It  would  be  a  poor  heaven  which  such  beings 
as  we  are  could  comprehend.  The  more  I  study  this  passage,  the  more 
thankful  I  am  for  the  symbols,  which  reveal  and  yet  hide,  which  recede  as 
we  advance,  which  tell  us  something  and  then  forbid  our  nearer  approach. 
I  do  not  want  yet  to  understand  what  heaven  Lb.  When  I  have  climbed  to 
the  highest  pinnacle  on  which  the  human  thinker  can  stand,  I  want  to  feel 
that  I  have  not  yet  reached  the  bases  of  the  everlasting  hills,  and  that 
there  are  heights  of  which  I  have  never  yet  dreamed.  When  I  reach  the 
Jordan  and  step  down  into  its  cold  waters,  I  want  to  feel  that  the  heavenly 
Canaan  will  fill  my  soul  with  all  the  raptures  of  a  new  discovery. 

Our  object  in  these  lectures  has  not  been  so  much  to  describe  heaven, 
as  to  awaken  in  our  souls  earnest  longings  for  its  glory.  Sometimes  minis- 
ters have  to  preach  the  terrors  of  the  law,  and  to  call  the  attention  of  men 
to  the  thunders  of  Sinai  and  the  quenchless  fires  of  the  bottomless  pit;  but 
it  is  a  far  sweeter  task  to  point  to  the  rewards  of  heaven,  and  to  say,  be 
fidthful  unto  death  and  you  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life.  And  this  is 
what  we  have  tried  to  do.     Have  our  efforts  been  in  vain  ? 

These  revelations  have  a  special  beauty  and  sweetness  for  those  who 
through  faith  have  become  the  sons  of  Qod.  Is  it  any  wonder  that  we  try 
to  be  fiuthfol  in  duty,  when  we  hope  for  such  a  reward  ?  Is  it  any  wonder 
that  we  try  to  bear  patiently  our  sorrows,  when  we  hope  for  such  a  joy? 
Our  longings  are  expressed  beautifully,  yet  fiuntly,ln  tiie  poetical  words 
of  some  unknown  Roman  Catholic  monk  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

'<  Jerusalem,  my  happy  home  !  O  happy  harbor  of  the  saints, 

When  shall  I  come  to  thee,  O  sweet  and  pleasant  soil, 

When  shall  my  sorrows  have  an  end,  In  thee  no  sorrow  may  bo  found, 

Thy  joys  when  shall  I  see  ?  No  grief,  no  care,  no  toil. 


THE  NEW  JERUSALEM — CONTINUED. 


561 


In  tbee  no  sickness  may  be  seen, 
No  hurt,  no  ache,  no  sore  ; 

There  is  no  death,  no  ugly  deil, 
There's  life  for  evermore. 

No  dampish  mist  is  seen  in  thee, 
No  cold  nor  darksome  night ; 

There  every  soul  shines  as  the  sun, 
There  God  himself  gives  light. 

There  lust  and  lucre  cannot  dwell, 
There  envy  bears  no  sway. 

There  is  no  hunger,  heat,  nor  cold, 
But  pleasure  every  way. 

Jerusalem  I  Jerusalem  I 
Grod  grant  I  once  may  see 

Thy  endless  joys,  and  of  the  same 
Partaker  aye  to  be. 


We  that  are  here  in  banishment 

Continually  do  moan  ; 
We  sigh  and  sob,  we  weep  and  wail, 

Perpetually  we  groan 

Our  sweet  is  mixed  with  bitter  galK 

Our  pleasure  is  but  pain. 
Our  joys  scarce  last  the  looking  on, 

Our  sorrows  still  remain. 

But  there  they  live  in  such  delight. 
Such  pleasure  and  such  play. 

As  that  to  them  a  tj;iousand  years 
Doth  seem  as  yesterday. 

Thy  vineyards  and  thy  orchards  are 

Most  beautiful  and  fair. 
Full  furnished  with  trees  and  fruits 

Most  wonderful  and  rare. 


Thy  walls  are  made  of  precious  stones,  Thy  gardens  and  thy  gallant  walks 
Thy  bulwarks  diamonds  square,  Continually  are  green  j 

Thy  gates  are  of  bright  orient  pearl  There  grow  such  sweet  and  pleasant 
Exceeding  rich  and  rare.  As  nowhere  else  are  seen,    [flowers, 

Thy  turrets  and  thy  pinnacles  There's  nectar  and  ambrosia  made, 
With  carbuncles  do  shine,  There's  musk  and  civet  sweet, 

Thy  very  streets  are  paved  with  gold,  There  many  a  fair  and  dainty  drui;c 
Surpassing  clear  and  fine  Are  trodden  under  feet. 

Thy  houses  are  of  ivory.  There  cinnamon,  there  sugar  grows. 
Thy  windows  crystal  clear,  There  nard  and  balm  abound ; 

Thy  tiles  are  made  of  beaten  gold  ;  What  tongue  can  tell,  or  heart  conceive 
O  God,  that  I  were  there.  The  joys  that  there  are  found  ? 

Within  thy  gates  no  thing  doth  come  Quite  through  the  streets,  with  silver 
That  is  not  passing  clean.  The  flood  of  life  doth  flow,    [sound, 

No  spider's  web,  no  dirt,  no  dust.  Upon  whose  banks  on  e^ery  side, 
No  filth  may  there  be  seen.  The  wood  of  life  doth  grow. 

Ah,  my  sweet  home,  Jerusalem  f  There  trees  for  evermore  bear  fruit, 
Would  God  I  were  in  thee.  And  evermore  do  spring  ; 

Would  God  my  woes  were  at  an  end,  There  evermore  the  angels  sit, 
Thy  joys  that  I  might  see.  And  evermore  do  sing. 

Thy  saints  are  crowned  with  glory  great,  There  David  stands  with  harp  in  hand. 
They  see  God  face  to  face.  As  master  of  the  choir; 

They  triumph  still,  they  still  rejoice  ;  Ten  thousand  times  that  man  were  ble-t 
Most  happy  is  their  case.  That  might  this  music  hear. 


36 


562 


LEOTURE  LXXIV. 


Our  lady  sings  magTiificatf 
With  tune  surpassing  sweet, 

And  all  the  virgins  bear  their  parts, 
Sitting  about  her  feet. 

Te  Deum  doth  Saint  Ambrose  sing, 
Saint  Austin  doth  the  like; 

Old  Simeon  and  Zacbary 
Have  not  their  song  to  seek. 


There  Magdalene  hath  left  her  moan, 
And  cheerfully  doth  sing, 

With  blessed  saints  whose  harmony 
In  every  street  doth  ring. 

Jerusalem,  my  happy  home  I 
Would  €k)d  I  were  in  thee, 

Would  Gk>d  my  woes  were  at  an  end. 
Thy  joys  that  I  might  see !  " 


LECTURE    LXXIV. 


FAITHFUL  AND  TRUE  SAYINGS. 

And  he  said  unto  me,  These  sayings  arc  faithful  and  true :  and  the  Lord  God 
of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the  things  which 
must  shortly  be  done.  Behold,  I  come  quickly :  blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the 
sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book.  And  I  John  saw  these  things,  and  heard 
them.  And  when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the  feet 
of  the  angel  which  showed  me  these  things.  Then  saith  he  unto  me,  See  thou 
do  it  not :  for  I  am  thy  fellow-servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and 
of  them  which  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book  :  worship  God. — Rkv.  22  :  6-9. 

It  is  not  an  unusual  tiling  for  a  book,  or  a  sermon,  or  a  treatise,  to  be 
divided  formally  or  informally  into  three  parts.  In  the  first  place,  there  is 
an  introduction,  in  which  the  design  of  the  author  is  unfolded.  In  the 
second  place,  there  is  the  body  of  the  work,  in  which  the  subject  or  subjects 
to  be  treated  are  discussed  and  explained.  In  the  third  place,  there  is  a 
conclusion,  in  which  the  author  makes  a  practical  application  of  the  sub- 
jects discussed,  and  bids  the  reader  farewell.  These  three  divisions  are 
plainly  marked  in  the  book  of  the  Revelation.  The  introduction  is  contained 
in  the  first  chapter.  Then  the  apostle  gives  the  history  of  the  church  in  a 
series  of  visions,  from  the  days  in  which  he  lived  until  the  end  when  the 
saints  of  Ood  would  be  brought  in  safety  to  their  heavenly  home.  We 
finished  our  discussion  of  this  second  division  in  our  last  lecture.  It  now 
remains  for  us  to  consider  the  third  and  last  division,  viz.,  the  peroration 
or  conclusion,  which  begins  with  verse  6  of  this  chapter,  and  continues  to 
the  end  of  the  book.  This  conclusion,  as  we  will  discover,  is  in  beauty  a&d 
sublimity  in  perfect  keeping  with  all  that  has  preceded  it.  It  forms  a  fitting 
peroration  to  the  magnificent  visions  which  have  occupied  our  attention. 

I.  The  first  thing  in  this  conclusion  is  a  solvmn  avfibmation  of  thb 
TRUTH  of  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book.  '*  And  he  said  onto 
me,  These  sayings  are  faithfiil  and  true  :  and  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy 


FAITHFaL  AND  TETTS  SATINQS.  568 

prophets 'seDt  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the  things  which  must 
shortly  he  done.  Behold,  I  come  qnicklj :  blessed  is  he  that  keepeth  the 
sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book."  This  affirmation  is  made  by  the 
same  angel  who  had  taken  part  in  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets  and  the 
pouring  out  of  the  vials,  and  who  had  measured  the  heavenly  Jerusalem 
and  been  the  apostle's  guide  through  its  grolden  streets.  There  is  need  for 
such  an  affirmation.  The  revelations  of  this  book  are  so  glorious  that  they 
stagger  our  faith.  They  seem  to  be  too  good,  too  beautiful,  to  be  true.  It 
requires  something  more  than  an  ordinary  witness  to  convince  us  of  their 
reality.  It  requires  an  angel's  testimony  before  we  can  rest  with  confidence 
in  our  faith  that  all  these  things  will  surely  come  to  pass.  And  this  testi- 
mony is  not  withheld. 

In  the  first  place,  the  angel^  who  knows  whereof  he  affirms,  assures  us 
that  these  things  are  '*  faithful."  But  what  things  ?  Not  merely  the 
description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  which  immediately  precedes  the  words 
under  consideration,  but  all  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book.  All 
the  chapters,  and  all  the  visions,  and  all  the  words  are  faithful.  And  what 
is  the  meaning  of  the  word  faithful  ?  In  this  connection  it  means  worthy 
of  belief.  It  describes  something  which  may  be  relied  on  with  perfect 
confidence.  Are  not  the  things  written  in  this  book  worthy  of  our  belief? 
<'  Unto  him  that  loved  us  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood, 
and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  God  and  his  Father,  to  him  be 
glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever."  Is  not  this  worth  believing?  <<Be 
thou  faithftil  unto  death,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life."  '^  The  dead 
were  judged  out  of  the  things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according 
to  their  works."  ^'  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven^  saying  unto  me,  Write, 
Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth;  yea,  saith  the 
Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow 
them."  Are  not  these  words  all  worthy  of  our  faith  ?  And  as  it  is  with 
these  detached  passages,  so  it  is  with  the  entire  visions.  They  are  all 
worthy  of  belief  Look  at  those  visions  which  shadow  forth  the  complete 
drying  up  of  the  power  of  the  false  prophet;  at  those  which  shadow  forth 
the  final  destraction  of  that  impure  and  unfaithful  church  which  has  so 
long  lorded  it  over  God's  heritage  from  her  throne  in  the  city  of  the  seven 
hills  ;  at  those  which  shadow  forth  the  overthrow  of  Satan  and  his  ever- 
lasting imprisonment  in  the  bottomless  pit ;  at  those  which^  under  the  fig- 
ure of  the  holy  city,  shadow  forth  the  surpassing  glory  of  the  heavenly 
state.  Who  would  not  desire  to  believe  these  things  ?  Who  would  not 
regard  them  as  worthy  of  belief?  All  who  read  the  visions  which  are 
written  in  this  book,  even  though  they  cannot  yet  fully  understand  them, 
must  say  with  the  angel,  ^*  These  sayings  are  faithful" ;  they  are  worthy  of 
our  belief. 

But  are  they  "true"  ?  This  is  the  important  question  for  us  now.  There 


564  LEOTUBE  LXXIV. 

are  many  things  which  are  worth  believing,  and  which  we  would  like  to 
believe,  but  unfortunately  they  are  not  true,  or  they  do  not  have  sufficient 
evidence  in  their  favor  to  win  our  faith.  Are  the  things  written  in  this 
book  true,  as  well  as  faithful  ?  The  angel  says  they  are.  Is  not  his  testi- 
mony to  be  relied  on  ?  All  Gbd's  angels  are  holy,  and  that  which  is  false 
never  defiles  their  lips.  And  this  angel  knows  whereof  he  affirms.  We 
might  doubt  the  testimony  of  a  man  with  regard  to  heaven  and  the  foture, 
for  these  are  objects  which  lie  beyond  the  province  of  human  knowledge; 
but  this  angel  speaks  of  that  which  his  own  eyes  had  seen^  and  his  own 
ears  had  heard.  More  than  this,  he  was  commissioned  of  God  to  do  this 
very  work,  and  he  must  have  been  prepared ;  for  Qod  always  prepares 
those  he  commissions.  We  are  told,  not  once,  but  again  and  again,  that 
Otod  sent  his  angel  to  make  known  unto  his  servants  the  things  whioh  must 
shortly  come  to  pass.  We  have,  then,  not  merely  the  testimony  of  the 
angel,  though  this  ought  to  be  sufficient ;  we  have  also  the  testimony  of 
God  himself.  On  the  testimony  of  such  witnesses,  we  should  have  no 
difficulty  in  believing  that  these  things  are  true,  as  well  as  faithful. 

More  than  this,  the  partial  fulfillment  of  these  revelations  is  sufficient 
to  convince  us  that  they  are  true.  We  have  seen  in  our  expositions  that 
many  of  the  symbols  which  appeared  under  the  seals,  and  the  trumpets,  and 
the  vials  have  been  fulfilled  in  history.  We  have  traced  the  resemblance 
between  these  symbols  and  the  events  of  history.  This  resemblance  is  so 
strong,  and  the  events  so  follow  each  other  in  the  exact  order  in  whioh  the 
symbols  appeared,  that  we  were  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  these  symbola 
were  divinely  appointed  and  designed  to  shadow  forth  these  events*  And 
there  were  sufficient  grounds  for  this  conclusion.  If  there  was  a  resem- 
blance between  one  symbol  and  one  event,  Uiere  would  be  but  a  very  slight 
reason  to  suppose  thatone  was  intended  to  shadow  forth  the  other.  Butif  there 
is  a  resemblance  between  two  successive  symbols  and  two  successive  events, 
there  is  a  stronger  reason.  And  when  a  succession  of  many  symbols  cor- 
responds with  a  succession  of  many  events,  the  reason  becomes  so  strong 
that  it  rises  to  certainty.  This  is  the  case  in  the  book  of  the  Revelation. 
Many  successive  symbols  have  been  found  to  correspond  with  many  suc- 
cessive events.  If  a  searcher  for  antiquities  should  discover  many  frag* 
ments  of  an  old  painting,  and  if  he  should  place  these  fhigments  together 
and  should  find  that  each  piece  fitted  exactly  to  its  fellow ;  and  if,  when 
they  were  put  together,  he  should  find  that  they  made  a  beautiful  picture, 
perfect  in  all  its  parts,  he  would  conclude  that  the  fragments  were  originally 
parts  of  one  picture.  So  when  we  put  together  the  separate  symbols  of  the 
Apocalypse,  and  find  that  they  form  a  beautiful  picture  of  the  events  of 
history,  we  must  conclude  that  the  divine  author  intended  these  symbols 
to  be  placed  together,  and  to  form  such  a  picture  of  the  events  of  history. 

We  have  also  seen  in  our  expositions  that  many  of  these  symbok  have 


FAITHFUL  AND   TRUE  SATINQS.  565 

been  fulfilled.  Sarely  those  wMoh  have  been  fhlfiUed  are  trae.  The 
event  has  placed  their  truth  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt.  It  is  true, 
some  of  these  symbols  have  not  been  fulfilled.  They  pertain  to  the  ages 
of  the  world  which  are  yet  future.  But  as  many  of  them  have  been  ful- 
filled, we  may  believe,  we  have  a  right  to  believe,  that  when  the  appointed 
time  comes,  they  will  all  be  fulfilled.  We  therefore  oondude  that  all  the 
things  written  in  this  book,  whether  they  relate  to  the  past  or  to  the 
future,  are  true. 

We  are  then  prepared  to  accept  with  full  confidence  the  angel's  testimony. 
The  things  written  in  this  book  are  faithful  and  true.  They  are  faithful, 
that  is,  worthy  of  belief;  they  are  true,  for  the  testimony  of  the  angel  is 
confirmed  by  the  fulfillment  of  many  of  these  revelations.  The  things 
written  in  this  book  are  therefore  like  the  entire  gospel,  of  which  it  is  said, 
"  It  is  a  faithful  saying,  and  worthy  of  all  acceptation."  They  are  like  the 
Lord  Jesus  himself,  of  whom  it  is  said,  *'  He  is  faithful  and  true."  Let  us 
then  rejoice  in  the  attestation  to  the  truth  of  these  revelations  we  have 
considered.  Though  many  of  them  may  seem  too  great  for  our  faith,  while 
we  hear  the  angel's  testimony  let  us  say,  *'  Lord,  we  believe;  help  thou  our 
unbelief." 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  author  of  these  sayings.  ^'The  Lord  God 
of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel."  As  has  been  said,  the  truth  of  this 
book  rests  not  alone  upon  the  testimony  of  the  angel,  but  also  on  the  truth- 
fhlness  of  him  who  sent  the  angel.  Who  is  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy 
prophets  who  sent  his  angel  ?  The  answer  to  this  question  is  found  in 
verse  16 :  "I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things 
in  the  churches."  If  there  was  nothing  else  in  all  the  Bible  to  prove  the 
deity  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  this  one  verse  would  be  sufficient.  Jesus  is 
the  Lord  God,  a  name  which  can  be  applied  only  to  him  who  is  God  over 
all  and  blessed  for  ever,  and  who  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  Jesus 
is  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets ;  that  is,  the  Lord  who  inspired  the 
prophets  to  speak  and  write  for  the  instruction  and  warning  of  the  church. 
Jesus  is  therefore  the  author  of  the  Bible.  We  are  indebted  to  him  not 
only  for  salvation,  but  also  for  that  inspired  word  by  which  his  salvation 
is  revealed.  And  as  Jesus,  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets,  is  the 
author  of  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book,  they  must  be  faithful 
and  true,  and  worthy  of  our  implicit  faith. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  object  for  which  these  sayings  were 
written  :  "  To  show  unto  his  servants  the  things  which  must  shortly  be 
done."  This  is  another  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  this  book.  It  was 
written,  not  to  tickle  the  fancy,  not  to  excite  the  imagination,  not  to  deceive 
with  false  hopes,  but  to  show  the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done.  If 
this  was  its  design  it  must  be  true,  for  otherwise  the  design  would  not  be 
Accomplished.     Each  age  of  the  world  had  its  peculiar  events,  and  each 


566  LEOTURB  LXXIV. 

generation  of  the  servants  of  God,  ever  since  the  days  of  John^  has  been 
looking  for  events  which  were  soon  to  come.  First  they  looked  for  the 
spread  of  Christianity,  and  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  apostacy.  Then 
they  looked  for  the  escape  of  the  true  church  into  the  wilderness,  which 
was  to  be  her  residence  for  a  time,  times  and  a  half,  and  for  the  testimony, 
trials,  death  and  resurrection  of  the  two  witnesses.  Then  they  looked  for 
the  Reformation,  with  its  open  Bible.  Then  they  looked  for  the  judgments 
which  were  shadowed  forth  by  the  symbols  which  appeared  under  the 
pouring  out  of  the  vials,  and  which  have  not  yet  come  to  a  foil  end.  We 
who  are  living  somewhere  near  the  beginning  of  the  seventh  vial^  are  looking 
fbr  the  overthrow  of  the  dragon,  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet.  Those 
who  witness  these  things  will  look  for  the  millennium.  Those  who  live 
during  the  millennial  period  of  the  world's  history,  will  look  for  the 
final  judgment  and  the  glory  beyond.  And  so  each  generation  has  been 
looking  for  the  things  written  in  this  book  which  were  shortly  to  be  done. 
No  one  has  looked  in  vain.  At  the  appointed  time  the  predicted  events 
have  taken  place.  So  it  will  continue  till  the  last  symbol  is  fulfilled  and 
all  the  things  wiitten  in  thb  book  are  accomplished. 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  main,  the  central  revelation  of  the  things 
which  are  written  in  this  book.  '<  Behold,  I  come  quickly."  Here  the 
angel  quotes  the  words  of  the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  propheta  who  had  sent 
him.  Nothing  is  more  dearly  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  than  the  fact  that 
Jesus  is  to  come  in  glory  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation.  Jesus 
himself  spake  of  this  coming  when  he  was  here  on  earth.  The  angels 
spake  of  it  to  the  weeping  disciples  who  were  gazing  from  the  summit  of 
Olivet  after  their  departing  Lord.  The  apostles  spake  of  it  in  all  their  in- 
spired writings.  And  in  no  place  is  it  spoken  of  more  frequently  than  in 
the  Apocalypse.  In  this  book,  the  speedy  coming  of  Christ  is  set  before 
us  as  the  ever-present  hope  of  the  church.  In  the  first  chapter  it  is  said, 
'<  The  time  is  at  hand."  To  the  church  of  Philadelphia  it  is  said,  <  Behold, 
I  come  quickly."  Three  times  in  this  concluding  chapter  the  same  words 
ring  out  like  a  trumpet  call,  '<  I  come  quickly."  The  accun^ulating  cen- 
turies give  accumulating  interest  to  this  word  *'  quickly."  It  has  greater 
emphasis  to-day  than  it  had  yesterday;  it  will  have  greater  emphasb 
to«morrow  than  it  has  to-day;  it  will  have  increased  emphasis  with  every 
rising  of  the  sun  till  it  ceases  to  be  prophetic,  and  the  words,  "  the  Lord 
Cometh,"  will  be  changed  into  these  other  words,  "  the  Lord  has  come." 

In  the  next  place,  we  have  the  blessedness  of  obedience.  "  Blessed  is  1m 
that  keepeth  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book."  This  is  another 
confirmation  of  the  things  written  in  this  book ;  for  if  they  were  not  true 
and  faithful,  there  could  be  no  blessedness  in  keeping  them.  Wherein 
does  this  promised  blessedness  consist?  It  consists  partly  in  instruction. 
This  book  contains  a  complete  history  of  the  church,  and  he  is  blessed 


FAITHFUL  AND  TRUE  BATINQ8.  667 

who  knows  tliat  history.  It  consists  partly  in  comfort.  This  book  tells  us 
that  all  the  trials  of  the  earthly  saints  will,  at  God's  appointed  time,  end  in 
glory,  and  that  all  their  crosses  will  one  day  be  exchanged  for  crowns.  He 
is  blessed  who  enjoys  the  comfort  which  grows  oat  of  this  knowledge.  It 
consists  partly  in  encouragement.  This  book  tells  us  that  all  the  enemies 
of  the  earthly  church  will  be  destroyed,  and  that  the  church  itself  will  be 
crowned  with  final  and  everlasting  victory.  He  is  blessed  who  is  strength- 
ened by  the  encouragement  which  grows  out  of  this  knowledge.  It  consists 
partly  in  the  eternal  reward  of  obedience ;  for  of  the  precepts  of  this  book, 
as  well  as  of  the  precepts  of  the  whole  word  of  God  it  may  be  said,  "  in 
keeping  them  there  is  great  reward." 

What  greater  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  these  revelations  could  we 
ask  ?  We  have  their  partial  fulfillment,  the  testimony  of  the  holy  angel, 
the  character  of  their  author,  the  object  for  which  they  were  made,  and 
the  blessedness  of  those  who  obey  them.  Surely  all  this  is  sufficient  to 
command  our  faith.  Let  us  believe  that  the  perpetual  peace,  the  eternal 
triumph,  and  the  heavenly  glory,  which  are  herein  revealed,  will  come  to 
pass.  These  things  seem  too  good  to  be  true.  That  unfading  crowns 
should  be  set  on  our  brows,  that  everlasting  scepters  should  be  placed  in 
our  hands,  that  our  tattered  rags  should  be  exchanged  for  coronation  robes, 
that  we  who  have  so  long  groveled  in  the  dust  and  ashes  should  ascend  the 
thrones  of  glory,  all  this  staggers  our  &ith.  But  he  who  remembers  we 
are  dust,  and  knows  our  weakness,  has  been  pleased  to  confirm  these  truths, 
so  that  even  we  are  forced  to  believe.  Turn  to  the  opening  words  of  this 
book.  "  The  Revelation  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  God  gave  unto  him,  to 
show  unto  his  servants  things  which  must  shortly  come  to  pass ;  and  he 
sent  and  signified  it  by  his  angel  unto  his  servant  John :  who  bare  record 
of  the  word  of  God,  and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all 
things  that  he  saw.  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the 
words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  things  which  are  written  therein : 
for  the  time  is  at  hand."  Now  turn  to  the  words  we  have  just  been  con- 
sidering* ''And  he  said  unto  me,  These  sayings  are  faithful  and  true :  and 
the  Lord  God  of  the  holy  prophets  sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants 
the  things  which  must  shortly  be  done.  Behold,  I  come  quickly :  blessed 
is  he  that  keepeth  the  saying9  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book."  Compare 
one  of  these  passages  with  the  other ;  remember  the  evidence  we  have  of 
the  truth  of  this  book,  and  then  let  us  say  again  with  humble  and  thank- 
ful hearts,  "  Lord,  we  believe ;  help  thou  our  unbelief." 

II.  The  second  thing  to  be  considered  is  the  effect  of  these  rev- 
BLATIONS  ON  THE  APOSTLE.  "And  I  Johu  saw  these  things  and  heard 
them.  And  when  I  had  heard  and  seen,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the 
feet  of  the  angel  which  showed  me  these  things.     Then  saith  he  unto  me, 


568  LECTURE  LXXIV. 

See  thoa  do  it  not,  for  I  am  tbj  fellow-servant^  and  of  thy  brethren  the 
prophets,  and  of  them  who  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book :  worship  God.** 
The  things  which  John  saw  and  heard  are  the  faithful  and  true  sayings 
which  are  spoken  of  in  the  preceding  verses.  They  refer  not  merely  to 
the  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  but  to  all  the  revelations  which  are 
contained  in  this  book.  The  angel  who  had  taken  such  an  active  part  in 
pointing  out  the  symbols  to  the  apostle,  and  in  explaining  their  meaning, 
must  have  been  clothed  with  a  glory  which  was  more  than  earthly.  His 
glory  so  dazzled  and  bewildered  the  seer,  that  for  a  moment  he  foists 
himself  and  his  duty  to  his  God,  and  falls  down  to  worship  the  heavenly 
messenger.  Or  it  may  be  that  the  glory  was  so  great  that  the  seer  thought 
he  stood  before  the  Saviour  himself.  If  this  was  his  thought,  it  was 
speedily  corrected.  The  angel  forbade  the  worship,  and  revealed  his  true 
character  and  the  true  character  of  all  those  created  beings  who  are  "  min- 
istering spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister  for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salva- 
tion." He  was  John's  fellow  servant.  He  was  engi^ed  in  the  same  work; 
he  served  the  same  Master ;  he  glorified  the  same  Saviour ;  he  belonged  to 
the  great  brotherhood  of  the  prophets ;  that  is,  the  brotherhood  of  those 
whose  duty  and  privilege  it  was  to  make  known  the  will  of  God  What  an 
honor  they  have  who  are  teachers  of  the  word  of  the  Lord,  in  the  Sabbath 
school,  in  the  home,  in  the  church,  or  wherever  they  may  have  an  oppor- 
tunity !  They  are  the  brethren  of  the  angels.  How  then  oan  we  account 
for  the  fact  that  men  are  so  reluctant  to  engage  in  this  duty  and  to  inherit 
this  honor  ?  Whenever  angels  have  had  the  privilege  of  instructing  men 
and  revealing  the  divine  wOl,  they  have  hastened  to  embrace  that  privilege. 
If  permission  was  given  them  to-day,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  our 
homes,  our  churches,  and  our  places  of  business  would  be  filled  with  a 
great  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host,  and  tbat  every  one  would  ciy,  '^  Be- 
lieve on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ/'  until  the  sound  of  conversation,  and  the 
voice  of  preaching,  and  the  din  of  labor,  would  be  silenced  by  the  music 
of  the  angelic  invitation.  We  have  reason  to  believe  that  to-day,  before 
the  setting  of  the  sun,  every  dweller  on  the  earth  would  hear  of  Jesoa  and 
of  the  eternal  life  which  he  came  to  purchase.  But  men  are  reluctant  to 
undertake  the  work ;  they  are  unwilling  to  do  that  which  the  angeb  would 
delight  to  do.  The  angel  also  declares  himself  to  be  of  the  number  "  of 
them  who  keep  the  sayings  of  this  book."  He,  too,  was  under  the  law  of 
God,  and  bound  to  obey  it.  He  was  under  the  same  obligation  that  the 
apostle  was  to  live  up  to  the  principles  of  the  divine  government  bb  they 
are  laid  down  in  the  word  of  God,  principles  which  are  summarily  oom- 
prehended  in  these  words,  *'  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all 
thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind,  and  thy  neighbor 
as  thyself." 

Having  thus  refused  the  worship  of  the  bewildered  apostle,  the  angel 
points  him  to  the  only  true  object  of  worship:  "  Worship  God."    It  seems 


FAITHFUL  AND  TRUE  SATINGS.  569 

strange  that  John  should  need  any  instruction  on  this  point,  and  yet  he 
did.  He  had  been  brought  up  in  the  Jewish  church,  which  had  learned 
from  the  long  and  cruel  sufferings  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  to  hate 
every  form  of  idolatry ;  he  had  been  admitted  to  the  peculiar  friendship 
of  his  Saviour,  and  had  drunk  deeply  of  his  devout  teaching ;  and  yet  he 
was,  not  once,  but  twice,  on  the  eve  of  angel  worship.  In  chapter  19 :  10 
we  have  an  exact  counterpart  of  the  scene  which  is  here  described.  When 
the  angel  had  made  the  announcement,  "  Blessed  are  they  which  are  called 
to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,"  we  are  told,  "  I  fell  at  his  feet  to 
worship  himi  And  he  said  unto  me.  See  thou  do  it  not:  I  am  thy  fellow 
servant,  and  of  thy  brethren  which  have  the  testimony  of  Jesus  :  worship 
God."  And  if  John  was  so  liable  to  this  sin,  and  needed  repeated  instruc- 
tion on  this  point,  how  much  more  do  we  ?  We  are  so  sinful  and  imper- 
fect that  we  are  unwilling  to  place  our  supreme  affections  on  God,  and  to 
render  him  undivided  service  and  worship. 

1.  One  lesson  which  the  subject  of  our  lecture  should  teach  us  is  this : 
The  sin  and  folly  of  idol  worship.  If  an  angel  is  not  worthy  of  our 
worship,  no  other  created  being  can  be.  The  Boman  Catholic  church 
teaches  that  angel  worship  is  scriptural.  Let  us  look  at  a  few  of  the  mun 
passages  which  are  quoted  to  support  this  doctrine.  Of  Balaam  it  is  said, 
*^  He  saw  the  angel  of  the  Lord  standing  in  the  way,  and  his  sword  cjrawn 
in  his  hand :  and  he  bowed  down  his  head  and  fell  flat  on  his  face."  Of 
Joshua  it  is  said,  *.<  He  lifted  up  his  eyes  and  looked,  and  behold,  there 
stood  a  man  over  against  him,  with  his  sword  drawn  in  his  hand,  *  ^  * 
and  Joshua  fell  on  his  face  and  did  worship."  The  dying  Jacob  said, 
''  The  angel  which  redeemed  me  from  all  evil  bless  the  lads."  But  the 
context  of  all  these  passages  clearly  indicates  that  the  angel  referred  to  was 
none  other  than  the  uncreated  angel  of  the  covenant,  even  the  Lord  Jesus. 
On  the  other  hand,  Peter  refused  to  be  worshiped  by  Cornelius,  Paul  by 
the  heathen,  and  the  angel  by  John.  The  whole  word  of  God,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  is  but  an  echo  of  these  words  with  which  the  Sa- 
viour rebuked  Satan,  ''Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God^  and  him  only 
shalt  thou  serve." 

2.  Another  lesson  which  the  subject  of  lecture  teaches  is,  that  if  we 
refuse  our  belief  to  the  word  of  God  as  contained  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
we  are  without  excuse.  What  better  evidence  of  its  truth  could  we  ask 
than  God  has  given  us.  Look  at  its  harmony,  at  the  fulfillment  of  its 
prophecies;  at  the  character  of  the  men  who  wrote  it,  at  its  remarkable 
preservation,  and  at  the  tests  to  which  it  has  been  put  by  friends  and  foes. 
If,  in  the  face  of  this  evidence,  we  do  not  believe,  we  will  stand  speechless 
on  that  day  when  we  are  called  to  render  our  account.  In  view  of  all 
this  evidence,  we  must  say  of  all  that  God  has  revealed,  ''  These  sayings 
are  faithful  and  true."  ''  Not  one  jot  or  tittle  will  pass  away  till  all  are 
fulfilled." 


570  LECTURE  LXXV. 


LECTURE    LXXV. 


THE  UNCHANGING  CONDITION  OF  THE  DEAD. 

And  he  saith  unto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book : 
for  the  time  is  at  hand.  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  oe  uojust  still :  and  he 
which  is  filthy,  let  him  he  filthy  still :  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be 
righteous  still :  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still. — Rev.  22  :  10, 11. 

III.  We  come  now  to  the  third  point  in  the  coDcluding  part  of  the  ^ 
Apocalypse,  viz.,  the  command  to  publish  the  things  whioh  are  written 
in  this  book.   "  And  he  saith  anto  me,  Seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy 
of  this  book :  for  the  time  is  at  hand."      This  book  is  here  called  a  "  pro- 
phecy" ;  and  it  is  so  called  with  justice,  for  most  of  it  relates  to  events 
which  were  future  at  the  time  when  it  was  written.     Chapters  II  and  III, 
whioh  contain  the  epistles  to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  describe  the 
church  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  John,  bat  the  rest  of  the  book  describes 
the  things  which  were  to  be  thereafter.     Aa  so  much  of  this  book  is  taken 
up  with  predictions  of  the  future,  it  is  properly  called  a  prophecy.      It  is 
this  book  of  prophecy,  which  the  angel  who  had  taken  such  a  prominent 
part  in  the  preceding  visions  commands  the  apostle  not  to  conceal.      The 
meaning  of  this  command  is  not  difficult  to  discover.     It  means  to  publish, 
to  declare  abroad.     On  one  occasion,  John  was  commanded  to  seal  up  the 
things  which  he  had  heard.      In  the  vision  which  is  recorded  in  chapter 
X,  he  saw  a  mighty  angel,  standing  with  one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the  ot)ier 
on  the  dry  land,  and  holding  in  his  hand  a  little  book.     That  angel,  as  we 
saw  in  our  exposition  of  that  chapter,  shadowed  forth  the  Reformation  of 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  that  little  book  shadowed  forth  the  open  Bible 
which  was  then  given  anew  to  the  people.     When  the  angel  had  cried  with 
a  loud  voice;  the  apostle  heard  seven  thunders.     These  thunders  were  a 
symbol  of  the  anathemas  and  excommunications  whioh  were  uttered  by  the 
Roman  church  from  the  seven-hilled  city  against  the  reformers.      The 
apostle,  like  the  leaders  of  the  Reformation,  at  first  thought  that  these 
anathemas  were  the  voice  of  Ood,  and  he  trembled  before  them.     He  was 
about  to  record  them  as  the  words  of  God,  when  he  was  told,  "  Seal  up  the 
things  which  the  seven  thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not."      As  if  it 
had  been  said:  These  anathemas  are  of  no  account ;  they  are  not  the  words 
of  God ;  they  do  not  reveal  the  will  of  God ;  they  are  not  worthy  to  be 
written  or  remembered  ]  let  them  be  forgotten ;  seal  them  up,  and  write 
them  not.     This  passage  throws  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  words  under 
consideration.     If  the  things  which  were  to  be  sealed  were  things  which 
were  of  no  account,  and  which  were  not  worthy  to  be  believed,  then  the 


THE  UNOHANQINO  CONDITION   OF  THX  DEAD.  571 

things  which  were  not  to  be  sealed,  and  which  were  to  be  published  abroad, 
most  be  of  great  importance,  and  worthy  of  all  belief.  Therefore  this 
Qommand  of  the  angel  to  '^  seal  not  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book,'*  is  a  clear  intimation  of  their  importance  and  their  truth.  If  they 
had  not  been  important  and  true,  they  would  have  been  placed  on  the 
same  level  with  the  seven  meaningless  thunders,  which  the  rise  and  pro- 
gress of  the  Reformation  called  forth  from  Papal  Rome. 

But  the  command  of  the  angel  means  something  more  than  this.  The 
prophet  Daniel,  in  the  old  dispensation,  was  &vored  with  many  magnifi- 
cent visions  of  what  was  to  be  in  the  future ;  but  when  the  visions  were 
condaded,  he  was  commanded  to  "  shut  up  the  words,  and  seal  the  book, 
even  to  the  time  of  the  end."  Again,  it  was  said  to  him,  '*  Go  thy  way, 
Daniel,  for  the  words  are  closed  up  and  sealed  till  the  time  of  the  end." 
There  can  be  no  question  as  to  the  meaning  of  these  commands.  The 
visions  which  Daniel  saw  related  to  events  which  were  yet  far  in  the 
future,  and  which  would  not  come  to  pass  till  the  time  of  the  end.  There 
was,  therefore,  no  occasion  that  men  should,  for  a  time,  trouble  themselves 
about  these  visions  and  their  fulfillment.  These  visions  were  to  be  closed 
and  sealed  from  the  knowledge  of  men  tUl  the  predicted  time  was  at  hand. 
When  that  predicted  time  was  approaching  and  predicted  events  would 
have  a  practical  bearing  on  haman  conduct,  then  the  seal  was  to  be  re- 
moved and  men  would  understand  the  meaning  of  the  symbob  which 
Daniel  saw  in  Babylon.  This  passage  also  throws  a  flood  of  light  upon 
the  words  under  consideration.  If  the  prophecies  of  Daniel  were  to  be 
sealed  because  they  related  to  things  which  were  yet  far  distant,  then  the 
prophecies  of  this  book  were  to  be  published  abroad  because  they  related 
to  things  which  were  near  at  hand.  This  is  the  chief  reason  for  the 
command,  and  the  one  which  is  here  assigned  ;  "  Seal  not  the  sayings  of 
the  prophecy  of  this  book :  for  the  time  is  at  hand."  If  our  theory  of 
interpretation  is  correct,  this  assigned  reason  is  borne  out  by  facts.  Each 
generation  of  the  servants  of  God,  since  these  visions  were  seen  and 
recorded,  has  had  a  personal  interest  in  the  events  predicted ;  each  genera- 
tion has  been  looking  for  the  things  which  were  shortly  to  come  to  pass. 
Some  of  the  things  written  in  this  book  have  been  at  hand  for  all  those 
who  have  Hved  at  any  time  since  the  organization  of  the  Christian  church; 
some  of  them  will  be  at  hand  for  all  those  who  will  live  till  the  end  comes. 
This  is  what  is  meant  by  the  angel's  command.  It  teaches  us,  in  the  first 
place,  that  the  sayings  of  tfie  prophecy  of  this  book  are  important,  and 
worthy  to  be  recorded,  believed  and  obeyed  \  it  teaches  us,  in  the  second 
place,  that  these  sayings,  at  least  some  of  them,  relate  to  events  which  are 
at  hand,  in  which  we  are  personally  interested,  and  of  which  we  should 
have  a  clear  knowledge. 

What  are  the  things  which  are  at  hand  for  us  ?    The  time  of  terrible 


572  LEOTURS  LXXV. 

judgmeDts  is  at  hand.  The  three  great  powers  of  Antichrist,  the  dragon, 
the  heast,  and  the  false  prophet,  have  not  yet  heen  destroyed.  They  seem 
to  he  tremhling  on  their  thrones,  and  their  hold  on  the  bodies  and  aonls  of 
men  seems  to  be  growing  weaker ;  but  they  will  not  resign  their  thrones  or 
lessen  their  hold  without  some  final  efforts  to  retain  what  they  have,  and  to 
regain  what  they  have  lost.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  these  efforts 
will  scar  the  earth  with  many  graves  and  rend  the  church  with  many  trials. 
These  prophetic  utterances  point  us  to  the  battle  of  Armageddon,  and  to 
the  gathering  of  the  hosts  of  Gog  and  Magog.  If  we  mistake  not,  the  mgns 
of  the  coming  storm  are  even  now  upon  us.  The  nations  of  the  earth  seem  to 
be  waiting  in  breathless  silence,  not  knowing  from  what  direction  the  threat- 
ening tempest  will  burst  upon  them.  In  the  midst  of  the  sOenoe  we  can 
almost  hear  the  approaching  footsteps  of  the  coming  conqueror ;  we  can 
almost  distinguish  the  words  of  his  proclamation,  "  I  will  overturn,  over- 
tarn,  overturn,  till  he  come  whose  right  it  is  to  reign.'* 

A  time  of  trial  is  at  hand.  The  wheat  of  the  church  is  to  be  winnowed ; 
the  vine  of  the  church  is  to  be  pruned  ;  the  gold  of  the  church  is  to  be 
tried  as  in  the  fire.  Great  and  plausible  delusions  will  be  preached,  which, 
if  possible,  would  deceive  the  very  elect ;  false  systems  of  theology  will  be 
proclaimed ;  eternal  truths  will  be  denied ;  the  inspired  word  will  be  called 
a  fable ;  the  divine  Redeemer  will  be  laughed  at  as  a  myth.  Under  the 
influence  of  these  trials  and  delusions  many  will  make  shipwreck  of  their 
faith. 

A  time  of  separation  is  at  hand.  By  means  of  these  trials  and  judg- 
ments the  lines  between  the  friends  and  foes  of  Gx)d  will  be  more  sharply 
drawn.  The  mark  of  the  beast  on  the  forehead  of  his  servants  will  be 
clearly  revealed ;  the  name  of  Jesus  on  the  forehead  of  his  servants  will 
shine  with  increasing  brightness.  Even  now  the  opposing  hosts  are  putting 
on  their  uniform,  whose  colors  are  as  different  as  light  is  from  darkness. 
Every  soldier  is  stepping  to  his  place.  Every  battalion  is  entrenching  itself 
in  its  position.  At  any  hour  the  thunder  and  the  carnage  may  b^n. 
While  we  wait  there  is  little  danger  of  mistaking  the  individuals  who  com- 
pose the  hostile  armies,  for  the  world  is  manifestly  preparing  for  its  doom, 
and  the  church  is  manifestly  preparing  for  its  glory. 

A  time  of  judgment,  of  trial,  and  of  separation  is  at  hand.  Because 
such  a  time  is  at  hand,  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book  should  be 
published  abroad.  They  should  be  proclaimed  to  the  church,  for  in  the 
coming  judgments  and  trials  the  church  will  need  the  instruction,  and  the 
comfort,  and  the  encouragement,  which  can  be  derived  only  from  the  say- 
ings of  this  book.  They  should  be  proclaimed  to  the  world,  for  the  world 
needs  the  warnings  and  the  exhortations  which  are  to  be  found  only  in  this 
book.  They  should  be  proclaimed  to  individuals,  for  they  have  an  import- 
nnt  bearing  on  the  individual  life.     They  call  to  us  like  a  voice  from 


THE  UNGHANOINQ  CONDITION   OF  THE  DEAD.  573 

heaven,  saying,  '*  Who  is  on  the  Lord's  side"  ?  What  reply  do  we  make? 
Are  ire  clothed  with  white  robes?  Have  we  washed  them  and  made  them 
white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ?  Are  we  singing  the  new  song  of  the 
redeemed  ?  Are  we  following  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth  ?  Will 
we  be  among  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  and  who  rest  from  their  labors? 
Have  we  accepted  the  invitation  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb,  and 
have  we  put  on  our  wedding  garments  ?  Is  the  prediction  of  the  Saviour's 
second  coming  as  music  to  our  listening  ears  ? 

Sorely,  then,  the  church  has  need,  the  world  has  need,  we  have  need 
that  the  sayings  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book  should  be  proclaimed;  for  it 
is  only  through  the  hearing  and  the  believing  of  these  sayings  that  we  can 
hope  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  eventful  future.  And  herein  is  an  excuse, 
if  any  excuse  is  needed,  for  our  attempt  to  explain  the  things  which  are 
written  in  this  book.  We  have  tried  to  unseal  these  saying9,  so  &r  as  our 
ignorance  and  inexperience  have  sealed  them ;  we  have  tried  to  make  known 
what  God  intended  us  to  know.  How  imperfectly  we  have  succeeded,  no 
one  knows  better  than  he  who  has  made  the  attempt.  Still  we  have  reason 
to  hope  that  our  efforts  have  not  been  entirely  in  vain.  We  have  suc- 
ceeded in  making  some  things  plainer  than  they  were  before,  and  in  bring- 
ing some  things  home  to  our  hearts.  In  view  of  the  lessons  we  have  learned, 
in  view  of  the  comfort  we  have  enjoyed,  in  view  of  the  encouragement  we 
have  felt,  we  may  be  thankful  that  John  was  not  commanded,  like  Daniel, 
to  seal  up  the  visions  he  was  permitted  to  witness,  and  that,  in  accordance 
with  the  angel's  command,  the  things  written  in  this  book  have  been  pro- 
claimed in  order  to  prepare  us  for  the  time  which  is  at  hand. 

IV.  The  next  thing  in  this  concluding  part  of  the  Apocalypse  is  the 
solemn  announcement  that  when  the  predicted  time  comes,  and  the  events 
written  in  this  book  are  fulfilled,  EYEftTTHiNa  will  be  fixed  and  un- 
changeable. "  He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be  unjust  still ;  and  he  which 
is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be  right- 
eons  still ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still.*'  Let  it  be  noticed 
that  there  is  now  a  change  in  the  speaker*  Up  to  this  time,  the  angel  had 
been  speaking  to  the  apostle ;  but  now  he  retires  and  gives  place  to  one 
who  is  fiur  more  glorious  than  the  angel,  even  the  Lord  Jesus  himself. 
If  we  paid  heed  to  the  words  of  the  angel,  how  much  greater  heed  should 
we  pay  to  the  words  of  the  Lord  I  That  the  Lord  is  the  speaker  now,  b 
evident  from  the  following  verse.  It  is  the  Lord  who  says,  "  Behold,  I 
come  quickly  ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man  according  as 
his  work  shall  be'' ;  for  it  is  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ  before  which  we 
all  must  staad.  It  is  the  Lord  who  says,  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Om^a,  the 
beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last" ;  for  Christ  alone  has  a  name 
which  is  above  every  name.  These  words,  then,  must  be  pondered,  not  as 
the  words  of  the  angel,  but  as  the  words  of  Christ  Jesus. 


574  LKOTUEI  LXXY. 

It  is  maDifest  that  these  words  refer  to  the  ftiture,  to  what  is  beyond  the 
judgment,  for  Id  the  present  order  of  things,  there  is  no  sach  unohangeable- 
ness  as  is  here  described.  Change  is  written  on  eyerything  earthly.  Day 
and  night,  summer  and  winter  follow  each  other  in  rapid  sacceesion,  and 
each  clothes  the  dwelling  place  of  man  with  its  peculiar  garb.  Man  him- 
self is  continually  changing.  The  child  becomes  the  man,  and  the  man 
goes  down  into  his  second  childhood  }  the  ignorant  become  learned,  and  the 
learned  forget  their  learning ;  the  poor  become  rich,  and  the  rich  are  re- 
duced to  want;  the  unholy  beoome  the  saints  of  Gk>d,  and  the  saints  of  €h>d 
are  betrayed  into  aggravated  sin.  There  are  changes  without  number  in 
every  human  home  and  in  every  human  heart  But  at  the  judgment  the 
destiny  of  all  will  be  fixed.  Then  there  will  be  no  rinng  or  setting  of  the 
sun  to  mark  the  progress  of  the  years ;  there  will  be  either  endless  day  or 
endless  night.  No  sinners  will  then  be  converted,  and  no  sainta  will  then 
fail  into  sin.  All  things  will  continue  as  they  were.  He  that  is  unjust 
will  be  unjust  still,  and  he  that  is  holy  will  be  holy  still. 

The  human  race  is  here  divided  into  two  classes,  the  servants  of  Satan, 
and  the  servants  of  Ood.  The  former  are  described  by  two  words, 
"  unjust,"  and  "filthy."  An  unjust  man  is  not  one  who  is  unjust  merely 
towanis  his  fellow  men,  but  one  who  is  also  unjust  toward  Ood ;  one  who 
refuses  to  obey  the  commandments,  and  to  believe  the  words  of  God.  A 
filthy  man  is  one  who  is  full  of  moral  defilement  and  pollution,  one  who  is 
impure  in  heart  and  life.  This  word  JUthy  is  often  used  in  Scripture  to 
describe  the  sinner.  Job  says,  *'  How  much  more  abominable  and  filthy 
is  man,  who  drinketh  iniquity  like  water"  ?  David  says,  ''They  are  all 
gone  aside;  they  are  altogether  become  filthy.'*  The  apostle  says,  "  Let 
us  cleanse  ourselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh."  There  can  then  be 
no  doubt  as  to  the  persons  described  by  the  words,  unjust  and  filthy.  They 
are  those  who  live  and  die  in  unbelief  and  sin.  And  it  is  asserted  that  at 
the  judgment  the  condition  of  these  will  be  fixed  and  unchangeable.  Those 
who  are  unjust  and  filthy,  will  be  unjust  and  filthy  still.  These  calm  words 
give  us  one  fearful  glimpse  of  future  woe.  We  need  say  nothing  now  of 
the  material  elements  of  the  misery  of  the  lost ;  we  need  not  try  to  explam 
what  is  meant  by  the  fire  which  is  never  quenched,  and  by  the  worm 
which  never.dies.  It  is  obvious  that  the  great  i^ony  of  the  hereafter  is  a 
moral  one ;  that  it  is  not  so  much  physical  pain  as  mental  suffering  which 
will  cause  the  weeping,  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  We  sometimes  see 
a  foretaste  of  this  suffering  on  this  side  of  the  grave.  There  is  the  avari- 
cious man,  whose  hoarded  wealth  has  been  swept  away,  and  whose  aoquini- 
tivenees,  retaining  all  its  former  power,  can  no  longer  be  gratified  ;  in  his 
self-reproaches,  unsatisfied  longings,  impotent  endeavors,  and  bitter  cunes, 
we  see  the  beginning  of  the  eternal  punishment.  See  the  man  who  is  the 
victim  of  his  appetite  and  the  slave  of  intoxicating  drink,  when  that  teni- 


THE   UNGHANOINa  CONDITION   OF   THS  DEAD.  575 

ble  diBeue  which  is  the  result  of  alooholio  influenoe  lays  its  hand  upon 
him ;  the  weakened  nerrous  system  calls  for  stimulants ;  the  appetite 
demands  to  be  gratified ;  but  inward  fire  bums  and  blisters ;  a  thousand 
demons  in  most  hideous  form  crawl  over  his  shrinking  flesh ;  and  in  his 
unutterable  agony  we  see  the  beginning  of  the  eternal  punishment.  So  it 
is  with  rerenge,  and  wrath,  and  shame,  and  lust,  and  all  those  passions 
which  are  seen  and  felt  on  earth.  Let  these  passions  continue  in  their 
power,  let  their  results  have  full  growth,  let  all  opportunities  for  gratifying 
them  be  removedi  let  every  restraining  influence  be  taken  away,  and  we 
have  a  place  of  torment,  whose  agony  is  feebly  described  by  the  quenchless 
fire  and  the  undying  worm.  In  comparison  with  such  agony,  physical 
pain,  however  severe,  would  be  a  bed  of  down.  And  this  is  what  is  here 
described.  Every  one  is  now  shaping  his  eternal  destiny.  What  he  is  now 
sowing  he  will  hereafter  reap.  He  is  kindling  a  fire  which  will  glow,  and 
bum,  and  blister  for  ever.  He  is  nourishing  a  worm  which  will  gnaw 
and  poison.  Every  sin  he  commits  will  haunt  him  hereafter.  Hell,  in 
this  view  of  it,  is  not  the  creation  of  God  ;  it  is  that  torment  which  eveiy 
sinner  is  preparing  for  himself;  for  the  sinner's  future  is  thus  described 
and  linked  to  his  present  by  the  Saviour  himself:  ^*  He  that  is  unjust,  let 
him  be  unjust  still ;  and  he  which  is  filthy,  let  him  be  filthy  still." 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  other  side  of  this  picture,  and  notice  the  future 
of  the  servants  of  God.  *'  He  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be  righteous  still ; 
and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  holy  still."  As  two  words  are  employed 
to  describe  the  servants  of  Satan,  so  two  words  are  employed  to  describe 
the  servants  of  God.  Every  heir  of  heaven  has,  must  have,  a  twofold 
righteousness  ]  a  righteousness  imputed,  and  a  righteousness  inwrought ;  a 
righteousness  external,  and  a  righteousness  internal.  The  first  is  the  act  of 
Christ ;  the  other  is  the  work  of  the  Spirit.  The  first  gives  the  man  his 
,title  to  heaven;  the  other,  his  fitness  for  heaveni  The  first  is  here 
described  as  righteousness  ;  the  other,  as  holiness.  These  are  twin  graces. 
They  cannot  exist  apart.  Where  one  is,  the  other  must  be.  God  gives 
no  one  a  title  to  heaven  whom  he  does  not  fit  for  heaven  ;  God  fits  no  one 
for  heaven  to  whom  he  does  not  give  a  title.  It  is  here  asserted  that 
the  man,  who  is  thus  righteous  and  holy  on  earth,  will  at  the  judgment  be 
fixed  in  righteousness  and  holiness  for  ever.  And  this  future  righteousness 
and  holiness  will  be  only  the  ripened  fruit  of  the  seed  sown  here.  Present 
faith,  and  love,  and  obedience,  and  joy  wOl  all  be  brought  to  their  full 
development.  Holiness  is  not  a  mere  preparation  for  heaven ;  it  is  heaven 
itself;  it  is  the  essence  of  salvation ;  it  is  joy  for  evermore. 

1.  How  many  solemn  thoughts  do  these  words  of  the  Saviour  bring  to 
our  remembrance  ?  Here  is,  in  the  first  place,  a  warning  for  the  unbeliever 
and  an  encouragement  for  the  believer.  The  one  is  preparing  for  himself 
future  torment     Every  sin,  unless  repented  of  and  pardoned,  is  as  seed 


576  LSOTU&E  LXXVI. 

sowD,  which  will  yield  a  huDdredfold.  Every  evil  thought,  every  evil 
word,  and  every  evil  action  will  be  a  poisoned  thcnm  hereafter.  If  this  is 
so,  and  we  are  to  believe  it,  not  on  the  testimony  of  man,  bat  on  the  testi- 
mony of  him  who  cannot  lie,  every  man  should  hold  his  sins  and  passions 
under  restraint.  We  have  learned  from  bitter  experience  that  we  cannot 
do  this  of  ourselves ;  we  must  come  to  him  who  is  able  and  willing  to  help, 
and  suffer  him  to  bear  our  sins,  and  to  impart  to  us  his  righteousness.  On 
the  other  hand  there  is  encouragement  to  the  believer.  He  is,  through 
divine  grace,  preparing  a  heaven  for  himself.  He  is  laying  the  foundations 
of  the  New  Jerusalem,  buildiDg  its  jasper  waUs,  and  planting  its  trees  of 
life.  Surely  here  is  encouragement  for  us  to  try  to  overcome  our  sins  and 
to  obey  the  will  of  God. 

2.  These  words  suggest  the  intimate  relation  which  exists  between  time 
and  eternity.  The  one  is  the  flower,  the  other  is  the  ripened  fruit ;  the 
one  is  the  twilight,  the  other  is  the  everlasting  noonday  or  the  everlasting 
midnight.  Herein  we  often  mistake.  We  think  that  heaven  and  hell 
are  something  vastly  different  from  the  present;  and  so  they  are,  in  many 
respects ;  yet  in  another  respect,  they  are  the  outgrowth,  the  continuation 
and  development  of  present  experiences.  The  one  is  but  unchanging  holi- 
ness and  righteousness;  the  other  is  but  unchanging  injustice  and  filthiness. 

3.  These  words  suggest  the  true  position  of  death  in  the  plan  of  human 
life.  It  is  the  end  of  the  present  existence,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
ftiture.  It  is  the  divinely  appointed  province  of  death  to  set  the  seal  of 
immutability  on  man's  earthly  character,  so  that  the  holy  will  be  holy  still, 
and  the  filthy  wOl  be  filthy  still. 

4.  These  words  suggest  that  there  is  a  time  in  every  man*s  life  when  any 
change  in  his  spiritual  condition  will  be  impossible.  He  will  find  no  place 
of  repentance,  though  he  seeks  it  careftdly  with  tears.  ''  The  night  cometh, 
when  no  man  can  work." 


LECTURE    LXXVI. 


THE  SAVIOUR'S  COMING  AND  REWARD. 

And  behold,  I  come  quick! v ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be.  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and 
the  end,  the  first  and  the  last.— Rev.  22  :  12,  18. 

One  day  in  the  history  of  the  world  is,  for  the  most  part,  like  every 
other  day.  The  sun  rises,  darkness  is  driven  away,  man  comes  forth  to  his 
labor,  the  shadows  of  evening  gather  around  him,  and  weary  and  worn  he 


THE  saviour's  COMING  AND   REWARD.  577 

betakes  himself  to  his  rest.  With  every  retaming  day,  there  is  afooat  the 
same  number  of  funeral  services  and  marriage  ceremonies,  about  the  same 
number  of  breaking  hearts  and  radiant  smiles.  To  individuals,  there  is  a 
great  differenoe  in  days ;  but  to  the  race,  one  day  is  like  every  other  day. 
The  words  which  described  the  world  yesterday  wOl  describe  it  to-day;  the 
description  which  Lb  true  to-day  will  be  true  to-morrow.  Nevertheless,  there 
are  days  in;  the  history  of  the  world  which  stand  out  in  unmistakable  prom- 
inence, which  have  exerted  a  potent  influence  through  succeeding  generations, 
and  in  which  the  human  race  passed  through  one  of  those  crises  which 
changed  the  direction  of  all  its  future.  Such  was  the  day  of  creation,  when 
the  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  the  sons  of  Ood  shouted  for  joy. 
Such  was  the  day  of  the  original  transgression,  when  the  father  of  all  the 
living  violated  the  divine  commandment,  and  forfeited  for  himself  and  for  his 
posterity  the  divine  friendship.  Such  was  the  day  when  the  waters  of  the 
deluge  were  let  loose,  and  Noah  was  saved,  to  be  the  second  father  of  the 
race.  Such  was  the  day  when  Abraham  was  chosen  as  the  heir  of  the 
blessings  of  the  covenant.  Such  was  the  day  when  Jesus  was  born,  and 
ancient  Bethlehem  heard  the  new  song  of  the  heavenly  host.  Such  was  the 
day  when  Jesus  died,  and  by  his  death  *^  destroyed  him  that  had  the  power 
of  death,  that  is,  the  devil,  and  delivered  them  who  through  fear  of  death 
were  all  their  life  subject  to  bondage."  And  there  is  to  be  at  least  one 
other  such  eventful  day  in  the  future  history  of  the  world,  even  the  day  of 
judgment,  when  the  universe  will  be  gathered  to  hear  its  doom.  This  day 
is  often  referred  to,  and  sometimes  described  with  great  minuteness  in  the 
Scriptures.  This  is  the  event  which  is  announced  in  the  subject  of  the 
present  lecture.  "And  behold,  I  come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is  with 
me,  to  give  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be.  I  am  Alpha  and 
Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last." 

To  this  portion  of  the  concluding  division  of  the  Apocalypse  let  us  turn 
our  attention.  We  are  not  to  think  that  this  is  the  only  announcement  of 
the  judgment  which  is  made  in  this  book.  In  chapter  20 :  11—13,  its 
eventful  scenes  are  vividly  pictured.  "  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and 
him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away ; 
and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and 
great,  stand  before  Ood;  and  the  books  were  opened:  and  another  book  was 
opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life :  and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those 
things  which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works. 
And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it;  and  death  and 
hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them :  and  they  were  judged 
every  man  according  to  their  works."  We  are  pointed  to  the  same 
mighty  gathering  in  other  places.  And  this  is  what  might  be  expected. 
If  this  book  contains  the  history  of  the  church  from  the  days  of  John 
until  the  end,  the  day  of  judgment  must,  of  necessity,  occupy  a  prominent 

87 


578  LEOTURB  LXXYI. 

place  in  its  descriptions.  We  would  especially  expect  that  in  these  solemn 
words  of  conclusion,  the  attention  of  every  student  of  the  sayings  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book  would  be  turned  to  the  last  great  day  of  the  world's 
history,  that  he  might  be  moved  with  the  warnings  and  encouragements 
wffich  such  a  day  must  suggest.  Our  expectations  are  not  disappointed. 
In  the  graphic  words  under  consideration,  the  assembled  universe,  the  dis- 
tribution of  rewards  and  punishments,  and  the  person  of  the  Judge,  are  all 
made  to  pass  before  us,  and  they  cry,  like  a  trumpet  call  from  heaven, 
"  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God."  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  speaker  is 
the  Lord  Jesus  Ohrist  It  is  the  Lord  Jesus  who  announces  his  speedy 
coming,  whose  province  it  is  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  judgment  and  to  give 
to  every  one  his  reward,  and  who  is  the  Alpha  and  the  Omega,  the  begin- 
ning and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last.  We  are,  therefore,  to  study  these 
words  as  the  words  of  him  who  spake  as  man  never  spake. 

I.     The  first  thing  in  these  words  to  be  noted  and  remembered  is  the 

OEETAINTY   AND  THE  NEARNESS  OF  THE   JUDGMENT.      "  Behold,  I  COme 

quickly."  These  words,  or  words  equivalent  in  meaning,  are  repeated 
again  and  again  in  this  book.  In  the  introduction  it  is  said,  '*  The  time  is 
at  hand."  To  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Philadelphia  it  is  said,  '<  Be- 
hold, I  come  quickly."  Three  times  in  this  concluding  chapter,  the  same 
words  ring  out  like  a  voice  from  heaven:  *'  1  come  quickly" ;  "  Behold,  I 
come  quickly"  ;  "  Surely,  I  come  quickly."  What  is  meant  by  this  word 
**  quickly"  ?  Eighteen  hundred  years  have  passed  away  since  the  Saviour 
said,  with  repeated  emphasis,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly,"  and  he  has  not 
come  yet.  Has  this  long  lapse  of  time  shown*this  word  of  inspiration  to 
be  fiUse  ?  By  no  means.  It  was  true  then,  and  itjs  true  now,  that  the 
Saviour  is  coming  quickly.  It  is  true  with^regard  to  evexy  individual,  for 
the  day  of  his  death  b  to  him  virtually  the  day  of  judgment.  No  sooner 
does  the  heart  cease  its  throbbing,  and  the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it 
was,  than  the  spirit  goes  to  Ood  who  gave  it.  That  spirit  is  then,  in 
what  may  be  called,  for  want  of  a  better  comparison,  a  kind  of  a  prelim- 
inary examination,  acquitted  and  admitted  into  joy,  or  condemned  and 
driven  into  darkness.  In  one  or  the  other  of  these  conditions,  it  remains 
till  the  resurrection.  Then  the  body  and  spirit  are  united,  and  the  man 
stands  with  the  rest  of  the  universe  at  the  bar  of  the  fioal  judgment,  and 
the  acquittal  or  the  condemnation  is  publicly  proclaimed,  and  he  enters 
the  perfect  happiness  of  glory,  or  the  perfect  misery  of  the  lost.  This  we 
are  taught  in  the  Westminster  catechism,  and  we  believe  its  teaching  to  be 
in  harmony  with  the  word  of  God.  ''  The  souls  of  believers  are  at  their 
death  made  perfect  in  holiness  and  do  immediately  pass  into  glory ;  their 
bodies  being  still  united  to  Christ  do  rest  in  their  grav^  till  the  resorreo- 
tion."     ''At  the  resurrection,  believers  being  raised  np  in  gloiy,  shall  be 


THE  8AYI0UR*8  OOMINO  AND  REWARD.  579 

openly  acknowledged  and  acquitted  in  the  day  of  judgment,  and  made  per- 
fectly blessed  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  God  to  all  eternity."  If  this  is  so, 
then  the  day  of  every  man's  death  is  to  him  virtually  the  day  of  judgment. 
As  the  day  of  death  is  ever  at  hand,  as  it  is  distant  at  the  very  utmost 
only  three  or  four  score  of  years,  it  is  in  perfect  accordance  with  truth  to 
speak  of  the  day  of  judgment  as  coming  quickly.  In  less  than  fifty  years 
the  most  of  us  will  have  passed  into  eternity  ;  in  less  than  one  hundred 
years,  not  one  of  us  will  be  waiting  on  earth  for  the  second  coming  of  the 
Son  of  man.  Surely,  then,  it  becomes  us  to  hear  and  heed  the  words  of 
the  Master,  '*  Behold,  I  come  quickly." 

More  than  thi^ :  in  the  estimation  of  him  with  whom  one  day  is  as 
a  thousand  years,  the  day  of  judgment  is  at  hand.  When  we  com- 
pare the  comparatively  few  years  which  must  elapse  before  the  mission  of 
the  earthly  church  is  completed,  and  the  earth  that  is  now  is  melted  with 
fervent  heat,  and  the  heavens  that  are  now  are  rolled  together  as  a  scroll, 
and  the  unending  ages  of  eternal  duration,  it  is  surely  right  to  say  that 
the  day  of  judgment  is  at  hand.  Only  a  few  more  ticks  in  the  machinery 
that  regulates  the  universe,  only  a  few  more  movements  of  the  hands  on 
the  dial  plate  which  marks  the  progress  of  events  in  the  plans  of  Qod,  and 
the  hour  of  doom  will  be  struck,  and  the  human  race  will  spring  from  its 
Jong  slumber  in  the  grave  to  welcome  the  dawn  of  the  eternal  day. 

The  day  of  judgment  is  not  only  at  hand  ;  its  coming  is  certain.  In 
proof  of  this,  we  need  only  point  to  the  Scriptures.  Nothing  is  more 
clearly  revealed  than  the  fact  that  we  must  all  be  judged.  Time  would 
iail  us  to  repeat  passages  which  bear  on  this  point.  Let  this  one  suffice : 
"  We  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ."  And  though 
the  believer  in  inspiration  needs  no  other  proof  than  this,  it  may  be  well  to 
say  that  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures  in  this  regard  is  confirmed  by 
our  reason.  It  is  evident  to  every  man,  that  the  good  sometimes  suffer, 
and  the  wicked  sometimes  triumph  in  this  world.  It  is  abo  evident  that 
this  would  be  inconsistent  with  justice  if  there  was  not  to  be  a  day  when 
all  that  is  wrong  would  be  righted,  and  when  all  that  is  holy  will  be  re- 
warded. If,  therefore,  there  is  a  Ood  who  is  the  just  Governor  of  the 
universe,  there  must  be  a  day  of  judgment.  In  this,  then,  as  in  everything 
else,  revelation  and  reason  are  in  harmony.  They  both  point  to  the  com- 
ing of  Ghrbt  in  judgment. 

II.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  persons  to  be 
JUDGED.  If  there  is  to  be  a  final  trial,  who  are  to  be  arrayed  at  the  bar  ? 
This  question  is  answered  in  the  words  before  us,  '*  To  give  to  every  man 
according  as  his  work  shall  be."  A  similar  answer  is  returned  to  this 
question  in  other  passages  of  Holy  Writ.  '*  When  the  Son  of  man  shall 
come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon 


680  liBCTUaB  LXXYI. 

the  throne  of  his  glory,  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations,"  It 
is  to  be  a  nnirersal  judgment.  Not  one  of  all  the  human  family  will  be 
so  humble  that  he  will  be  overlooked ;  not  one  will  be  so  exalted-  that  he 
will  be  excused.  All  who  are  then  alive  will  be  caught  up  to  the  judg- 
ment seat.  All  who  are  then  sleeping  the  sleep  of  death  will  be  raised  from 
their  slumber  to  receive  their  reward.  Abel  will  be  there,  who  first  crossed 
the  river,  and  thus  became  the  leader  of  the  mighty  multitude  of  the  dead ; 
and  the  latest  born  of  all  the  sons  of  Adam  will  standby  his  side.  Abraham 
will  be  there,  and  the  least  of  all  the  faithful  ones  of  whom  he  is  the  spiritual 
father  will  stand  at  his  side  Noah  and  the  antediluvians  to  whom  he 
preached.  Lot  and  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom  amone  whom  he  lived,  Moses 
and  that  Pharaoh  whom  he  so  often  withstood  face  to  face.  Joshua  and  the 
unholy  dwellers  in  Canaan  whom  he  conquered,  David  and  Saul,  hisnval  in 
the  kingdom,  Nicodemus  and  Mary  Magdalene,  and  all  those  whose  names 
are  recorded  in  the  Scriptures,  and  with  whose  lives  the  Scriptures  have 
made  us  familiar,  will  cluster  around  the  judgment  seat.  And  those  whose 
names  are  recorded  in  no  history,  and  whose  very  existence  has  been  for- 
gotten, will  all  stand  before  the  throne.  "  The  harvest  is  the  end  of  the 
world,  and  the  reapers  are  the  angels"  ;  and  when  the  Lord  of  the  harvest 
sends  forth  his  angels,  every  sheaf  will  be  found,  and  will  be  brought  either 
to  the  gamer  or  to  the  burning.  The  pyramids  of  Egypt  will  be  over- 
thrown, and  the  long  line  of  kings  who  have  been  sleeping  beneath  them 
will  come  forth  ;  the  catacombs  of  Rome  will  hear  the  arohangeFs  trumpet, 
and  Christian  and  pagan,  who  have  rested  in  peace  through  many  long 
centuries,  will  spring  to  their  feet ;  the  sepulchers  of  the  Holy  Land  will 
be  opened,  and  patriarch  and  prophet,  king  and  priest,  will  stand  once 
more  on  the  hills  of  their  promised  land ;  the  depths  of  the  sea  will 
be  astonished  as  the  shipwrecked  of  all  time  move  through  the  coral  groves 
towards  the  appointed  place  of  gathering ;  the  cemeteries  of  Chnstendom 
will  all  at  once  be  crowded  with  the  living ;  and  all  will  march  with  angel 
musio  to  the  skies.  And  what  is  of  more  importance  to  us,  we  will  be 
there.  No  matter  when  we  die  or  where  we  are  buried,  there  ia  no  danger 
that  we  will  be  overlooked.  Then,  for  the  first  and  last  time,  will  all  the 
members  of  all  the  families  of  earth  be  united  in  one  congregation.  ^^  My 
reward  is  with. me,  to  give  to  every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be." 

III.  The  next  thing  which  claims  our  attention  is  the  manner  or  the 
JUDGMENT.  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  on  that  last  and  great  day  of  the 
world's  history  there  will  be  the  regular  and  formal  proceedings  of  a  court 
of  justice.  That  day  is  described  as  a  day  of  judgment,  and  the  throne  of 
Christ  is  described  aa  a  throne  of  judgment,  to  give  us  a  vivid  idea  of  what 
will  then  take  place.  Here,  as  in  many  other  places,  the  Scriptorea  com- 
pare heavenly  and  unseen  things  with  earthly  and  visible  things,  for  the 


THE  saviour's  COVING  AND  REWARD.  581 

only  way  we  can  understand  the  former.is  through  the  latter.    We  may 
therefbre  keep  hefbre  oar  minds  the  figure  which  is  so  common  in  the 
word  of  Ood.  There  will  be  a  great  white  throne,  and  on  it  the  Judge  will 
be  seated  in  all  the  majesty  of  his  ineffable  glory.    Before  that  throne  the 
universe  will  be  gathered,  and  the  trial  begins.     Some  are  acquitted,  and 
enter  the  inheritance  prepared  for  them.     Some  are  condemned,  and  art 
driyen  away  to  their  punishment     This  acquittal  and  this  condemnatton 
will  be  according  to  every  man's  work.     Of  course,  no  man  will  be  ac- 
quitted because  of  his  works.  We  are  clearly  taught  in  the  Scriptures  that 
by  the  deeds  of  the  law  no  flesh  shall  be  justified  in  his  presence.     But 
though  the  deeds  of  the  law  are  not  the  grounds  of  justification,  they 
are  the  evidences  of  justification.  They  are  so  regarded  on  the  earth.  "  By 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  ''  Ye  are  my  friends  if  ye  do  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you."     They  are  so  regarded  on  the  day  of  judgment 
In  that  most  minute  description  of  the  judgment  day  which  b  contained  in 
Matt.  25,  we  are  told  that  the  rule  by  which  men  will  enter  the  kingdom, 
or  depart  ftom  the  presence  of  the  King  is,  '^Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  to  one 
of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me."    **  Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  to  me." 
Of  a  similar  import  are  many  other  passages  which  might  be  quoted.  "  Qod 
will  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be 
good  or  evil."  '^  Every  idle  word  Uiat  men  shall  speak  they  shall  give  an 
account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment."    "The  hour  is  coming  in  which 
all  that  are  in  their  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come  forth,  they 
that  have  done  good  unto  the  resurrection  of  life,  and  they  that  have  done 
evil  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation."    ^*  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 
in  the  Lord  from  henceforth  ;  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from 
their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them."  Every  man  who  is  acquitted 
will  be  acquitted  because  he  is  united  to  Christ  by  a  living  faith.     Every 
one  who  is  condemned  will  be  condemned  because  he  did  not  believe  on 
the  name  of  the  Son  of  Ood.    Though  Ood  will  acquit  the  one  because  of 
his  faith  and  condemn  the  other  because  of  hb  unbelief,  yet  he  will  vindi* 
cate  his  decision  by  the  visible  and  tangible  evidences  of  such  faith  and 
unbelief.     The  books  will  be  opened,  the  words  and  works  of  men  will  be 
revealed,  and  they  will  be  judged  according  to  the  evidence  of  these  words 
and  works ;  so  that  the  assembled  universe,  seeing  this  evidence,  will  be 
able  to  see  and  say  in  eveiy  case,  <'Just  and  righteous  are  thy  judgments, 
thou  King  of  saints."   In  the  light  of  these  passages  we  will  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  the  Saviour,  when  he  speaks  of  the  reward  which 
he  will  give  to  every  one  according  to  his  works.    Heaven  may  be  called  a 
reward,  but  it  is  a  reward  of  grace,  and  not  of  merit.     Heaven  is  not  a 
reward  in  the  accurate  meaning  of  that  term,  for  when  we  have  done 
all,   we  have  done  only  what  it  was  our  duty  to  do,  and  we  are  still 


582  LBCTUEB  LXXVI. 

unprofitable  serranta.  Heaven  is  ours,  not  because  we  have  merited  it,  but 
because  we  have  inherited  it.  It  is  the  gift  and  l^acy  of  our  heavenly 
Father.  Nevertheless,  as  a  man's  future  is  to  be  decided  upon  the  evidence 
of  his  works,  that  future  may  in  one  sense  be  called  a  reward,  for  it  is  in 
proportion  to  his  works.  Inasmuch  as  the  words  we  speak  and  the  works 
we  do  are  to  play  such  an  important  part  on  the  day  of  judgment,  what 
manner  of  persons  ought  we  to  be  ?  Are  we  willing  that  our  thoughtSi 
words  and  actions  should  be  publicly  proclaimed  ?  Are  we  willing  that  our 
eternal  destiny  should  rest  upon  the  testimony  which  these  witnesses  are 
giving  ?  We  would  not  be  understood  as  underrating  the  value  of  faith  in 
the  economy  of  salvation.  We  know  that  by  the  deeds  of  the  law  no  flesh 
shall  be  justified,  and  that  it  is  by  faith  alone  we  become  united  to  Chrjst 
and  heirs  of  his  kingdom ;  but  we  ako  know  that  every  man  will  be  judged 
according  to  his  works,  that  his  works  will  follow  him  to  the  judgment,  and 
that  he  will  be  acquitted  or  condemned  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body.  Do  not  say  that  the  gospel  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  leads  to 
sin.  The  words  of  the  Saviour,  "  My  reward  is  with  me,  to  give  to  every 
man  according  as  his  work  shall  be,''  will  inspire  us,  if  anything  can,  to  live 
holily  andijustly  as  we  journey  on  through  the  world  toward  the  judgment 
seat  before  which  we  must  all  stand. 

lY .  The  last  thing  which  claims  our  attention  here  is  thi  pbbson  of 
THE  JUDOB.  ''Behold,  I  come  quickly."  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, the 
beginning  and  the  end,  the  first  and  the  last."  There  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  Lord  Jesus,  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity,  is  here  described.  The 
testimony  of  the  Scriptures  is  uniform  on  this  point.  Listen  to  a  few  of 
the  plain  declarations  of  inspiration :  '*  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  his 
angels  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  shall  gather  together  his  elect 
fh>m  the  four  winds, from  the  one  end  of  heaven  to  the  other."  "  The  Son 
of  man  shall  come  in  his  gloiy,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  and  then 
shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory*  And  before  him  shall  be  gath- 
ered all  nations,  and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another  as  a  shep- 
herd divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats."  *'  The  Father  has  committed  ail 
judgment  to  the  Son."  "  Jesus  was  ordained  of  Ood  to  be  the  judge  of 
the  quick  and  the  dead."  ''God  has  appointed  a  day  in  which  he  will 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  that  man  whom  he  has  ordained.'* 
"  We  shall  all  stand  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ."  "  The  Lord 
Jesus  shall  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  his  appearing  and  his  coming." 

Little  need  be  said  in  this  connection  with  regard  to  the  meaning  of  the 
words,  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  banning  and  the  end,  the  first  and 
the  last."  They  have  been  explained  in  previous  lectures,  for  this  is  not 
the  first  time  we  have  found  them  in  the  Apocalypse.  Even  if  they  bad  not 
been  already  explained,  their  meaning  is  obvious.     They  reveal  the  deity 


THROUGH   THK  GATES  INTO   THE  CITY.  583 

of  the  Judge.     He  who  is  the  first  and  the  last  must  be  from  everlastang 
to  everkstlDg,  God  over  all,  blessed  for  ever. 

The  coming  of  Christ  as  Judge  will  differ  widely  from  his  coming  as  the 
Saviour.  As  the  Saviour,  he  came  in  humility ;  as  the  Judge,  he  will  come 
in  glory.  His  first  coming  was  almost  unknown ;  few  of  all  those  he  came 
to  save  knew  of  the  child  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehiem;  when  he  comes  the 
second  time  his  presence  will  shine  forth  like  the  lightning  from  the*  one 
end  of  heaven  to  the  other.  As  the  Saviour,  he  came  under  the  burden 
of  imputed  sin ;  as  the  Judge,  he  will  come  without  sin  unto  salvation. 
As  the  Saviour,  he  came  with  hardly  a  heavenly  attendant ;  as  the  Judge, 
he  will  come  with  all  his  holy  angels.  As  the  Saviour,  he  was  rejected  by 
the  multitudes ;  as  the  Judge,  all  will  acknowledge  his  power.  As  this  is 
to  be  the  manner  of  his  coming,  and  as  he  who  is  to  come  as  Judge  is  the 
omnipotent  and  omniscient  God,  and  as  the  thought  crowds  upon  us  that 
we  are  to  be  present  on  that  day,  and  are  to  have  a  personal  interest  in  its 
proceedings,  what  an  iospiration  we  have  to  live  holily  and  justly  that  we 
may  render  oar  account  with  joy  and  not  with  grief  I 

Among  the  practical  thoughts  suggested  are  the  following:  !•  The 
&ot  that  Jesus  is  to  be  our  Judge,  must  encourage  the  believer  and  startle 
the  unbeliever.  2.  There  is  an  intimate  connection  between  this  life  and 
the  next.  The  works  of  this  world  follow  us  into  the  world  to  come. 
3.  There  are  degrees  in  glory.  Every  man's  final  judgment  will  be  accord- 
ing to  his  works ;  and  therefore,  as  "  one  star  differeth  from  another  star 
in  glory,  so  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  4.  We  should  be  dili- 
gent in  our  striving  for  holiness.  If  our  works  are  to  be  the  evidences  of 
our  justification,  with  what  care  should  we  prepare  that  evidence?  How 
appropriate  for  us  is  the  exhortation  of  Peter ;  "  Seeing  then  that  all  these 
things  shall  be  dissolved,  what  manner  of  person^  ought  ye  to  be  in  all 
holy  conversation  and  godliness'*  ?  We  have  heard  the  Saviour  saying 
again  and  a^i^ain  through  his  word,  ''  Behold,  I  come  quickly.''  "  Where- 
fore, beloved,'*  to  quote  again  the  language  of  the  same  apostle,  "  seeing 
that  ye  look  for  such  things,  be  diligent  that  ye  may  be  found  of  him  in 
peace,  without  spot,  and  blameless." 


LECTURE    LXXVII. 


THROUGH  THE  GATES  INTO  THE  CITY. 

Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the 
tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city.  For  without  are 
dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  who- 
soever loveth  and  maketh  a  lie.  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto 
you  these  things  in  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David , 
and  the  bright  and  morning  star. — Bev.  22  :    14-16. 


584  LBOTUBB  LXXTII. 

The  desoription  of  tbe  heavenly  Jenualem  whieh  is  contained  in  this 
book,  is  full  of  interest  to  every  devout  reader.  How  our  hearts  are  stirred 
within  uSy  as  we  behold  the  King  in  his  beauty,  and  the  land  that  is  very 
far  off  1  How  our  hopes  brighten,  as  we  see  the  jasper  walls,  as  we  hear 
the  murmur  of  the  sweetly  flowing  river,  and  as  we  stand  beneath  the 
shadow  of  the  tree  of  life  !  But  there  is  something  of  more  snrpasring 
interest,  and  of  greater  importance;  and  that  is,  the  character  of  those  who 
shall  enter  the  city  and  enjoy  its  beauty,  and  the  character  of  those  against 
whom  its  gates  of  pearl  will  be  shut  for  ever.  On  these  points  we  are  not 
left  in  ignorance.  In  these  concluding  chapters,  our  attention  is  called  to 
them  again  and  again.  The  character  of  those  who  will  enter,  and  of  those 
who  will  not  enter,  is  so  frequently  and  so  plainly  described,  that  there  can 
be  no  doubt  here.  It  is  so  clearly  revealed,  that  we  ought  to  be  able  to 
determine,  even  now,  to  which  of  these  classes  we  belong.  "  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes,  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death, 
neither  sorrow  nor  crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain."  ''  I  will 
give  to  him  that  is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 
'  He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will  be  his  Gt>d,  and  he 
shall  be  my  son.  But  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters,  and  all  liars 
shall  have  their  part  in  the  lake  that  bumeth  with  fire  and  brimstone." 
*'  The  nations  of  them  that  are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it." 
*'  There  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  it  anything  that  defileth,  neither  what^ 
soever  worketh  abomination  or  maketh  a  lie,  but  they  which  are  written  in 
the  Lamb's  book  of  life.*'  Of  a  similar  import  are  those  words  which,  in 
the  course  of  our  exposition,  claim  our  attention.  Though  the  character 
and  blessedness  of  those  who  will  enter  the  city,  and  the  character  and 
misery  of  those  who  will  not  enter,  have  been  considered  once  and  again 
in  our  previous  lectures,  these  themes  are  of  so  much  importance  that  they 
must  not  be  passed  over  lightly.  As  we  consider  these  themes,  let  this 
question  be  ever  present :  am  I  one  who  will  enter  through  the  gates  Into 
the  city,  or  am  I  one  of  those  who  will  be  left  out  for  ever  ? 

I.  The  inhabitants  of  heaven:  who  are  they?  And  wherem  does 
their  blessedness  consist?  These  questions  are  answered  in  the  verse  which 
begins  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture.  Who  are  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  ? 
' *  They  that  do  h is  comman dments. ' '  Wherein  does  their  blessedness  consist? 
"  That  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the 
gates  into  the  city."  The  inhabitants  of  heaven  are  here  described  by  their 
lives  and  actions.  *'They  do  his  commandments."  They  are  described  in 
a  similar  way  elsewhere  in  the  word  of  God.  '*  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you."  ''  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  command- 
ments."   Obedience  is  the  prominent  and  visible  characteristic  of  the  people 


THROUGH   THS  GATES   INTO  THE   CITY.  685 

of  Ood,  obedience  which  is  intelligent,  and  not  ignorant  and  BuperstitioiiB; 
which  is  impartial,  and  not  confined  to  parts  of  the  divine  law ;  which  is 
steady  and  life-long,  and  not  by  fits  and  starts ;  which  is  dependent  on 
divine,  and  not  on  human  help.  Is  there  need  of  a  caution  here  ?  Do  we 
seem  to  teach  that  ovr  obedience  is  the  ground  of  our  sonship  ?  If  so, 
we  hasten  to  deny  such  ftn  intention.  '*  By  the  deeds  of  the  law  shall  no 
flesh  be  justified  in  his  sight."  The  ground  of  our  justification  is  faith  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  our  obedience  is  the  evidence.  By  this  shall  all 
men  know  that  we  are  his  disciples.  By  this  shall  we  ourselves  know  that 
we  are  his  disciples.  By  this  shall  it  be  known  that  we  are  his  disciples  at 
the  day  of  judgment.  We  ought,  therefore,  to  be  able  to  determine,  even 
now,  whether  we  are  among  the  number  of  those  who  have  a  right  to  the 
tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city.  The  whole 
matter  is  reduced  to  one  simple  question,  which  no  learning  can  make 
plainer,  and  which  no  metaphysics  should  mystify;  are  we  sincerely  trying 
to  keep  Gt>d's  commandments  ?  .  Prominent  among  these  commandments 
are  these:  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.'*  <'Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as 
thyself."  '* Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  ''This  do  in  remembrance 
of  me."  If  we  are  trying  to  keep  the  commandments,  we  may  rest  with 
confidence  in  the  hope  of  the  promised  inheritance.  We  will  eat  of  the  tree 
of  life.  Our  motto  now  may  be,  and  our  experience  hereafter  will  be, 
"  Through  the  gates  into  the  city." 

But  though  the  words  under  consideration  are  in  harmony  with  other 
parts  of  the  Scriptures,  and  though  th^  convey  to  us  most  profitable  in- 
struction, we  cannot  refrain  from  saying  that  their  right  to  a  place  in  the 
sacred  Scriptures  is  justly  questioned.  We  would  weaken  no  man*s  rever- 
ence for  our  most  admirable  translation  of  the  Bible.  It  is  as  nearly  perfect 
as  any  human  work  can  be.  But  the  most  imperfiect  part  of  this  translation 
is  to  be  found  in  the  concluding  chapters  of  the  Apocalypse.  The  reason 
of  this  was  stated  at  length  in  a  previous  lecture. 

The  variations  between  the  received  text  and  the  Sinaitic  Codex  are  in 
a  great  majority  of  instances  of  no  account ;  they  consist  largely  in  omitting 
or  supplying  unimportant  words,  or  in  a  slight  change  in  the  order ;  but 
some  of  them  are  of  considerable  importance.  When  there  is  an  important 
variation.  Biblical  scholars  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Sinaitic  manuscript 
should  be  followed  in  preference  to  the  received  text.  In  the  p>as8age  be- 
fore us  is  to  be  found  one  of  the  more  important  variations.  In  the  received 
text,  it  reads  '*  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that  they  may 
have  right  to  the  tree  of  life."  In  both  the  Alexandrian  and  Sinaitic  manu- 
scripts it  reads  "Blessed  are  they  that  wash  their  robes,  that  they  may  have 
rix^ht  to  the  tree  of  life."  The  received  text  places  the  right  to  the  tree  of 
life  on  obedience ;  and  this  is  true,  so  far  as  obedience  is  evidence  of  that 


586  LKOTUBE   LXXVII. 

right.  Bat  the  manuscripts  trace  the  right  to  the  tree  of  life  directly  to 
the  atoaemeat  of  Christ,  and  to  the  interest  of  the  saints  in  that  atonement, 
an  interest  which  is  described  elsewhere  in  this  hook  by  the  words,  ^*  wash- 
ing their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb."  Therefore,  the  authority  of  the 
manuscripts,  the  similar  expressions  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  the  Apooalypse, 
and  the  harmony  between  this  reading  and  other  passages  of  Scripture,  lead 
us  to  believe  that  the  correct  reading  of  the  verse  before  us  is,  ^^  Blessed  are 
they  that  have  washed  their  robes,  that  they  may  have  right  to  the  tree  of 
life,  and  may  enter  in  throu«:h  the  gates  into  the  city." 

This  is  the  description  of  those  who  are  the  inhabitants  of  heaven.  They 
are  those  who  have  washed  their  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  that  is, 
they  have  accepted  Jesus  as  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  died  for  them,  and  his 
righteousness  is  imputed  to  them  and  received  by  faith  alone.  And  then»  as 
an  evidence  that  they  have  received  this  imputed  righteousness,  they  do  the 
commandments  of  God.  Every  heir  of  heaven  must  have  this  twofold 
righteousness,  a  righteousness  imputed,  and  a  rightoousness  imparted.  If 
this  is  so,  then  this  still  remains  the  sole  question  in  our  self-examination  : 
are  we  sincerely  trying  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God  ?  If  we  are,  we 
may  be  sure  that  our  robes  are  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  And  if 
our  robes  have  been  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  we  may  be  sure  that 
we  have  a  right  and  title  to  the  tree  of  life.  In  other  words,  if  the  Spirit  is 
working  out  our  sanotifioation,  we  may  be  sure  that  the  Saviour  has  wrought 
out  our  salvation,  and  that  when  the  end  comes,  that  salvation  will  be 
brought  to  its  full  perfection  in  glory.  Permit  us,  then,  once  more  to  ask 
the  solemn  question :  are  we  the  heirs  of  heaven  ?  Or,  to  put  the  question 
in  a  simpler  form :  have  we  washed  our  robes  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ? 
Or,  to  put  the  question  in  a  still  more  simple  form,  which  cannot  be  mis- 
understood :  are  we  trying  to  keep  the  commandments  of  God  ?  If  we  are, 
we  may  be  sure  of  the  tree  of  life  and  an  entrance  into  the  city  of  Gkxl. 

Wherein  does  the  happiness  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  consist?  In 
the  first  place,  they  have  a  right  to  the  tree  of  life.  The  word  translated 
*'  right  *'  is  the  same  word  which  is  translated  "  power  *'  in  the  well  known 
passage,  "As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  power  to  become  the 
sons  of  Gk>d."  The  latter  passage  is  a  good  explanation  of  the  former. 
The  future  of  the  saints  is  their  right,  not  because  they  have  merited  it, 
but  because  it  is  a  reward  of  grace  which  has  been  given  to  them,  and 
which  they  have  received  power  to  accept.  The  tree  of  life  need  not  be 
partioulariy  described.  We  have  not  foi^tten  the  beautiful  description 
oontained  in  verse  2 :  *'  In  the  midst  of  the  street  of  it,  and  on  either  side 
of  the  river,  was  there  the  tree  of  life,  which  bare  twelve  manner  of  fruits, 
and  yielded  her  fruit  every  month  ;  and  the  leaves  of  the  tree  were  for  the 
healing  of  the  nations."  The  saints  in  glory  will  be  permitted  to  approadi 
this  tree  at  all  times.     No  flaming  sword  will  keep  them  at  a  distance. 


THROUQH   THE  GATES   INTO   THE  CITY.  587 

They  can  stand  beneath  its  shadow ;  they  can  eat  of  its  ripened  fruit.  And 
as  they  eat  they  will  grow  in  strength  and  in  life;  they  will  mn  and  not  be 
weary,  they  will  walk  and  not  faint.  What  a  difference  is  here  unfolded 
between  the  present  and  the  future  I  Now  we  count  ourselves  happy  if 
we  can  reach  an  occasional  taste  of  the  heayenly  fruit ;  then  neither  human 
weakness  nor  angelic  sword  will  keep  us  back  from  the  full  enjoyment  of 
that  tree  whose  leaves  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations. 

The  blessedness  of  the  heirs  of  heaven  consists  also  in  this :  '^  That 
they  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city.*'  The  city  is  the  city 
of  the  New  Jerusalem.  The  gates  are  the  gates  of  pearl.  Its  beauty  and 
glory  are  described  at  length  in  the  preceding  context.  Those  who  have 
the  right  through  the  washing  of  their  robes  to  enter  that  city  through 
those  gates,  shall  inherit  all  that  beauty  and  all  that  glory.  They  will  be 
delivered  from  all  sorrow,  and  danger,  and  death,  and  sin.  All  tears  will 
be  wiped  away  from  their  eyes,  and  they  will  reign  for  ever  and  ever. 
What  an  inspiring  motto  might  these  words,  ''  Through  the  gates  into  the 
city/'  be  for  every  member  of  the  church  militant  I  As  he  enters  into 
temptation,  let  him  cry,  "Through  the  gates  into  the  city/'  and  courage 
will  inspire  his  heart  and  strengthen  his  arm.  As  he  enters  the  dark  night 
of  sorrow,  let  him  cry,  "  Through  the  gates  into  the  city."  As  he  goes 
down  into  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  still  let  him  cry,  "  Through 
the  gates  into  the  city."  If,  in  all  the  afflictions  of  his  earthly  pilgrim- 
age, he  can  take  this  for  his  watchword  and  battle  cry,  then  those  who 
stand  beside  his  lifeless  body  after  his  last  conflict  has  ended,  can  say  of 
him,  with  unshaken  confidence  and  sweetest  comfort,  ''  Through  the  gates 
into  the  city." 

IL  Let  us  now  turn  to  the  ghabagteb  of  those  who  are  with- 
out, as  it  is  described  in  verse  15.  *'  For  without  are  dogs,  and  sorcerers, 
and  whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and  idolaters,  and  whosoever  loveth 
and  maketh  a  lie."  The  first  ones  mentioned  are  described  as  "  dogs"  ; 
that  is,  the  lawless,  the  depraved,  the  vile.  To  the  Jews,  the  dog  was  an 
unclean  animal,  and  it  is  uniformly  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures,  both  of 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments,  as  a  symbol  of  the  wicked.  And  the  dogs 
of  Eastern  cities,  knowing  no  master,  prowling  about  the  streets,  fighting 
among  themselves,  howling  through  all  the  hours  of  the  night,  and  stealing 
everything  within  their  reach,  are  an  appropriate  symbol  of  the  lawless  and 
the  vile.  Such  vile  and  lawless  ones  will  have  no  place  in  the  New  Jeru- 
salem. Neither  will  ^'  sorcerers,"  who  deceive  themselves  and  others  with 
pretended  miracles  and  revelations,  who  turn  away  from  the  holy  word  to 
follow  plans  of  their  own  devising,  and  from  the  Holy  Spirit  to  consult  the 
spirits  of  demons.  Neither  will  *' whoremongers,"  who  trifle  with  im- 
purity, despise  the  divine  ordinance  of  marriage,  undermine  the  family  re- 


688  LKCTURE  LXXVII. 

latioD,  and  follow  after  ber  whose  house  is  filled  with  the  dead,  and  whoee 
steps  take  hold  on  hell.  Neither  will  '*  mnrderers/'  who  in  thonght  or  itt 
deed  dip  their  hands  in  human  blood.  Neither  will  "  idolaters,"  who 
change  the  glory  of  the  incorruptible  God  into  an  image  made  like  to  cor- 
ruptible man,  and  to  birds,  and  four  footed  beasts,  and  creeping  things,  and 
who  in  any  manner  strip  God  of  his  honor,  and  give  to  any  other  the  wor- 
ship which  is  due  to  him  alone.  Neither  will  those  who  ''  love  and  make  a 
lie" ;  that  is,  all  those  who  are  false  to  themselves,  to  others,  and  to  God ; 
who  take  pleasure  in  thinkiog,  or  saying,  or  doing  that  which  is  false. 

On  the  characters  described  in  this  verse,  we  need  not  dwell  at  greater 
length.  It  is  a  fearful  catalogue.  How  many  of  the  sons  end  daughters 
of  the  human  family  does  it  embrace  ?  It  embraces  all  those  whose  robes 
are  not  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  who  do  not  give  evidence 
of  this  in  a  sincere  endeavor  after  new  obedience ;  it  embraces  not  only 
those  who  in  outward  act  are  guilty  of  the  crimes  here  described,  but  also 
those  who  in  thought  or  intention  are  guilty  of  these  crimes.  Are  we  in- 
cluded in  this  catalogue  ?  This  is  the  all-important  question.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion which  we  ought  to  be  able  to  answer.  To  answer  it  we  do  not  have 
to  do  impossible  things,  or  to  solve  impossible  problems ;  we  do  not  have  to 
ascend  into  heaven  or  to  descend  into  hell.  The  whole  matter  resolves 
itself  into  this  one  question,  which  in  the  course  of  the  present  lecture  baa 
once  and  again  been  rung  in  our  ears,  are  we  sincerely  trying  to  keep  the 
commandments  of  God  ?  If  we  are  not,  we  must  be  counted  with  ihe 
dogs,  and  the  sorcerers,  and  the  whoremongers,  and  the  murderers,  and  the 
idolaters,  and  those  who  love  and  make  a  lie.  What  associates  these  are ! 
God  grant  that  they  may  not  be  our  companions  through  the  unending 
ages  of  eternity  I  And  why  need  they  be  ?  The  gates  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem are  yet  open ;  the  invitation  is  yet  extended  ;  the  Saviour  yet  waits 
to  be  gracious.  "  Now,  then,  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ ;  as  though 
Christ  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead  be  ye  recon- 
cUed  to  God.'' 

III.  Yes,  ambassadors  for  Christ  I  What  an  honor  I  What  a  fearftil 
responsibility  I  Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?  And  yet  there  is  no 
need  of  fear.  Neither  ministers,  nor  the  apostle  John,  nor  even  the  angel 
would  have  any  right  to  speak  of  these  things,  except  as  they  are  oommis^ 
sioned  by  Jesus.  And  this  is  the  last  point  contained  in  the  snbjeet  of 
lecture.  In  the  preceding  verses,  the  race  was  divided  into  two  classes ; 
those  who  have  washed  their  robes,  and  those  who  have  disobeyed  the 
divine  commandments.  It  was  declared  that 'the  former  would  enter 
through  the  gates  into  the  city,  and  that  the  latter  would  be  left  out.  To 
increase  the  solemnity  of  these  declarations,  Jesus  announces  himself  aa 
THE  ATTTHOR  OF  THESE  STATEMENTS,  and  plainly  tcUs  US  who  he  is.     '*  I 


THROUGH   TH9   OATSS   INTO   THE   CITY.  589 

Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you  these  things  in  the  churches. 
I  am  the  root  and  offspring  of  David,  and  the  bright  and  morning  star/' 
This  announcement  refers  not  only  to  the  immediate  context,  but  to  all  the 
things  written  in  this  book.  Jesus  is  the  author  of  them  all,  and,  there- 
fore, they  must  be  true.  Many  of  these  things  were  spoken  by  the  angel, 
but  that  angel  was  sent  by  Jesus  for  this  very  purpose.  This  angel  was 
sent  to  reveal  these  things  to  "  the  churches,"  not  to  the  seven  churches  of 
Asia  alone,  but  to  all  the  churches  of  Christ  till  the  end  of  time.  There- 
fore, they  have  come  to  us.  In  the  revelations  of  this  book,  whether  we 
are  able  fully  to  understand  them  or  not,  we  are  to  recognize  the  words  of 
Jesus,  and  not  the  words  of  the  angel. 

Who  is  this  Jesus,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  these  glorious  revela- 
tions ?  He  himself  ansWers  :  '*  I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David"  ; 
that  is,  the  Saviour  promised  in  the  Old  Testament,  to  whom  type  and 
sacrifice  pointed,  and  of  whom  prophets  spake.  Of  all  the  prophetic 
ntterances  of  the  Old  Testament,  none  are  more  glorious  than  those  which 
declare  that  this  Saviour  was  to  be  the  root-shoot  and  offspring  of  David. 
All  these  prophetic  utterances  are  thus  summed  up  by  Isaiah :  "  There 
shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a  branch  shall  grow 
oat- of  his  roots."  In  the  words  before  us,  Jesus  declares  himself  to  be 
that  stem  and  that  branch.  More  than  this :  Jesus  is  also  "  the  bright  and 
morning  star."  A  star  is  a  scriptural  symbol  of  a  prince  or  leader ;  and 
Jesus  is  the  prince  and  leader  of  the  sacramental  hosts  of  God's  elect.  The 
morning  star  is  beautiful ;  so  Jesus  is  holy,  harmless,  undefiled,  and  separate 
from  sinners..  The  morning  star  stands  without  a  rival  in  its  glory ;  so  Jesus 
is  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  and  the  one  altogether  lovely.  The 
morning  star  is  the  first  thing  which  arrests  the  attention  in  the  morning, 
and  the  last  thing  in  the  evening ;  so  Jesus  is  all  in  all  to  the  believing 
soul. 

This  is  Jesus,  the  author  of  the  Apocalypse,  the  promised  Messiah  of 
the  Old  Testament,  and  the  unfading  hope  of  the  New  Testament  saints. 
This  book  is  distinguished  from  all  the  other  books  of  the  Bible,  not  only 
Uk  its  beauty,  its  sublimity',  and  its  descriptions  of  the  future,  but  also  in 
the  £Bict  that  Jesus  so  ofl«n  and  so  unequivocally  proclaims  himself  its  au- 
thor. It  then  becomes  us  to  hear,  believe  and  obey  the  things  which  are 
written  in  this  book,  not  as  the  words  of  man,  but  as  the  words  of  the 
living  God.  To  help  our  faith,  we  may  well  pray^  ''  Lord,  we  believe; 
help  thou  our  unbelief.''  To  help  our  obedience,  we  may  well  remember 
and  consider  the  words  which  have  been  the  subject  of  our  meditation, 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  have  washed  their  robes,  that  they  may  have  right 
to  the  tree  of  life,  and  may  enter  in  through  the  gates  into  the  city." 


590  LicrruRS  lxxviii. 


LECTURE    LXXVIII. 

THE  INVITATION. 

And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Gome.  And  let  him  that  beareth  say, 
Come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whosoever  will,  let  him  take 
the  water  of  life  freely.— Rev.  22 :  17. 

These  are  among  the  most  beautifal  words  of  the  Bible.  They  would 
have  been  beautiful  anywhere,  in  the  prophets  or  in  the  psalms,  in  the 
gospels  or  in  the  epistles  ;  but  their  beauty  is  enhanced  by  the  position 
they  occupy.  .  They  stand  at  the  very  close  of  the  book  of  inspiration  i 
they  follow  the  sublime  description  of  the  New  Jerusalem  and  the  river 
of  life.  The  text  is  a  gem,  so  precious  and  brilliant,  that  it  would  have  a 
beauty  even  in  the  plainest  setting,  but,  set  as  it  is  in  these  revelations  of  the 
glory  of  the  hereafter,  its  preciousness  and  brilliancy  are  without  a  paralld* 
In  order  to  appreciate  it,  we  must  gather  up  in  our  minds  ail  we  have 
seen  and  heard  in  the  preceding  context.  Yonder  stands  the  holy  city, 
with  its  sorrowless  and  deathless  inhabitants,  with  its  jasper  walla  and  its 
gates  of  pearl,  with  its  endless  day  and  its  everlasting  worship,  with  its 
spotless  purity  and  its  eternal  joy.  Can  we  enter  ?  Is  there  any  invita- 
tion for  such  sinners  as  we  are  ?  Lo,  over  the  portals  of  the  city,  it  is 
written,  "Come  every  one  that  will."  Yonder  is  the  river  of  life,  flowtog 
in  rich  abundance,  and  giving  life  to  every  one  that  tastes.  Can  we  taste  7 
Is  there  any  invitation  for  such  dying  sinners  as  we  are?  Lo,  "  The  Spirit 
and  the  bride  say.  Gome."  The  description  of  the  heavenly  glory  would 
only  have  mocked  and  tantalized  the  dwellers  on  the  earth  if  it  had  not 
been  followed  by  this  gracious  invitation. 

There  are  two  prominent  thoughts  in  these  words,  viz.,  the  persons  who 
are  invited,  and  those  by  whom  the  invitation  is  extended.  Before  pro- 
ceeding to  discuss  these  points,  it  may  be  well  to  say  a  few  words  concern- 
ing the  invitation  itself.  It  is  an  invitation  to  enter  heaven,  to  drink  of 
the  river  of  the  water  of  life  which  ever  flows  beside  the  throne  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb,  and  to  enjoy  the  fullness  of  the  blessedness  whioh  Qt>d  has 
prepared  for  them  that  love  him.  It  is  an  invitation  to  accept  salvation, 
which  begins  on  earth  and  reaches  its  perfection  in  glory.  In  other  words, 
it  is  an  invitation  to  believe  on  Christ  as  he  is  freely  offered  in  the  gospel ; 
for  Christ  is  the  only  door  which  leads  to  the  city  of  the  Great  King,  and 
faith  is  the  only  key  which  unlocks  that  door  and  permits  us  to  enter  in 
through  the  gates  into  the  city.  The  words  of  the  text,  translated  from 
figurative  to  literal  language  are  these,  which  are  so  often  repeated  in  the 
written  word :  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shall  be 
saved." 


•THE   INVITATION.  691 

I.  Bearing  tbis  in  mind,  let  us  inqnire,  who  are  invited  ?  When  we 
remember  that  salvation  includes  peace,  and  pardon,  and  hope,  and  joy 
here,  and  sinless  and  eternal  felicity  hereafter,  we  may  well  ask,  can  such 
an  invitation  be  for  us  ?  We  come  so  far  short  in  understanding  the  infinite 
love  of  Ood,  and  we  are  so  accustomed  to  measure  that  love  by  our  own 
imperfect  love,  that  we  are  unable  to  comprehend  a  universal  invitation. 
Nevertheless,  the  invitation  is  universal.  It  is  addressed  to  every  individual 
of  our  fallen  race.  It  is  true,  the  name  of  no  one  is  recorded  in  the  invita- 
tion, but  the  condition  of  all  is  so  clearly  described  that  there  can  be  no 
possibility  of  mistake. 

In  the  first  place,  the  invitation  is  to  every  one  that  is  athirst.  *'  Let 
him  that  is  athirst  come.*'  We  all  know  what  natural  thirst  is,  and  that  it 
is  not  natural  thirst  which  is  referred  to  here.  What  mental  or  moral 
longing  is  there  which  bears  so  close  a  resemblance  to  natural  thirst  that  it 
is  called  by  this  name  ?  Every  one  has  within  him  a  deep  sense  of  dissatis- 
iaction  and  unrest — '*  an  aching  void  "  which  longs  for  something  to  supply 
it.  We  appeal  to  every  man :  Do  you  not  feel  that  there  is  something  want- 
^ing  to  make  you  perfectly  happy?  Do  you  not  occasionally  long  for  that 
something  with  a  longing  which  is  akin  to  thiret,  and  which  is  to  the  soul 
what  thirst  is  to  the  body  ?  The  man  does  not  live  who  is  without  personal 
experience  of  this  want  and  this  longing.  You  will  therefore  observe  that 
these  words  are  not  addressed  to  Christians,  as  such,  who  thirst  for  the  living 
water  of  the  gospel,  but  to  all  men  who  are  without  Christ,  and  who  need  to 
be  saved.  Every  man,  without  exception,  has  more  or  less  of  this  figurative 
thirst.  Nothing  but  this  figurative  thirst  will  account  for  the  toiling  and 
striving  which  we  see  under  the  sun.  It  is  to  satisfy  this  thirst  that  every 
man  is  running  with  untiring  feet,  and  laboring  with  unceasing  hand,  if 
perchance  he  can  find  something  which  will  give  him  a  better  peace  than 
any  he  has  yet  found.  It  is  to  satisfy  this  thirst  that  one  strives  for  political 
honor ;  that  another  travels  over  every  land  and  sails  over  every  sea  ;  that 
another  watches  sleeplessly  the  ups  and  downs  of  stocks  and  the  move- 
ments of  the  market ;  that  another  indulges  in  eveiy  form  of  pleasure;  and 
that  another  drinks  of  the  intoxicating  cup.  But  none  of  these  things  gives 
foil  satisfaction.  It  is  written  on  thrones,  and  riches,  and  pleasures,  and 
everything  earthly,  "Whosoever  drink eth  of  this  water  shall  thirst  again." 
But  the  experience  of  unnumbered  thousands  confirms  this  declaration  of 
the  Master :  '*  He  that  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall 
never  thirst,  but  it  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water,  ppringing  up  unto  ever- 
lasting life.*'  If  these  things  are  so,  then  all  men  are  athirst — ^then  you  are 
athirst.  Is  it  not  so  ?  Have  you  not  felt  that  want  and  that  longing  which 
we  have  tried  to  describe  ?  To  deny  it  would  be  to  deny  your  humanity. 
Therefore  this  invitation  of  the  text  is  addressed  to  you.  It  tells  how  your 
thirst  can  be  quenched,  your  want  supplied,  and  your  longing  gratified.  If 


592  LEOTUBE  LXXVIII. 

you  Bay,  I  haye  no  want  to  be  supplied,  no  longing  to  be  gratified ;  I  have 
all  I  can  desire ;  I  am  perfectly  happy  ;  then  we  have  no  message  for  you. 
But  if  you  have  this  desire  for  something  you  do  not  ahready  possess,  if 
you  long  for  greater  happiness  than  you  presently  enjoy,  then  the  invitation 
of  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  is  addressed  to  you,  for  that  inyitation  reads, 
"  Let  him  that  m  athirst  come.'' 

But  lest  there  should  be  some  mistake  or  miss^prehension,  lest  some  sin- 
ful soul  should  be  afraid  that  the  invitation  was  not  for  him,  it  is  expressed 
in  another  form :  '*  Whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely.' ' 
In  these  words,  the  universal  invitation  rings  out  still  more  clearly ;  for 
who  is  there  who  is  not  willing  to  be  saved  ?  Who  is  there  who  is  not 
willing  to  have  his  sins,  pardoned,  to  enter  heaven,  and  to  enjoy  its  happiness 
for  ever  ?  Men  may  differ  from  each  other  in  many  respects,  but  they  are 
alike  in  this :  they  are  all  willing  to  be  happy.  We  may  even  go  a  step 
farther  than  this ;  all  men  hope  to  be  happy.  Even  the  most  sinful  and  mis- 
erable cherish  the  hope  that  at  some  time  and  in  some  way,  they  may  enter 
upon  unalloyed  happiness.  Since  this  is  so,  how  could  the  universal  gospel 
invitation  be  better  expressed  than  it  is  in  the  words  under  consideration  ? 
Can  we  conceive  of  any  possible  language  which  would  convey  a  fuller  and 
freer  invitation  than  the  language  before  us  ?  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him 
take  the  water  of  life  freely." 

IL  The  most  prominent  point  in  the  subject  of  lecture  is,  the  persons 
BT  WHOM  THE  INVITATION  IS  EXTENDED.  '^  The  Spirit  and  the  bride 
say.  Come.  And  let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come."  In  the  first  place,  this 
invitation  is  extended  by  'the  Spirit."  Who  is  the  Spirit?  This  is  a 
question  which  every  child  in  the  church  is  able  to  answer.  The  Spirit  is 
God,  the  third  person  of  the  Trinity,  equal  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
The  invitation,  then,  is  from  one  who  has  authority,  dignity  and  ^oiy. 
But  you  may  say,  the  Spirit  has  never  spoken  to  me ;  I  have  never  heard 
the  voice  of  the  Spirit  Surely  sin  must  have  blinded  your  eyes,  and  stopped 
your  ears,  and  hardened  your  hearts.  Have  you  never  heard  the  invitation 
of  the  Spirit  ?  Let  us  explain  some  of  the  ways  in  which  the  Spirit's  in- 
vitations are  extended,  for  as  the  Spirit  is  Ood,  he  has  infinite  resources 
at  his  command.  He  does  not  extend  his  invitations  in  his  own  glorious 
person,  or  through  his  own  omnipotent  voice,  for  no  man  could  endure 
that  presence  or  that  voice.  He  extends  his  invitations  through  various 
instrumentalities.  One  reason  why  we  have  been  so  reluctant  to  accept 
his  invitations  is  because  we  have  not  recognized  his  person  and  his  voice 
in  the  instrumentalities  he  has  employed.  One  way  in  whioh  the  Spirit 
extends  his  invitations  is  through  an  awakened  conscience.  There  are 
times  in  our  lives  when  our  conscience,  without  any  assignable  cause, 
wakens  out  of  a  long  slumber.     It  tells  us  that  we  have  not  done  that 


THE   INVITATION.  593 

whiob  is  right,  that  we  have  been  liTing  in  a  way  that  is  a  disgrace  and  a 
shame,  and  that  there  is  a  better  way.  Who  has  not  felt  the  power  of 
oonscisnoe  ?  Our  conscienee  may  now  be  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron  ;  but  it 
was  not  always  so.  The  time  was,  when  it  made  itself  heard;  and  we  trem- 
bled beneath  its  reproaches.  Even  yet  there  are  hours  when  this  inward 
monitor  asserts  something  of  its  former  power.  It  stings  us  with  the 
memory  of  lost  opportunities,  it  reproaches  us  for  our  sinfulness,  it  tells 
us  what  we  must  expect  in  the  future.  That  man  is  to  be  pitied  who 
carries  in  his  soul  such  a  reprover,  who  may  awaken  any  day  or  night,  and 
who  does  ofben  awaken.  In  the  reprooft  of  conscience  which  we  have 
heard,  we  must  recognize  the  invitations  of  the  Spirit. 

Another  way  in  which  the  Spirit  extends  his  invitations  is  through 
the  providences'  of  Ood.  When  we  have  heard  of  the  death  of  an  ac- 
quaintance, something  has  forced  the  question  upon  our  attention,  why 
was  he  taken,  and  why  are  we  left  ?  When  we  have  stood  beside  the 
grave  of  a  friend,  we  could  not  keep  back  the  thought,  if  this  had  been 
our  grave,  what  would  have  been  our  condition  ?  When  the  hand  of 
sickness  was  laid  upon  us,  and  we  have  felt  the  possibility  of  death's  ap- 
proach, how  we  shuddered  in  view  of  eternity  ?  In  such  circumstances, 
the  thought  comes  to  us  '^  o'er  and  o'er,"  we  ought  to  accept  Ohiist.  In 
these  providences  which  we  have  experienced,  we  should  recognize  the 
invitations  of  the  Spirit. 

Another  way  in  which  the  Spirit  extends  his  invitations  is  through  the 
word,  read  and  preached.  Sometimes,  when  we  have  been  listening  to  a 
sermon,  or  when  some  passage  of  Scripture  has  been  brought  to  our  rec- 
ollection, a  rich  and  precious  promise  obtains  a  lodgment  in  our  minds, 
and  we  would  give  a  right  hand  if  we  could  only  claim  that  promise  as 
ours ;  or  some  terrible  threatening  forces  itself  upon  our  attention,  and  we 
would  give  a  right  eye  if  we  could  be  sure  that  it  would  not  be  fulfilled  in 
our  experience.  In  these  promises  and  threatenings  of  the  word,  whose 
power  we  have  all  felt,  we  should  recognize  the  invitations  of  the  Spirit. 

Another  way  in  which  the  Spirit  extends  his  invitations  is  by  what  are 
called  his  common  operations.  He  makes  us  sad  and  pensive  when  all 
around  us  is  calculated  to  give  us  joy.  He  makes  us  feel  that  the  world 
is  an  unsatisfying  portion,  and  that  there  is  something  necessary  to  happi- 
ness which  we  do  not  now  possess.  He  makes  us  think  of  sin,  and  death, 
and  judgment,  and  eternity,  and  we  cannot,  with  all  the  mental  strength 
we  can  command,  drive  these  thoughts  away.  He  makes  us  think  of  the 
love  of  God,  and  the  death  of  Christ,  and  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  the  pains 
of  hell.  In  these  thoughts,  which  we  have  all  pondered,  we  should 
recognize  the  invitations  of  the  Spirit. 

In  some  or  in  all  of  these  ways,  the  Spirit  invites.  In  some  or  in  all 
of  these  ways,  the  Spirit  has  invited  yon.     You  cannot  recall  the  number 

38 


594  LEOTURE   LXXVIII. 

of  times  ooDScience  has  reproved  you,  the  provideoces  of  God  have  warned 
you,  the  word  of  God  has  spoken  to  you,  and  the  common  operations  of  the 
Spirit  have  moved  you.  Say  not,  then,  you  have  never  heard  the  invita- 
tions of  the  Spirit.  Why  should  these  invitations  be  unheeded?  What 
has  the  Spirit  done  that  he  should  be  thus  treated  ?  Think  of  the  dignity 
of  the  Spirit.  He  is  God,  infinite,  eternal,  unchangeable.  Think  also  of 
the  many  times  he  has  extended  his  invitations.  He  has  spoken  to  us  in 
childhood,  and  in  manhood ;  he  has  followed  some  of  us  to  old  age  and  gray 
hairs^;  and  during  all  this  time,  there  has  not  been  a  day,  hardly  an  hour, 
in  which  he  has  not  made  his  still  small  voice  to  be  heard.  To-day  the 
Spirit  calls.  God  grant  that  his  invitation  may  not  be  treated  with  in- 
difference until  his  strivings  are  quenched. 

In  the  second  place,  the  invitation  is  extended  by  the  bride.  "  The  bride 
says,  Come."  Every  one  who  is  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures  must  know 
who  is  meant  by  the  bride.  The  bride  is  the  church.  Of  the  church  on 
earth  God  has  said,  "  I  have  espoused  you  to  myself."  The  church  in 
heaven  is  described  as  "  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife." 

The  earthly  church  comes,  bringing  the  invitations  of  the  gospel.  Its 
ordinances  invite  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  This  is  especially  the  case 
with  the  ordinance  of  the  word.  Whenever  and  wherever  the  word  is 
preached,  the  church  through  that  preaching  extends  the  invitations  of  the 
gospel ;  for  this  is  the  great  office  of  preaching.  Every  sermon  which  does 
not  in  some  way  exhibit  Christ,  and  reveal  the  truth  for  the  conversion  of 
sinners  and  the  edification  of  saints,  does  not  deserve  the  name  of  a  gospel 
sermon.  And  though  it  must  be  ^admitted  that  ministers,  forgetting  at 
times  their  great  duty  and  their  high  commission,  preach  themselves  rather 
than  Christ  Jesus  the  Lord,  yet  the  most  of  the  sermons  we  have  heard 
were  such  as  declared  the  great  truths  of  redemption.  These  invitations 
vou  have  heard.  Let  memory  exercise  itself  a  little  in  a  review  of  the 
past.  Tell,  if  you  can,  how  often  you  have  sat  in  the  house  of  God,  how 
often  you  have  heard  these  words,  ^'  B;;lieve  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  ; 
how  oilen,  beneath  the  preaching  of  the  word,  you  have  been  moved  to  give 
yourselves  to  Christ ;  at  all  these  times,  the  church  has  been  inviting  yon 
by  the  ordinance  of  the  word.  And  so  it  is  in  all  the  ordinances.  In  the 
ordinance  of  prayer,  the  church  brings  the  case  of  the  unconverted  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  thus  invites  them.  In  the  ordinance  of  praise,  it  ex- 
hibits the  love  and  mercy  of  God,  and  thus  invites.  In  the  ordinances  of 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  it  shows  the  work  of  Christ  by  expressive 
symbols,  and  thus  invites.  The  officers  of  the  church  stand  ready  to  re- 
ceive all  who  come  in  humble  faith.  Every  man  who  has  ever  listened  to 
the  prayers  and  praises  of  the  church,  or  who  has  ever  witnessed  the  cele- 
bration of  the  sacraments,  has  been  invited.  Gathering  up  in  one  sentence 
all  the  earnest  desires  of  the  ransomed  of  the  earthly  church,  of  all  the 


THE   INVITATION.  596 

ministers  of  the  gospel  who  have  besought  yoa  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  of 
all  the  members  of  the  church  who  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious, 
of  all  those  who  have  prayed  for  your  conversion,  of  all  those  who  praise 
the  Lord  for  his  mercy,  of  all  those  who  have  been  washed  in  the  water 
of  baptism,  of  all  those  who  have  taken  of  the  broken  body  and  shed 
blood  of  the  Saviour,  gathering  up  in  one  sentence  the  earnest  desires  of 
all  the  ransomed  of  the  earthly  church,  we  would  say,  '^  Take  the  water 
of  life  freely." 

But  by  the  bride,  as  this  term  is  used  in  the  Apocalypse,  is  meant  espe- 
cially the  church  in  heaven.  When  the  text  says,  *'  The  bride  says.  Come," 
it  teaches  us  that  the  redeemed  in  glory,  who  have  felt  the  sorrows  of  earth, 
and  are  now  enjoying  the  pleasures  of  heaven,  who  have  fought  the  battle, 
and  are  now  wearing  the  crown  of  victory,  .who  have  tried  the  plan  of 
salvation,  and  are  now  reaping  their  eternal  reward,  invite  us  to  enjoy  the 
same  pleasures,  to  wear  the  same  crowns,  and  to  reap  the  same  harvest. 
Paul  assures  us  that  the  faithful  dead  are  interested  spectators  of  the  Chris- 
tian race  ;  *'  Wherefore,  seeing  we  also  are  compassed  about  with  so  great 
a  cloud  of  witnesses,  let  us  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  which  doth 
so  easily  beset  us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before 
us.''  If  this  is  true,  and  no  one  can  doubt  it,  for  an  inspired  apostle  has 
spoken  it,  what  a  beautiful  and  touching  picture  does  it  give  us  of  the 
heavenly  sympathy  !  And  if  the  heavenly  congregation  is  interested  in 
the  progress  of  Christianity  on  earth,  it  is  neither  unreasonable  nor  un- 
Bcriptural  to  suppose,  that  if  any  dear  friends  have  gone  up  from  our  sides 
to  join  the  ransomed  throng,  they  will  be  specially  interested  in  us.  If  it 
were  possible,  they  would  willingly  come  back  to  earth  to  tell, us  of  our 
danger.  Like  the  man  in  the  parable,  they  would  gladly  visit  their  earthly 
home  and  preach  the  gospel  there,  that  their  brethren  might  not  go  to  the 
place  of  torment.  That  sainted  mother,  whose  prayers  and  anxieties  on 
your  account  you  remember  so  well,  and  who  long  ago  entered  the  many- 
mansioned  house  of  God,  cries  back  across  the  separating  abyss,  0  my  son, 
my  daughter,  drink  of  the  water  of  life !  That  wife,  whose  dying  hours 
were  disturbed  by  your  unbelief,  pleads  as  of  old,  0  my  husband,  drink  of 
the  water  of  life  !  That  sister,  whose  beauty  was  too  fair  for  earth,  and 
who  was  transplanted  into  the  celestial  Eden,  beseeches  as  of  yore,  0  my 
brother,  drink  of  the  water  of  life  !  That  child,  who  was  torn  from  your 
arms  in  spite  of  your  agonizing  prayer,  "  0  my  Father,  if  it  be  possible, 
let  thb  cup  pass  from  me,"  cries  back  from  the  other  side  of  the  river  of 
death,  Father,  mother,  drink  of  the  water  of  life,  that  our  broken  famUy 
may  be  reunited ! 

Such  invitations  as  these,  who  can  refuse  ?  The  church  on  earth,  with 
its  ministers  and  ordinances,  says,  '^  Come."  The  church  in  heaven,  pre- 
pared as  a  bride  adorned  for  her  husband,  with  all  the  dear  ones  who  have 


596  LSCTURE  LXXIX. 

left  our  homes  for  their  thrones  in  glorj,  says,  '*  Take  the  water  of  life 
freely." 

In  the  third  place,  the  invitation  is  extended  by  him  that  heareth. 
'^Let  him  that  heareth  say,  Come.''  It  is  well  known  that  the  word 
"  hear  "  is  often  used  in  the  Scriptures  in  the  sense  of  "  obey."  This  is 
its  meaning  in  the  present  instance.  Let  him  that  obeys  say,  ''  Come,*^ 
That  is,  let  every  man  first  drink  of  the  water  of  life  for  himself,  and  then 
let  him  invite  others.  This  is  the  natural  order.  No  man  can  effectively 
invite  others  to  accept  Christ  till  he  himself  has  accepted  Christ,  and 
found  in  his  own  experience  that  Christ  is  what  he  professes  to  bci  This 
is  the  scriptural  order.  '^  Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his 
righteousness.'*  "When  thou  art  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren/' 
The  meaning,  then,  of  the  words  before  us,  is  this :  let  every  Christian 
say,  "  Come."  Who  has  not  received  an  invitation  from  this  source  ?  .Has 
not  some  Christian  friend  spoken  to  you  plainly  of  your  duty  ?  Have  you 
not,  times  without  number,  by  some  hint  which  you  could  not  misunder- 
stand, and  which  it  was  not  intended  you  should  misunderstand,  been  in- 
vited to  give  yourself  to  Christ  ?  Have  you  not,  by  the  example  of  faith- 
ful Christians,  often  had  the  claims  of  Christianity  forced  upon  your  attention 
till  you  longed  to  be  as  they  were,  and  to  feel  the  joy  they  felt  ?  For  all 
true  Christians  are  alike  in  this ;  they  all  desire  your  salvation.  We, 
therefore,  express  the  desire  of  all  the  people  of  God,  when  we  say, 
«  Come." 

These  are  the  persons  by  whom  the  invitation  is  extended :  the  Spirit, 
the  church  on  earth,  the  church  in  heaven,  and  individual  Christians. 
They  extend  this  invitation  to  you.  Men  and  brethren,  what  say  you  ? 
The  time  presses.  God  grant  that  these  words  of  gracious  invitation  may 
ring  in  your  ears  till  you  are  forced  to  say,  "  Lo,  we  come ;  to  do  thy  will 
we  take  delight." 


LECTURE    LXXIX. 


THE  PERFECT  BOOK. 

Tot  I  testify  iinto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this 
book,  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book :  and  il  any  man  shall  take  away  from 
the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God  shall  take  away  his  part  out  of 
the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  noly  city,  and  from  the  things  which  are  written 
in  this  book.— Rev.  22: 18,  19. 

As  this  book  approaches  its  conclusion,  the  solemnity  of  its  utterances 
increases.    The  words  which  ai'e  the  subject  of  the  present  lecture  most 


THE   PERFSGT   BOOK.  597 

fill  the  heart  of  every  reader  with  awe.  They  are  like  the  sword  of  the 
angel  which  guarded  the  tree  of  life  on  every  side.  They  prevent  every 
careless  approach.  They  forbid  every  unholy  touch.  They  crush  out  all 
idle  curiosity.  They  hinder  all  additions  or  subtractions,  by  which  the 
revelation  of  Ood  might  be  made  to  harmonize  with  any  human  theory. 
They  pronounce  a  fearful  woe  upon  any  who  dare  to  trifle  with  these  in- 
spired prophecies.  They  startle  us  by  their  terrible  solemnity,  and  they 
might  prevent  every  attempt  at  exposition,  if  it  was  not  for  these  words 
with  which  the  Apocalypse  begins:  ^'Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those  sayings  which  are 
written  therein." 

We  may  reach  a  profitable  understanding  of  the  words  before  us,  if  we 
consider  the  following  points :  the  person  who  gives  this  solemn  testi- 
mony, and  the  persons  to  whom  it  is  given  ;  the  book  of  prophecy  concern- 
ing which  this  testimony  is  given ;  the  sin  against  which  this  testimony  is 
borne ;  and  the  woe  which  is  pronounced  upon  those  who  are  guilty  of  this 
sin. 

I.     In  accordance  with  this  plan  we  are  to  notice,  in  the  first  plaoe,  THE 

PERSON  WHO  OIYES  THIS  TESTIMONY,  AND  THE  PERSONS  TO  WHOM  IT  18 

GIVEN.  "  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  of  this  book."  "  I  testify."  Who  is  this  that  is  concealed  be- 
neath the  word  <<  I "  ?  It  might  be  the  apostle  himself,  for  he  could  bear 
such  testimony.  Under  the  inspiration  of  the  Spirit,  he  could  know  the 
fate  of  those  who  would  dare  to  add  to,  or  take  from,  the  words  of  God. 
But  a  greater  than  John  is  here.  The  angel,  who  has  taken  such  a  prom- 
inent part  in  pointing  out  and  explaining  the  visions  of  this  book,  could 
have  borne  this  testimony,  for  he  could  not  be  ignorant  of  the  truth  whidi 
is  here  affirmed.  But  a  greater  than  the  angel  is  here.  In  verse  20,  it  is 
said,  "  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith.  Surely  I  come  quickly." 
And  he,  whose  speedy  coming  is  so  often  spoken  of  in  this  book,  is  none 
other  than  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  therefore  it  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
whose  words  we  are  now  studying.  This  is  a  fact  which  we  do  well  to 
bear  in  mind.  The  words  of  the  apostle  deserve  serious  consideration ; 
the  words  of  the  angel  deserve  serious  consideration ;  but  the  words  of 
Jesus  must  have  greater  weight,  and  must  produce  a  more  powerful  im- 
pression. He  is  omniscient,  and  he  cannot  be  deceived  as  to  those  who 
trifle  with  the  prophecies  of  this  book.  He  is  omnipotent,  and  he  cannot 
be  hindered  iu  inflicting  the  punishments  he  has  threatened.  It  becomes 
us,  then,  to  heed  the  words  of  this  warning,  for  it  is  the  King  of  kings 
and  the  Lord  of  lords  who  says,  "  I  testify." 

To  whom  does  the  Lord  Jesus  give  this  testimony  ?     "  To  every  man 
that  heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book."     This  warning  is 


598  LECTURE   LXXIX. 

not  addressed  alone  to  the  ministers  of  the  gospel,  or  to  those  who  bring 
great  learning  to  bear  upon  the  study  of  the  Scriptures.  They  are  included 
in  the  warning;  and  it  is  their  duty  to  touch  the  inspired  words  of  this 
book  with  reverent  hands.  The  warning  is  addressed  to  every  .one  who 
heareth  these  words.  All  those  who  hear  these  words  read  in  the  churches, 
and  all  those  who  read  these  words  for  themselves  in  their  homes,  should 
hear  and  heed  this  testimony  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  It  is  implied  that  all 
hearers  of  the  gospel  have  faculties  which  will  enable  them  to  understand 
it;  that  no  one  should  receive  as  true  the  words  of  any  teacher,  simply 
because  he  is  a  teacher ;  that  every  man  must  examine  for  himself  whether 
these  things  are  so;  and  that  every  man,  and  not  preachers  and  teachers 
alone,  is  responsible  for  the  right  use  of  these  visions  of  the  seer  of  Patmos. 
Of  course  those  who  have  never  heard  or  read  these  words  are  not  under 
this  curse,  even  if  they  should  add  to  them  or  take  from  them ;  but  we 
cannot  escape  irom  respoDsibility  through  this  door  of  ignorance.  We  have 
read  the  Apocalypse  in  our  homes  till  we  are  ^miliar  with  its  words  and 
its  imagery.  We  have  listened  to  its  reading  in  the  church  till  our  hearts 
have  been  stirred  within  us.  We  cannot,  therefore,  get  beyond  the  reach 
of  this  warning,  for  the  Lord  Jesus  testifies  unto  every  one  '^  that  heareth 
the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book.'* 

IL  We  must  get  a  clear  idea  of  the  book  concerning  which  this 
TESTIMONY  IS  GIVEN.  In  versc  18,  it  is  said,  "  if  any  man  shall  add  unto 
these  things"  In  verse  19,  it  is  said,  *'if  any  man  shall  take  away  from 
the  toards  of  the  hook  of  this  prophecy,*^  What  things  are  here  referred 
to  ?  What  book  of  prophecy  is  here  referred  to  ?  The  reference  is  with- 
out question  to  the  book  of  the  Apocalypse,  which  is  divided  into  four 
parts.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  an  introduction ;  in  the  second  place, 
there  is  a  description  of  the  church  as  it  existed  in  the  days  of  John ;  in 
the  third  place,  and  this  is  the  longest  and  most  important  division,  there 
is  a  history  of  the  church  from  the  days  of  John  until  the  coming  of  the 
final  glory ;  in  the  fourth  place,  there  is  the  conclusion,  in  which  the  sub- 
ject of  the  present  lecture  is  to  be  found.  Inasmuch  as  the  largest  portion 
of  this  book  has  reference  to  events  which  were  future  at  the  time  it  was 
written,  it  is  in  this  and  in  other  places  called  a  prophecy.  This  is  the 
book  of  prophecy  concerning  which  the  Lord  Jesus  testifies  to  you,  and  to 
me,  that  nothing  is  to  be  added  to  it,  and  nothing  is  to  be  taken  from  it. 
It  is  complete  in  itself*  Like  every  other  gift  of  our  God,  it  is  perfect. 
But  though  these  words  have  special  reference  to  the  book  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, they  reveal  a  principle  which  is  true  of  the  whole  Bible.  When  John 
wrote  them,  they  could  not  have  been  applied  to  the  whole  word  of  inspira- 
tion, for  the  Bible  was  not  then  collected  into  one  volume ;  it  existed  only 
in  parts.    And  though,  in  our  Bibles,  this  book  forms  a  fitting  conclusion^ 


THE  PERFECT  BOOK.  599 

it  was  not  the  last  written  book  of  inspiration.  Several  of  the  books  of 
the  New  Testament  were  penned  after  John's  exile  in  Patmos  was  ended. 
Therefore,  the  words  under  consideration  did  not  originally  refer  to  the 
entire  volame  of  revelation ;  still,  as  has  been  said,  they  reveal  a  principle 
which  is  true  of  the  entire  volume  of  revelation.  As  this  book  is  com- 
plete in  itself,  so  the  Bible  is  complete  in  itself.  As  this  book  is  perfect  in 
itself,  so  the  Bible  is  perfect  in  itself.  As  nothing  is  to  be  added  to  or 
taken  from  this  book,  so  nothing  is  to  be  added  to  or  taken  from  the  Bible. 
Nevertheless,  let  us  not  forget  that  this  testimony  of  the  Lord  Jesus  has 
direct  reference  only  to  the  Apocalypse. 

III.  We  were  to  notice  the  sins  against  which  this  testimony 
WAS  BOBNE.  They  are  two  in  number.  The  first  one  is  described  in 
these  words :  "  If  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things"  ;  that  is,  if  any 
man  shall  claim  that  these  revelations  are  incomplete,  and  shall  add  to  them 
out  of  his  own  wisdom  to  make  them  complete  ;  or,  if  he  shall  profess  to 
have  a  new  revelation  to  supplement  the  visions  which  John  was  permitted 
to  see.  In  either  case,  he  adds  to  the  things  which  are  written  in  this 
book,  and  is  guilty  of  sin,  for  he  puts  his  own  wisdom  or  his  own  visions 
upon  the  same  level  with  the  inspired  revelations  of  this  book.  Such  adding 
to  the  things  written  in  this  book  is  manifestly  different  from  true  and  de- 
vout exposition.  The  latter  is  only  an  explanation  of  the  visions,  and  an 
enforcement  of  their  lessons ;  the  former  is  putting  into  the  word  of 
Ood  something  which  Qod  did  not  put  there.  The  one  is  a  Christian 
duty ;  the  other  is  an  aggravated  sini  If  a  man  should  come  to  us  and 
say,  I  have  an  additional  vision,  one  which  throws  additional  light  upon  the 
overthrow  of  Antichrist  and  upon  the  exact  time  when  the  throne  of  judg- 
ment will  '^be  set,  we  would  feel  under  no  obligation  to  consider  his  vision  ; 
he  is  attempting  to  do  that  which  is  here  forbidden  ;  and  we  would  have 
the  right  to  reject  the  vision  without  examination,  for  by  it  he  is  adding  to 
the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book.  But  if  one  should  come  to  us 
saying,  I  think  your  exposition  of  the  seals,  or  of  the  trumpets,  or  of  the 
vials,  is  incorrect ;  you  have  overlooked  certain  symbols  which  are  of  import- 
ance, you  have  mistaken  the  meaning  of  other  symbols,  you  have  neglected 
the  light  which  other  passages  of  Scripture  throw  upon  the  visions;  we 
would  feel  that  he  is  doing  nothing  more  than  he  has  a  right  to  do ;  we 
would  be  bound  to  examine  his  theory,  for  he  is  not  adding  to  the  things 
which  are  written  in  this  book  ;  he  is  only  trying,  as  Ood  gives  him  op- 
portunity, to  understand  and  explain  the  things  which  are  written  in  this 
book. 

Adding  to  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book  is  manifestly  a  sin. 
It  is  attributing  imperfections  to  Ood ;  it  is  saying  that  when  he  gave  a 
revelation  to  man,  he  was  too  ignorant  or  too  weak  to  make  a  sufficient 
revelation ;  it  is  putting  ourselves  in  the  place  of  Ood  and  claiming  to  do 


600  LECTURE  LXXIX. 

that  which  is  excluftively  the  work  of  God  ;  it  is  claiming  to  be  wiser 
than  Ood.  It  should  require  no  argument  to  convince  us  that  this  is  most 
aggravated  blasphemy.  Is  it  necessary  to  say,  that  the  warning  of  the  text 
is  needed  in  the  days  in  which  we  live  ?  That  the  sin  which  is  here  refer- 
red to  is  one  which  is  often  met  with  ?  Men  assert  that  the  word  of  God 
is  not  a  sufficient  rule  of  life.  They  add  to  it  the  teachings  of  science,  the 
inductions  of  reason,  and  the  manifestations  and  revelations  which  they 
profess  to  receive  from  the  spirit-world.  All  such  may  well  tremble  in  view 
of  the  woe  which  is  here  pronounoed. 

The  second  part  of  the  twofold  sin  is  described  in  the  words,  ''  If  any 
man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy."  They 
are  guilty  of  this  sin,  who  reject  this  book  altogether,  or  who  reject  any 
part  of  it.  It  would  seem,  from  the  words  before  us,  that  the  Spirit  of  in- 
spiration saw  that  there  would  be  danger  of  this.  And  there  is  danger. 
This  book  describes  with  great  plainness  the  rise  and  progress  and  destruc- 
tion of  certain  false  systems  of  religion ;  and  when  these  descrq)tion8  were 
being  folfiUed,  those  who  adhered  to  these  systems  would  be  disposed  to 
correct  or  strike  out  these  descriptions.  This  book  contains  the  history  of 
the  final  triumph  of  the  church ;  and  the  enemies  of  the  church  would  be 
disposed  to  change  or  reject  that  history.  Therefore,  the  Spirit  of  inspira- 
tion utters  the  solemn  warning  of  the  text. 

This  taking  away  from  the  words  of  this  book  is  manifestly  a  sin.  Like 
the  sin  of  addmg  to  these  words,  it  is  putting  ouraelves  in  the  place  of  €K>d, 
and  claiming  to  be  wiser  than  God.  And  there  is  need  of  this  warning,  for 
the  sin  here  described  i^  often  met  with.  When  men  find  that  the  word  of 
God  condemns  their  lives  or  overthrows  their  theories,  they  think  little  of 
rejecting  its  claims.  It  is  too  often  the  case  that  when  science,  or  reason,  or 
prejudice  seem  to  come  in  conflict  with  the  Bible,  the  former  stand,  while 
the  latter  is  rejected. 

lY.  We  were  to  notice  the  fearful  woe  which  is  pronounced  upon 
those  who  are  guilty  of  these  sins.  Of  those  who  are  guilty  of  the  first 
sin,  viz.,  the  sin  of  adding  unto  these  things,  it  is  said,  '^  God  shall  add 
unto  him  the  plagues  which  are  written  in  this  book.'^  In  the  Apocalypse, 
many  of  the  punishments  which  God  inflicts  upon  his  enemies  are  de- 
scribed. These  punishments  are  fearful.  Fire,  hail,  and  earthquake, 
famine,  pestilence,  and  sword,  the  agony,  darkness  and  sorrow  of  the  bot- 
tomless pit,  are  all  employed  as  ministers  of  divine  wrath.  These  punish- 
ments are,  in  the  words  before  us,  called  plagues.  The  meaning,  then,  is 
simply  this  :  those  who  add  unto  the  things  written  in  this  book  aiv  re- 
garded as  the  enemies  of  God  and  his  church,  and  they  will  have  a  part  in 
the  fearful  doom  of  such  enemies.  Look  at  some  of  the  revelations  of  thb 
doom.  "  And  the  kiogs  of  the  earth,  and  the  great  men,  and  the  rich  men, 


THE  PERFECT   BOOK.  601 

and  the  chief  captains,  and  the  mighty  men,  and  every  bondman,  and  eyeiy 
freeman,  hid  themaelTCB  in  the  dens  and  in  the  rocks  of  the  monntains ; 
and  said  to  the  mountains  and  rocks.  Fall  on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face 
of  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb  :  for 
the  great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to  stand"  ? 
"  To  them  it  was  given  that  they  should  not  kill  them,  but  that  they  should 
be  tormented  five  months ;  and  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  a  scor- 
pion when  ho  striketh  a  man.     And  in  those  days,  shall  men  seek  death, 
and  shall  not  find  it ;   and  shall  desire  to  die,  and  death  shall  flee  from 
them."     '^  And  the  third  angel  followed  them,  saying  i{ith  a  loud  voice,  If 
any  man  worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receive  his  mark  in  his  fore- 
head, or  in  his  hand,  the  same  shall  drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of 
God;  which  is  poured  out  without  mixture  into  the  cup  of  his  indignation  ; 
and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone   in   the  presence  of 
the  holy  angels,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  Lamb ;   and  the  smoke  of 
their  torment  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and  ever :  and  they  have  no  rest  day 
nor  night."     "  And  the  second  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  sea  ; 
and  it  became  as  the  blood  of  a  dead  man  ;    and  every  living  soul  died 
in  the  sea.     And  the  third  angel  poured  out  his  vial  upon  the  rivers 
and  fountains  of  waters,  and  they  became  blood."    ''  There  fell  a  noisome 
and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  which  had  the  mark  of  the  beast,  and 
upon  them  which  worshiped  his  image."     **  And  there  fell  upon  men 
a  great  hail  out  of  heaven,  every  stone  about  the  weight  of  a  talent ; 
and  men  blasphemed  God  because  of  the  plague  of  the  hail ;  for  the 
plague  thereof  was  exceeding  great."     <^  And  I  saw  an  angel  standing  in 
the  sun ;  and  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying  to  all  the  fowls  that  fly  in 
the  midst  of  heaven,  Come  and  gather  yourselves  together  unto  the  sup- 
per of  the  great  God ;  that  ye  may  eat  the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of 
captains,  and  the  flesh  of  mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of 
them  that  sit  on  them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both 
small  and  great.     And  I  saw  the  beast,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth,  and 
their  armies,  gathered  together  to  make  war  against  him  who  sat  on  the 
horse  and  against  his  army.     And  the  beast  was  taken,  and  with  him  the 
false  prophet  that  wrought  miracles  before  him,  with  which  he  deceived 
them  that  had  received  the  mark  of  the  beast  and  them  that  worshiped  his 
image.     These  both  were  cast  alive  into  a  lake  of  fire  burning  with  brim- 
stone.    And  the  remnant  were  slain  with  the  sword  of  him  that  sat  upon 
the  horse,  which  sword  proceedeth  out  of  his  mouth ;  and  the  fowls  were 
filled  with  their  flesh." 

These  are  some  of  the  plagues  which  God  will  add  unto  him  who  adds 
to  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book,  for  he  is  an  enemy  of  God, 
and  he  must  share  the  doom  of  those  who  are  enemies. 

Of  those  who  are  guilty  of  the  second  sin,  viz.,  of  taking  away  from 


602  LEOTXTRi:  LXXIX. 

the  words  of  the  hook  of  this  prophecy,  it  is  said,  *'  Ood  shall  take  away 
his  part  out  of  the  hook  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city,  and  from  the 
things  which  are  written  in  this  book."  The  book  of  life  has  been  ex- 
plamed  more  than  once  in  our  previous  lectures.  The  heavenly  state  of  the 
glorified  saints  is  represented  as  a  kingdom.  The  names  of  all  the  citizens 
of  this  kingdom  are  enrolled.  This  book  of  enrollment  is  called  the  book 
of  life.  None  but  those  whose  names  are  written  in  this  book  can  inherit 
the  blessedness  of  this  kingdom.  The  meaning,  then,  of  this  part  of  the 
woe  is  simply  this  :  those  who  dare  to  take  away  from  the  words  of  this 
book  will  have  no  j)lace  in  heaven.  Their  names  will  not  be  written  in  the 
Lamb's  book  of  life. 

And  the  holy  city  has  been  fully  described.  In  our  lectures  on  the 
previous  chapters  we  saw  the  New  Jerusalem,  whose  builder  and  maker 
was  God ;  we  saw  its  gates  of  pearl,  and  its  streets  of  gold,  and  its  founda- 
tions of  precious  stones ;  we  saw  who  were  its  sorrowless  inhabitants,  and 
who  were  lofl  without.  The  meaning,  then,  of  this  part  of  the  woe  is  sim- 
ply this  :  those  who  dare  to  take  away  from  the  words  of  this  book  will 
never  enter  through  those  gates  into  the  city  ;  they  will  have  their  part 
among  the  dogs,  and  sorcerers,  and  whoremongers,  and  murderers,  and 
idolaters,  and  those  who  are  without. 

'*  The  things  which  are  written  in  this  book,*'  the  promises  which  it 
contains,  and  the  glories  and  triumph^  which  it  describes,  are  yet  fresh  in 
our  memories.  The  meaning,  then,  of  this  part  of  the  symbol  is  simply 
this :  those  who  dare  to  take  away  from  the  words  of  this  hook  will 
never  inherit  the  promises,  and  the  glories,  and  the  triumphs  which  are 
herein  described. 

If  these  things  are  so,  with  what  reverence  should  we  engage  in  the 
study  of  this  book  I  No  other  part  of  the  Bible  is  so  fenced  about  with 
solemn  warning.  Of  course,  there  are  revelations  here  which  are  hard  to 
understand ;  we  are  liable  to  mistakes  in  our  expositions ;  but  we  may  hope 
that  our  weakness  and  our  mistakes  will  be  forgiven.  But  if  we  trifle  with 
the  word  of  inspiration  itself,  if  we  add  to  it,  or  if  we  take  from  it,  we 
may  not  hope  for  forgiveness,  either  in  this  world  or  in  the  world  to  come. 

It  has  been  said  that  these  words,  though  they  have  primary  reference 
only  to  the  Apocalypse,  reveal  a  principle  which  is  true  of  the  entire  Bible. 
The  whole  Bible,  like  this  portion  of  it,  is  a  book  to  which  nothing  is  to 
be  added,  and  from  which  nothing  is  to  be  taken  at  any  time  or  on  any 
pretext.  Words  similar  to  those  we  have  just  considered  are  to  be  found 
in  many  place)  in  the  Scriptures.  ^'  Ye  shall  not  add  unto  the  word  which 
I  command  you,  neither  shall  ye  diminish  aught  from  it,  that  ye  may  keep 
the  oomiBandments  of  the  Lord  your  God,  which  I  command  you." 
Deuteronomy  4:2.  "  What  thing  soever  I  command  you,  observe  to  do 
it :  thou  shalt  not  add  thereto,  nor  diminish  from  it."    Deuteronomy  12 : 


THE  CONCLUSION.  603 

32.  "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect."  Psalm  19 :  7.  *'  Though  we  or 
an  angel  from  heaven  preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which 
we  have  preached  unto  you,  let  him  be  accursed."  Galatians  1:8.  '^  If 
they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  persuaded 
though  one  rose  from  the  dead.''  Luke  16 :  31.  ^*  All  Scripture  is  given 
by  inspiration  of  God,  and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  cor- 
rection, for  instruction  in  righteousness."  2  Timothy  3:16.  All  these 
passages,  and  many  others  ^which  might  be  quoted,  teach  the  perfection 
and  the  sufficiency  of  the  revealed  will  of  God,  as  it  is  contained  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  The  sufficiency  of  the  Scrip- 
tures will  be  seen  irom  the  following  considerations:  1.  They  tell  us  all 
we  need  to  know  concerning  eternal  life  and  happiness.  2.  They  tell  us 
what  we  need  to  do  in  order  to  reach  eternal  life  and  happiness.  3.  They 
contain  the  most  precious  promises.  4.  They  contain  the  most  startling 
threatenings.  5.  They  reveal  the  only  Saviour.  Since  these  things  are 
so,  we  may  well  say  with  the  apostle,  "  Though  we  or  an  angel  from  heaven 
preach  any  other  gospel  unto  you  than  that  which  we  have  preached  unto 
you,  let  him  be  accursed."  We  may  well  say  with  Abraham  in  the  para- 
ble, "  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they  be  per- 
suaded though  one  rose  from  the  dead."  For  these  words  of  our  divine 
Master  are  true,  not  with  regard  to  the  Apocalypse  alone,  but  also  with  re- 
gard to  the  entire  Bible.  ^*  For  I  testify  unto  every  man  that  heareth  the 
words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any  man  shall  add  unto  these  things, 
God  shall  add  unto  him  the  plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book ;  and  if 
any  man  shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  the  book  of  this  prophecy,  God 
shall  take  away  his  part  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  out  of  the  holy  city, 
and  from  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book." 


LECTURE    LXXX. 


THE  CONCLUSION. 


He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith,  Surely  I  come  quickly.  Amen.  Even 
so,  come,  Lord  Jesus.  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  vou  all. 
Amen.— Key.  22  :  20,  21. 

The  name  of  that  portion  of  inspiration  whose  concluding  words  form 
the  subject  of  lecture,  is  the  Revelation.  It  is  also  called  the  Apocalypse, 
which  is  but  a  Greek  word  in  English  letters.  The  English  name  is  only 
a  translation  of  the  Greek  one  ;  that  is,  the  Apocalypse  means  the  Revela- 
tion.    This  book  is  called  the  Apocalypse,  or  the  Revelation,  not,  as  is 


604  lbC;turb  lxxx. 

sometimes  thought,  because  it  reveals  the  history  of  the  earthly  ehuich 
and  the  future  glory  of  the  heavenly  church,  but  because  it  has  so  much 
to  do  with  the  Apocalypse,  the  Revelation,  the  appearing  of  the  Lord 
Jesus.  On  almost  every  page  our  attention  is  called  to  the  second  coming 
of  the  Son  of  man.  In  the  introduction  it  is  said, ''  Behold,  he  oom^h 
with  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see  him."  To  the  church  in  Ephesus  it  is 
said,  ^'I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly."  To  the  church  in  Pergamos  it  is 
said,  '^  I  will  come  unto  thee  quickly."  To  the  church  in  Thyatira  it  is  said, 
'^That  which  ye  have  already,  hold  fast  till  I  come."  To  the  church  in 
Sardis  it  is  said,  "  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and  thou  shalt  not  know 
what  hour  I.  shall  come  upon  thee."  To  the  church  of  Philadelphia  it  is 
said,  '*  Behold,  I  come  quickly."  In  a  similar  way  the  second  coming  of 
Christ  is  set  before  us  throughout  the  entire  book  as  a  comfort  and  an  en- 
couragement. And  it  is  fitting  that  as  this  book  approaches  its  conclusion, 
the  references  to  the  appearing  of  the  Son  of  man  should  be  more  frequent 
and  more  plain.  Three  times,  in  this  last  chapter,  the  announcement  rings 
out  like  a  trumpet  call  from  heaven.  In  verse  7  we  are  told,  ^^ Behold,  I 
come  quickly."  In  verse  12  we  are  told,  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly."  And 
again,  in  verse  20,  we  are  told,  '*  He  which  testifieth  these  things  saith. 
Surely  I  come  quickly."  The  apostle,  who  had  so  often  listened  to  this 
announcement,  and  whose  heart  was  filled  with  unutterable  longings  for  the 
coming  of  that  glorious  day,  responds,  ''Amen.  Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus." 
And  then  the  visions  having  ended,  and  his  task  being  finished,  he  pro- 
nounces, as  with  extended  hands  over  the  waiting  church,  the  usual  formula 
of  benediction,  ''The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all. 
Araen." 

Surely,  then,  this  book  b  appropriately  called  the  Revelation,  the  Apoca- 
lypse, the  appearing  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  for  this  is  its  great  theme. 
And  surely  this  is  an  appropriate  conclusion  for  this  book,  for  it  leaves  us 
gazing  into  heaven,  like  the  disciples  on  mount  Olivet,  and  looking  for  the 
time  when  the  Saviour  shall  come  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salva- 
tion. Let  us,  in  our  concluding  lecture,  attempt,  with  reverent  hearts,  to 
catch  the  meaning  and  imbibe  the  spirit  of  these  ikrewell  words  To  do 
this,  let  us  consider  these  three  points :  the  Lord's  proclamation ;  the 
church's  response ;  and  the  apostle's  benediction. 

I.  We  are  to  consider  the  Lord's  proclamation.  "He  which  testi- 
fieth these  things  saith,  Surely  I  come  quickly."  We  have  called  these 
words  "  the  Lord's  proclamation,"  for  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  these  are 
the  words  of  the  Lord.  It  is  true,  in  the  course  of  these  visions,  we  have 
sometimes  heard  the  voice  of  the  apostle ;  but  when  he  has  spoken,  he  has 
spoken  under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  We  have  some- 
times heard  the  voice  of  the  great  multitude  of  the  redeemed,  and  tome- 


THE  Conclusion.  605 

times  the  voice  ot  one  or  more  of  the  angelio  host ;  but  when  they  have 
^>okeii,  they  have  spoken  by  the  commandment  of  the  Lord.  We  are, 
therefore,  to  recognize  the  voice  of  the  Lord  in  all  the  visions  of  this  book  ; 
for  when  he  does  not  speak  in  his  own  glorious  person,  he  speaks  by  some 
one  whom  he  has  commisioned  to  reveal  his  will. 

The  subject  matter  of  the  Lord's  proclamation  has  reference  to  his  second 
coming,  "I  come  quickly."  This  second  coming  of  Christ  is  not  a 
doctrine  peculiar  to  the  Apocalypse.  It  is  revealed  in  other  parts  of  the 
New  Testament.  It  is  not  entirely  unknown  in  the  Old  Testa* 
ment.  Enoch,  the  seventh  from  Adam,  prophesied  saying,  "  Behold, 
the  Lord  cometh  with  ten  thousand  of  his  saints."  Job  says,  ^'  I  know 
that  my  Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  in  the  latter  day 
upon  the  earth."  The  Psalmist  sings  again  and  again  of  the  coming 
of  his  Lord  to  judge  the  earth.  Daniel  spake  of  the  Ancient  of  days,  who 
at  his  coming  should  receive  an  everlasting  dominion.  Haggai  speaks  of 
the  shaking  of  all  the  nations,  until  the  desire  of  all  nations  should  come. 
Zeohariah  tells  us,  '^  Behold,  the  day  of  the  Lord  cometh,  and  his  feet 
shall  stand  upon  the  mount  of  Olives."  But  it  is  in  the  New  Testament 
that  this  second  coming  is  revealed  with  special  clearness.  As  Jesus  drew 
near  the  time  of  his  departure,  and  as  he  would  prepare  his  disciples  for  that 
event  which  their  weak  faith  could  as  yet  only  imperfectly  under- 
stand, he  kept  repeating  the  promise,  "I  will  come  again."  And 
no  sooner  had  the  Saviour  ascended  to  his  Father  and  his  Ood, 
than  the  disciples  took  up  the  cry,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus,"  a  cry 
which  is  echoed  and  re-echoed  by  all  the  inspired  writers  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  by  all  the  faithful  Christians  who  have  lived 
since  the  last  of  the  apostles  has  entered  into  rest.  We  cannot  repeat  all  the 
passages  of  the  New  Testament  which  refer  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 
A  few  must  suffice.  The  Saviour  says^  *^  I  will  come  again  and  receive 
you  to  myself"  '^The  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all  his 
holy  angels  with  him."  ^'As  it  was  in  the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  the 
coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be."  ''Be  ye  also  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour 
as  ye  think  not  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  Paul  says,  ^'  Unto  them  that 
look  for  him  shall  he  appear  the  second  time  without  sin  unto  salvation." 
*' The  Lord  himself  shall  descend  from  heaven  with  a  shout,  with  the 
voice  of  the  archangel,  and  with  the  trump  of  God."  Peter  says,  *'The 
day  of  the  Lord  will  so  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night."  The  angels  said, 
<<  This  same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall  so  come 
in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  go  into  heaven."  But  we  must  put  a 
curb  upon  memory.  Passage  after  passage,  in  which  the  appearing  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  is  revealed,  forces  itself  upon  our  attention.  It  seems  almost 
as  if  this  was  the  great  burden  of  the  New  Testament.  No  believer  in 
the  New  Testament  can  for  a  moment  doubt  the  fact  that  Jesus  is  to  come 
the  second  time. 


606  LECTURE   LXXX. 

Taking,  then/  for  granted  thb  second  coming,  which  the  Lord  Jesos  him- 
self proclaims  in  thd  words  under  consideration,  several  questions  present 
themselves  to  be  answered.  What  will  be  the  manner  of  his  coming  ? 
From  the  passages  which  have  been  quoted,  and  from  others  which 
might  be  quoted,  we  learn  that  it  is  to  be  a  glorious  coming. 
It  will  not  be  like  his  first  coming.  Then  he  came  as  a  servant; 
hereafter  he  is  to  come'  as  a  king.  Then  his  coming  was  un- 
known ;  hereafter  his  coming  will  shine  from  the  east  to  the  west.  Then 
he  came  alone;  hereafter  he  will  be  attended  with  all  the  retinue  of 
heaven*s  monarch.  What  wonders  will  accompany  his  coming  ?  Dwellers 
on  the  earth  will  be  startled  and  astonished.  The  dead  will  be  raised.  The 
heavens  and  the  earth  will  be  burned.  What  is  the  end  or  object  of  his 
coming  ?  It  is  to  complete  the  salvation  of  his  saints,  to  overthrow  his 
enemies,  to  judge  the  world,  and  to.  reign  in  and  oVer  hb  church  for  ever. 

On  these  points,  viz.,  the  fact,  the  manner,  the  accompaniments,  and  the 
object  of  the  Saviour's  second  coming,  there  is  no  material  difference  of 
opinion  among  those  who  believe  the  New  Testament  to  be  the  word  of  God. 
So  far,  all  are  of  one  mind.  We  have,  therefore,  only  touched  upon  these 
points,  that  we  might  consider,  at  a  little  greater  length,  another  point  on 
which  there  is  a' difference  of  opinion;  and  that  is,  the  order  of  the 
Saviour's  second  coming.  On  this  point,  there  are  two  main  theories.  All 
believe  that  the  Saviour  will  come.  All  believe  that  there  is  to 
be  a  millennium.  But  some  believe  that  the  millennium  is  to  come 
first,  and  that  Christ  is  to  come  afterwards ;  others  believe  that 
Christ  is  to  come  first,  and  that  the  millennium  is  to  come  after- 
wards. Some  believe  that  the  millennium  is  to  usher  in  the  coming  of 
Christ ;  others  believe  that  the  coming  of  Christ  is  to  usher  in  the  miUen- 
nium,  and  that  daring  the  millennium  he  is  to  reign  personally  on  the 
earth.  We  will  not  enter  into  any  argument  on  the  merite  of  these  theo- 
ries. We  will  state  only  the  conclusions  we  have  reached  in  the  course  of 
our  previous  lectures.  We  believe  that  Christ  will  not  come  till  after  the 
millennium,  and  that  when  he  comes,  he  will  not  come  to  reign  in  person 
on  the  earth,  but  to  sit  on  the  throne  of  final  judgment.  The  order  of 
eventa,  as  we  have  learned  them  from  the  visions  of  the  Apocalypse,  is 
this :  The  breaking  of  the  seals,  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets,  and  the 
pouring  out  of  the  vials,  shadow  forth  various  and  sore  conflicts  between 
the  church  and  its  enemies.  At  last,  in  those  years  upon  which  the  church 
is  now  entering,  these  enemies  will  be  reduced  to  three,  vis.,  popery,  infi- 
delity, and  Mohammedanism,  symbolised  by  the  unclean  spirits  like  frogs 
which  proceeded  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false 
prophet.  These  enemies  will  then  be  overthrown  in  the  mighty  conflict, 
which  is  called  the  battle  of  Armageddon.  Then  Satan  wiil  be  bound  for 
the  period  of  a  thousand  years,  a  period  which  is  measured  not  by  a  thou* 


TUE   CONCLUSION.  607 

sand  literal  years,  nor  by  a  thousand  prophetic  years;  a  period  whioh  is 
similar  to  that  which  is  indicated  by  the  saying  that  a  thousand  years  are 
with  the  Lord  as  one  day;  This  period  of  a  thousand  figurative  years  b 
the  millennium.  At  the  close  of  this  millennial  period  of  the  world's  hb- 
tory,  which  is  to  be  characterized  by  the  general  prevalence  of  peace  and 
holiness  on  the  earth,  Satan  will  be  loosed  for  a  little  season,  and  will  make 
one  final  and  desperate  attempt  to  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  Christ ;  he 
will  deceive  the  nations,  and  gather  the  hosts  of  Gog  and  Magog ;  but  they 
will  be  destroyed  with  fire  from  heaven,  and  Satan  himself  will  be  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone.  And  then  the  long  predicted  event 
will  take  place ;  the  Saviour  will  come  in  all  his  glory  ;  the  dead  will  be 
raised ;  all  will  be  judged  according  to  the  deeds  done  in  the  body ;  the 
wicked  will  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  fiis 
angels ;  and  the  righteous  will  enter  .in  through  the  gates  into  the  city, 
whose  builder  and  maker  is  God. 

This,  as  we  understand  it,  is  the  order  of  events,  as  it  is  unfolded  in  the 
visions  we  have  been  studying.  But  some  one  may  say,  if  this  is  the  order 
of  events,  if  the  Saviour  is  not  to  come  till  aller  the  millennium,  how  could 
it  be  said  in  the  days  of  the  apostle,  how  can  it  be  said  now,  that  he  is  to 
oome  quickly  f  Two  thousand  years,  almost,  have  passed  away  since  the 
solemn  words  of  my  text  were  uttered  ;  and  the  Saviour  has  not  yet  come, 
and  there  are  no  signs  of  his  speedy  coming.  How  then  could  he  say  with 
truth,  *'  I  come  quickly"  ?  This  question  is  not  so  difficult  to  answer  as 
at  first  sight  it  might  appear.  The  second  coming  of  Christ  is  the  last  event 
in  a  connected  series  of  events,  whioh  are  inseparably  bound  together,  and 
which  must  succeed  each  other  without  let  or  hindrance.  Therefore,  it 
might  be  said  that  Christ  began  to  come  when  the  first  of  these  events  took 
place ;  for  this  event  was  the  first  step  in  his  coming,  and  each  succeeding 
event  was  a  step  which  brought  his  coming  nearer.  Christians  of  every 
generation  have  been  looking  for  events,  which  were  to  them  the  footsteps 
of  their  approaching  Lord.  Hence  it  may  be  said  to  each  generation,  Christ 
is  coming  quickly  ;  for  events  which  prepare  the  way  for  his  coming,  are 
always  at  hand. 

In  addition  to  this,  every  man's  death  is,  to  him,  virtually  the  coming  of 
Christ.  His  destiny  is  then  fixed.  Both  his  body  and  his  soul  wait  in 
a  changeless  state  for  the  sounding  of  the  archangers  trumpet  which  will 
herald  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man.  And  death  may  come  at  any  moment. 
This  is  the  thought  which  gives  such  solemnity  to  the  exhortation,  "  Be  ye 
also  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man  cometh." 
Surely,  then,  since  all  the  events  predicted  in  the  Apocalypse  lead  to  the 
coming  of  Christ  by  a  providential  arrangement  which  cannot  be  broken,  and 
since  the  day  of  every  man's  death  is,  to  him,  virtually  the  day  of  the  com- 
ing of  Christ,  it  is  right  to  describe  that  coming,  at  any  time,  as  at  hand  ; 


608  LBGTURE  LXXX. 

for  some  of  the  events  which  lead  to  it  are  at  hand,  and  the  event  itself  is 
at  hand  to  every  dweller  on  the  earth. 

This  is  the  coming  which  the  Lord  himself  announces.  It  is  the  great 
event  which  yet  remains  in  the  world's  history,  which  we  will  all  witness, 
in  which  we  all  will  have  an  interest,  and  which  will  mark  the  end  of  the 
long  conflict  and  the  beginning  of  the  eternal  victory.  "  He  which  testi- 
fieth  these  things  saith,  Sarely  I  come  quickly.*' 

II.  And  what  is  the  church's  response  to  this  announcement? 
It  is,  "  Amen.  Bven  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus."  In  these  words,  the  apostle 
speaks  for  you  and  me,  and  for  all  the  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  in  all 
the  centuries  of  time  ;  for,  as  has  been  said,  no  sooner  had  the  Lord  de- 
parted from  the  summit  of  Olivet,  than  the  disciples  took  up  the  cry,  "  Even 
so,  come,  Lord  Jesus" ;  and  ever  since,  this  cry  has  'been  echoing  through 
the  corridors  of  time,  and  it  must  grow  in  intensity  and  in  volume,  until 
the  stately  stoppings  of  the  coming  Lord  are  seen,  and  it  is  changed  into 
the  more  rapturous  cry,  '*  the  Lord  has  come." 

What  is  the  meaning  of  this  response  ?  It  implies  resignation  to  the 
will  of  GK>d.  It  means,  '^  Come  when  thou  wilt  and  as  thou  wilt/'  In 
this,  as  in  everything  else,  the  children  of  God  are  ready  to  say  with  their 
blessed  Master,  "Not  my  will,  but  thine  be  done."  It  implies  preparation 
for  the  coming  of  Christ ;  for  he,  who  through  divine  graoe  is  not  ready 
to  meet  his  Saviour  and  Judge,  cannot  force  his  lips  to  utter,  or  his  heart  to 
feel  the  words,  "Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus."  It  implies  longing  for  the 
coming  of  Christ.  He  only  who  is  weary  of  the  conflicts  of  life,  sick  of 
the  sin  which  abounds  in  the  world,  discouraged  by  the  remnants  of  in- 
dwelling corruption,  and  hungry  for  the  peace  and  holiness  of  heaven,  cao 
utter  the  prayer  of  the  longing  church.  For  it  is  a  prayer.  It  is  synony- 
mous with  that  other  petition,  which  Jesus  taught  his  disciples :  "  Thy 
kingdom  come" ;  in  which  we  pray,  that  Satan's  kingdom  may  be  destroyed, 
that  the  kingdom  of  grace  may  be  advanced,  that  we  and  othere  may  be 
brought  into  it  and  kept  in  it,  and  that  the  kingdom  of  glory  may  be 
hastened.  When  we  utter  the  response,  "Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus^"  we 
pray  that  the  unclean  spirits  which  proceeded  from  the  mouth  of  the  dragon, 
and  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet  may  be  destroyed,  that  the  battle  of 
Armageddon  may  be  fought,  and  infidelity,  popery  and  Mohammedanism 
may  be  defeated,  that  the  millennium  may  come,  that  the  judgment  and 
the  scenes  of  glory  which  are  beyond  may  be  hastened. 

Are  you  prepared  to  take  up  this  response  ?  to  utter  this  prayer?  Yoa 
cannot  be,  if  you  are  not  reconciled  to  Ood  by  the  death  of  his  Son.  These 
words,  ^'Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus,"  are  the  shibboleth  of  the  true 
ehnrch.  None  but  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  Lord  Almighty  can  speak 
them  aright.     It  may  be  that  some  of  us,  who  are  the  sons  and  daughters 


THE  CONCLUSION.  609 

of  the  Lord  Almighty,  hesitate  and  stammer  when  we  attempt  to  saj, 
'<  Bven  so,  oome,  Lord  Jesus'*  ;  but  if  so,  it  is  because  our  faith  is  too  weak 
and  our  love  too  hamau.  Let  our  faith  rise  to  assurance;  let  our  love  burn 
and  glow  as  the  love  of  the  redeemed  should  bum  and  glow,  let  us  recog- 
nize in  the  coming  Judge  our  elder  brother  who  died  for  us,  let  us  see  in 
the  New  Jerusalem  our  heavenly  home  ;  then  can  we  say,  with  the  un- 
mistakable emphasis  of  longing  souls,  "Even  so,  come,  I^ord  Jesus." 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  day  of  our  death  is  to  us  the  day  of  Christ's 
coming,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  say  with  reference  to  death,  ''  Even  so, 
come,  Lord  Jesus."  There  is  a  command  which  has  come  down  to  us 
through  the  centuries  and  which  has  startled  many  into  obedience*— even 
the  command, ''  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God."  Are  you  prepared?  Preparation 
is  needed.  Then  for  the  first  time  will  we  see  God  face  to  face.  Then  will 
we  be  on  our  final  trial.  It  will  then  be  decided  for  us,  either  for  an  endless 
life  or  for  an  endless  death.  Is  no  preparation  needed  for  that  interview, 
that  trial,  that  decision  ?  You  know  what  the  preparation  is.  It  is  de- 
scribed in  the  gospel ;  it  is  exemplified  in  the  lives  of  the  saints ;  it  is 
summed  up  in  the  words,  "  Believe  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  You  know 
that  this  prepflxatioD  should  be  made  at  once.  We  carry  about  in  our  bodies 
the  seeds  of  dissolution,  and  these  seeds  may  ripen  at  any  hour  of  any  day 
or  night.  Are  you  ready  to  step  out  into  the  darkness  and  to  meet  your 
coming  Lord  ?  I  can  see  death-bed  scenes  in  the  not  far  distant  future.  On 
those  death-beds  you  and  I  are  lying,  just  as  those  did  who  have  gone 
before,  and  whose  departure  we  witnessed.  Those  dear  to  us  are  standing 
around,  trying  in  vain  to  conceal  the  agony  they  feel.  The  eyes  are  grow- 
ing dim  with  the  gathering  mists  of  death's  dark  valley.  The  heart  throbs, 
and  waits,  and  throbs  again.  The  awiul  silence  of  that  chamber  which 
lies  so  near  the  spirit-land  is  almost  too  great  for  human  strength  to  endure. 
Then  he  which  testifieth  these  things  will  say  to  us,  "Surely  I  come 
quickly."  Blessed  will  we  be  if,  with  paling  lips  and  expiring  breath,  we 
can  whii^r  in  fullest  faith  and  confidence,  '^  Even  so,  come.  Lord  Jesus." 

III.  On  THE  apostle's  benediction  we  need  not  dwell.  "  The  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.  Amen."  It  is  a  benediction  similar 
to  the  concluding  benedictions  of  the  other  books  of  the  New  Testament. 
The  full  form  of  this  apostolic  benediction,  of  which  there  are  many  varia- 
tions, is  to  be  found  in  2  Cor.  13 :  14,  "  The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  the  love  of  God,  and  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you 
all." 

What  is  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  the  apostle  prays  to 
be  with  us  all?  It  includes  all  that  Christ  has  done  for  us,  and  all  that  he 
is  yet  to  do.  '*  Ye  know,"  says  Paul,  "the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
that  though  he  was  rich,  yet  for  your  sakes  he  became  poor,  that  ye  through 

39 


610  THE  CONCLUSION. 

m 

his  poverty  might  be  rich."  We  need  this  grace  for  our  pardon,  our  justi- 
fication, our  sanctification,  and  our  adoption ;  we  need  it  in  our  ordinances 
and  our  privileges;  we  need  it  in  our  conflicts,  and  our  trials,  and  at  our 
death.  We  all  need  this  grace.  We  need  it  as  ministers  and  people  ;  we 
need  it  as  parents  and  children,  as  husbands  and  wives,  and  in  all  the 
relations  of  life.  We  need  it  at  all  times.  We  need  it  in  youth,  in  middle 
life,  and  in  old  age.  They  needed  it  who  lived  while  the  seals  were  being 
broken,  and  while  the  trumpets  were  being  sounded  ;  we  need  it  who  live 
while  the  vials  are  being  poured  out ;  they  will  need  it  who  live  in  the 
peaceful  days  of  the  millennium.  Therefore,  let  us  rejoice  that  the  hands 
of  the  beloved  apostle  have  been  stretched  out  over  us,  and  over  all  them 
that  love  the  Lord  through  all  the  ages,  while  he  says  in  benediction,  "The 
grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with  you  all.    Amen.'' 

With  this  word,  "amen,"  with  which  the  seer  concludes  his  revelation, 
and  which,  like  the  word  '^  &rewell/'  is  one  of  those  sad  and  solemn  words 
of  human  speech  which  we  hesitate  to  speak,  our  exposition  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse comes  to  an  end.  Have  we  reached  a  clearer  understanding  of  these 
things  than  we  ever  had  before?  Have  we  received  anything  of  the 
blessedness  promised  to  him  that  heareth  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and 
keepeth  the  things  which  are  written  in  this  book?  Have  our  hearts  been 
inspired  with  greater  courage  for  the  irresistible  conflicts  which  must  take 
place  between  Christianity  and  its  foes  ?  Have  our  hearts  been  established 
more  and  more  in  the  faith  of  the  gospel  ?  Have  there  been  awakened  in 
our  souls  greater  longings,  so  that  we  can  say  as  never  before  in  the  past, 

"  0  Jerusalem,  my  happy  home, 
When  shall  I  come  to  thee  ? 
When  shall  my  sorrows  have  an  end, 
In  joy,  in  peace,  in  thee  ?" 

Have  we  been  led  to  say  more  earnestly,  "  Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesos"  ? 
If  so,'  not  unto  us,  not  unto  us,  but  unto  his  name  be  the  glory. 

In  the  hope  that  we,  who  have  meditated  together  on  the  joys  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  may  together  enjoy  its  full  blessedness  in  the  world  to 
come,  we  must  write  the  word  which  is  so  often  spoken  in  Christian  aasem- 
blies  that  its  meaning  is  well  nigh  forgotten,  the  word  which  marks  the 
conclusion  of  my  labors  on  this  portion  of  the  word  of  Ood,  the  word, 

AMEN.